Greater wax moth control in apiaries can be improved by combining Bacillus thuringiensis and entrapments
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 (d...
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Published in | Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 7073 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Nature Publishing Group UK
04.11.2023
Nature Publishing Group Nature Portfolio |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | 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. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 2041-1723 2041-1723 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-023-42946-4 |