**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE DRY-CURED PORK INDUSTRY IS DEPENDENT ON THE USE OF METHYL BROMIDE (MB) FUMIGATION TO CONTROL INFESTATIONS OF THE HAM MITE. MITES ARE TINY RELATIVES TO SPIDERS THAT DO NOT FLY AND CAN REPRODUCT TO EXTREMELY HIGH NUBMERS IN A SHORT TIME.PREVIOUS RESEARCH INDICATES THAT NETS COATED WITH CERTAIN FOOD-SAFE CHEMICALS CANCONTROLLED MITE INFESTATIONS IN THE LABORATORY AND IN TRIALS CONDUCTED AT HAM-AGING COMPANIES. WE FIRST WANT TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS TO SEE IF PARTICULAR CERTAIN COATING ON NETS COULD HELP CONTROL MITES. OUR SECOND SET OF EXPERIEMNTS WILL BE TO DETERMINE IF COMMON CURING INGREDIENTS CAN BE USED TO CONTROL MITES THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF NITRIC OXIDE OR IN COMBINATION WITH PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED COATING SYSTEMS TO CONTROL MITES WITHOUT IMPACTING THE FOOD QUALIT OF THE HAMS. OUR THIRD SET OF EXPERIMENTS IS TO DETERMINE IF CERTAIN CHEMICAL OR NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL METHODS COULD BE USED GAINS MITES. TEHSE WILL INCLUDE MITE-REPELLENT LIGHTING REGIMES, PHYSICAL BARRIERS TO MITE MOVEMENT SUCH AS LIQUID MOATS AROUND THE FEET OF RACK LEGS, RESIDUAL SPRAYS OF MITE GROWTH REGULATORS OR REGISTERED PESTICIDES FOR MITES, AND NEW FUMIGANT GASES WILL HELP MANAGE AND CONTROL HAM MITES. RESULTS FROM OBJECTIVES 1, 2, AND 3, WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO A COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN IN CONJUNCTION WITH PREVIOUS RESEARCH RESULTS. ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES INCLUDE SCALING UP METHODS FROM THE LAB TO USE IN COMMERCIAL HAM PLANTS, CONDUCT ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE CONTROL METHODS, AND INDUSTRY TRAINING ON USING THESE NEW TECHNOLOGIES. WE WILL WORK WITH THE DRY-CURED HAM INDUSTRY TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO THE PRODUCTION OF DRY-CURED HAMS OLDER THAN 5 MONTHS OF AGING. SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF THESE ALTERNATIVES WILL IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF THE HAM INDUSTRY.