Brand: ELECTOR ® PSP (in Europe ELECTOR ®)
Company: ELANCO
FORMULATION: liquid concentrate for spraying animals and farm premises
ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): Spinosad: 44.2% = 442 g/L (in Europe 480 g/L)
CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): Spinosyns
INDICATIONS: POULTRY and LIVESTOCK PREMISES
PARASITES CONTROLLED (spectrum of activity)*
- On poultry: Northern fowl mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) and Red fowl mites (Dermanyssus gallinae)
- On premises: houseflies (adults and larvae), stable flies, little house flies (Fannia canicularis), darkling beetles, hide beetles
Country differences may apply: read the product label
RECOMMENDED DOSE*
Poultry
- In the USA. Against Northern fowl mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum):
- Dilute 3 fl. oz. of product in 10 gallons of water. Spinosad concentration in the dilution: ~1035 ppm** = mg/L, equivalent to 0.1% Active Ingredient.
- Apply no more than 1 gallon of coarse spray per 100 birds to ensure adequate coverage, directed toward the vent area.
- Spray birds in cages (layers) or on the floor (layers/breeders) with a coarse spray. Use a sprayer of appropriate design that is equipped to effectively apply the spray. Ensure adequate coverage of the vent area of the bird with a direct saturation spray for optimum efficacy. Re-application may occur every 14 days as needed.
- In the EU (perhaps not in all cuntries): Against Red fowl mites (Dermanyssus gallinae), only for treatment of premises.
- Moderate infestation: Dilute 30 mL product in 7 liters water. Spinosad concentration in the dilution: ~2050 ppm** = mg/L, equivalent to ~0.2% Active Ingredient.
- Severe infestation: Dilute 60 mL product in 7 liters water. Spinosad concentration in the dilution: ~4100 ppm** = mg/L, equivalent to ~0.4% Active Ingredient.
*Country differences may apply: read the product label
** ppm = parts per million
SAFETY
- LD50 (acute oral) in rats: >5000 mg/kg (according to MSDS)
- LD50 (acute dermal) in rabbit: >2000 mg/kg (according to MSDS)
- Estimated hazard class according to the WHO: U, unlikely to present acute hazard
Suspected poisoning? Read the article on spinosad safety in this site.
Withholding periods (=withdrawal times) in days for meat & milk (country-specific differences may apply: read the product label)
- Poultry meat: USA & EU: NIL
- Eggs: USA & EU: NIL
WARNING !!!: Never use on humans, dogs, or cats.
This product is highly toxic to mollusks. Do not apply to areas where surface water is present, or to intertidal areas below the mean high-water mark. Do not contaminate water when cleaning or disposing of equipment wash waters.
You may be interested in the following articles in this site dealing with the general safety of veterinary products:
- Safety for humans
- Safety for domestic animals
- Safety for the environment
- Hazard classifications of pesticides
RESISTANCE PREVENTION
Risk of resistance? NO, but... Resistance of Northern fowl mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) and Red fowl mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) against spinosad has not been reported yet, which is not surprising since it has been used only for a few years on poultry. However, both mite species (particularly Red fowl mites) have developed very high resistance to all pesticides used in the past to control them, mainly organophosphates, carbamates & synthetic pyrethroids. Thus it must be assumed that uninterrupted use of spinosad is likely to cause resistance of these mites to spinosad faster than expected.
This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against poultry mites, for the time being it is likely to be due to incorrect use rather than to resistance. Incorrect use is usually the most frequent cause of product failure.
Resistance of houseflies to spinosad was reported already in 2003 after selection of a susceptible strain in the laboratory. The Resistance Factor (RF) achieved after only 10 generations was 150 (i.e. 150x the normal dose was required to kill the selected flies). Under field conditions in regions with tropical or subtropical climate 10 generations can follow in less than a year. In 2011 spinosad resistance (RF = 27) was described in a multi-resistant field housefly population in Denmark that had not been exposed to spinosad yet. These are clear warnings that houseflies may develop very quickly resistance to spinosad unless adequate preventative measures are implemented.
This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against houseflies, it may be due to resistance and not ot to incorrect use, particularly if the flies have been previously exposed to other products (e.g. fly baits) containing spinosad.
Alternative chemical classes/active ingredients to prevent resistance of external parasites through product rotation:
- Carbamates (e.g. carbaryl, methomyl). Resistance problems in mites and houseflies worldwide (cross-resistance with organophosphates).
- Organophosphates (e.g. coumaphos, diazinon, dichlorvos, phosmet). Resistance problems in mites and houseflies worldwide (cross-resistance with ocarbamates).
- Synthetic pyrethroids (e.g. permethrin, cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin,). Very severe resistance problems in mites and houseflies worldwide.
These alternative products may not be available in all countries, or may not be available for spraying, or may not be effective against all the concerned parasites.
Learn more about resistance and how it develops.
MARKETING
Are the active ingredients of this product ORIGINAL* or GENERICS**?
- GENERIC
*Meaning that they are still patent protected and generics are not yet available
**Meaning that they have lost patent protection and may be acquired from manufacturers of generic active ingredients other than the holder of the original patent.
COUNTRIES where this brand/product is marketed: USA, EU (maybe not all countries)
GENERIC BRANDS available? NoT yet.... ELECTOR is an original spinosad brand from ELANCO.
Click here to learn more about GENERIC vs. ORIGINAL drugs.
For an overview on the most used antiparasitic spray, dip & dust BRANDS click here.
COMMENTS
Spinosad is a natural insecticide obtained from soil bacteria. It is effective against numerous insects pests (e.g. lice, fleas and flies, etc.) and also against ticks and mites. It is moderately used in agriculture as well as in domestic and public hygiene. It is also used against fleas in dogs and cats, and against lice and blowfly strike in sheep. It has no effect whatsoever on internal parasites (roundworms, tapeworms, flukes, etc.).
Resistance of poultry mites to acaricides is a very serious problem worldwide, aggravated by the fact that innovation has been very poor in this market in the last decades. In many countries this market is still dominated by rather old organophosphates, carbamates and synthetic pyrethroids introduced between the 1950s and 1970s. Since then poultry mites have developed high resistance to these compounds in many regions, and multi-resistance is not rare, particularly in Red fowl mites (Dermanyssus gallinae).
ELECTOR PSP with spinosad was the first product with a new mechanism of action against poultry mites introduced in this market since the 1980s. Thanks to the different mechanism of action it controls Northern fowl mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) and Red fowl mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) resistant to any previously used acaricide. The major inconvenient is that ELECTOR PSP is significantly more expensive that all other alternative acaricides.
Spinosad used topically on poultry acts basically as a contact acaricide. This means that when the parasite comes in contact with it the active ingredient that impregnates the birds skin or feathers penetrates through the cuticle (i.e. the "skin" of insects and mites) into its organism and disturbs essential biological processes in the parasite's body, in this case its nervous system.
After topical administration to poultry, spinosad does not have a systemic mode of action, i.e. it is not transmitted to the parasites through the blood of the host. Topically administered spinosad is poorly absorbed through the skin of the hosts, and what is absorbed is quickly broken down and/or excreted. As a consequence the concentration reached in the blood after topical administration to poultry is too low to kill the mites. But this is why they are considered rather safe for mammals and why they leave rather low residues.
DISCLAIMER
This article IS NOT A PRODUCT LABEL. It offers complementary information that may be useful to veterinary professionals and users that are not familiar with veterinary antiparasitics.
Information offered in this article has been extracted from publications issued by manufacturers, government agencies (e.g. EMEA, FDA, USDA, etc.) or in the scientific literature. No guarantee is given on its accuracy, integrity, sufficiency, actuality and opportunity, and any liability is denied. Read the site's DISCLAIMER.
In case of doubt contact the manufacturer or a veterinary professional.