Step 6: Understanding the Indoor Climate

Ankersmit, Bart; Stappers, Marc H. L.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-34241-2_7

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Nests built upon wooden structures (e.g., beams or rafters) were associated with higher mite population counts than those constructed on metal or concrete; additionally, nest substrate significantly correlated with variation in temperature and humidity. Given that wood is a better thermal insulator than concrete or metal ( Ankersmit and Stappers, 2016 ), the nests built on wood were likely not subjected to the same temperature fluctuations as those constructed on materials that provide less insulation. The thermal properties of the wood substrate may thus allow for quicker reproduction by keeping the temperature within a more tolerable range (preventing the temperature from getting too low and slowing mite egg development, or too high and killing the mite eggs).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microclimate and host body condition influence mite population growth in a wild bird-ectoparasite system

Dube

Hund

Turbek

et al. 2018

International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife

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Parasite populations are never evenly distributed among the hosts they infect. Avian nest ectoparasites, such as mites, are no exception, as their distribution across the landscape is highly aggregated. It remains unclear if this pattern is driven by differences in transmission events alone, or if the environment that parasites inhabit after transmission also plays a role. Here, we experimentally examined the influence of the post-transmission microclimate, nest characteristics, and host condition on ectoparasite population growth in a bird-ectoparasite system. We infested barn swallow (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) nests with a standardized number of Northern Fowl Mites (Ornithonyssus sylvarium) and analyzed both biotic (nestling mass, wing length, number of other arthropods present in the nest, and brood size) and abiotic (temperature, humidity, nest lining, nest dimensions, and substrate upon which the nest was built) predictors of mite population growth. Our results suggest that mite populations were most successful, in terms of growth, in nests with higher temperatures, lower humidity, few other arthropods, and hosts in good condition. We also found that nests built on wooden substrates support larger populations of mites than those constructed on metal or concrete. These findings lend insight into the factors that drive large-scale patterns of ectoparasite distributions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%