Determining the effects of ultrasonic waves at different frequencies on bipedal red spiders

The pesticides used in the battle against agricultural pests pose significant threats to both human and environmental health, in addition to being important factors contributing to the increase in production costs. One of the notable pest species is the Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch.), which feeds on hundreds of plant species, negatively impacting their growth and development. Farmers aim to solve this problem. In line with this objective, this study was conducted to determine the effects of ultrasonic sound waves at different frequencies on T. urticae Koch. In this study, a device that generates ultrasonic sound was constructed. Ultrasonic sound waves were generated through the AD9833 module and controlled using the Arduino Nano microcontroller board. Rectifier circuits used in the project converted 220 V to 12 V and 5 V from the mains, providing power to the AD9833 module and the Arduino Nano microcontroller board. During the experimental phase, a plexiglass structure measuring 45×20×30 cm was used, featuring a speaker input from the top and a 5 cm diameter arrangement on the front for the escape of Two-Spotted Spider Mites. Bean plants were cultivated to feed the Two-Spotted Spider Mites in the experiment, and insects were introduced to the plants. Experiments were conducted with 6 frequencies in the range of 25 kHz to 50 kHz. As a control, the same conditions were maintained for Two-Spotted Spider Mites that were cultivated without the application of the two experimental frequencies, with a total of 3 replicates. Following the experiments, counts were made on the plants where frequencies were applied, and these counts were compared with counts made on control plants. As a result of this comparison, it was observed that the quantity of Two-Spotted Spider Mites was significantly lower in plants where ultrasonic sound was applied (P< 0.05).