Acaricidal efficacy of ultraviolet-C irradiation of Tetranychus urticae adults and eggs using a pulsed krypton fluoride excimer laser.

Background: Pulsed ultraviolet (UV)-C light sources, such as excimer lasers, are used in emerging non-thermal food-decontamination methods and also have high potential for use in a wide range of microbial decontamination applications. The acaricidal effect of an experimental UV-C irradiation device was assessed using female adults and eggs of a model organism, the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae.

Methods: UV-C light was generated by a pulsed krypton fluoride excimer laser operating at 248-nm emission wavelength.