Acaricidal effects of some essential oils against mold mite tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae)

In this study; the fumigant and contact effects of coriander, lavender, mint, garlic, onion, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric essential oils against Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae) were investigated. In order for essential oils to have a fumigant effect, 10 μl/concentration was applied to the adult stages of the mites on preliminary biological tests. For the contact effect experiments, 4 different concentrations of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10% μl/l were applied to the adult stages of T. putrescentiae. As a result of the fumigant efficacy of essential oils, garlic, onion and cinnamon were 100% mortality, then other essential oils ordered higher to lower as coriander 92%, mint 75%, turmeric 73%, lavender 65%, and ginger 8% respectively. According to Lethal Concentration (LC) results onion and garlic were determined high toxic essential oils and other essential oils LC50 values were ordered high to low as turmeric, cinnamon, mint, lavender, coriander and ginger. As a result of the contact effect experiments, it was determined that the highest 10% concentration of garlic essential oil represents the highest contact toxicity with 100% mortality after 1 hour. However, it was concluded that onion and cinnamon essential oils were determined 100% mortality after 3 hours, at 10% concentration. According to Lethal time (LT) experiments, LT50 values were determined 4.7- 32.5 h (min-max), and essential oils were ordered garlic, cinnamon, onion, turmeric, mint, coriander, lavender and ginger respectively. In conclusion, laboratory bioassays indicated that fumigant and contact treatments of essential oils which considered in this study, can have potential to be successfully used for controlling molt mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae adults.