Greater wax moth control in apiaries can be improved by combining Bacillus thuringiensis and entrapments

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 7073
• Main Authors: Han, Bo, Zhang, Li, Geng, Lili, Jia, Huiru, Wang, Jian, Ke, Li, Li, Airui, Gao, Jing, Wu, Tong, Lu, Ying, Liu, Feng, Song, Huailei, Wei, Xiaoping, Ma, Shilong, Zhan, Hongping, Wu, Yanyan, Liu, Yongjun, Wang, Qiang, Diao, Qingyun, Zhang, Jie, Dai, Pingli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 04.11.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/326/41/1319; 631/601/1466; 631/61; Apoptosis; Bacillus thuringiensis; Beehives; Beekeeping; Bees; Bioassays; Biological control; Butterflies & moths; Control methods; Economic impact; Entrapment; Genomes; Honey; Humanities and Social Sciences; Laboratories; Larvae; Microscopy; multidisciplinary; Optimization; Pathogens; Pest control; Pests; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Toxicity; Waxes
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42946-4

The greater wax moth (GWM), Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major bee pest that causes significant damage to beehives and results in economic losses. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) appears as a potential sustainable solution to control this pest. Here, we develop a novel Bt strain (designated BiotGm) that exhibits insecticidal activity against GWM larvae with a LC 50 value lower than 2 μg/g, and low toxicity levels to honey bee with a LC 50  = 20598.78 μg/mL for larvae and no observed adverse effect concentration = 100 μg/mL for adults. We design an entrapment method consisting of a lure for GWM larvae, BiotGm, and a trapping device that prevents bees from contacting the lure. We find that this method reduces the population of GWM larvae in both laboratory and field trials. Overall, these results provide a promising direction for the application of Bt-based biological control of GWM in beehives, although further optimization remain necessary. The greater wax moth (GWM) is a major bee pest. Here, the authors show how a pest control method that combines a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis and a lure-based entrapment can help to control GWM using lab experiments and field beehives.