Environmental Entomology (1982) 11, 920-924

Harry K. Kaya, Jerry M. Marston, James E. Lindegren and Ying-Shin Peng (1982)
Low susceptibility of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), to the entomogenous nematode, Neoaplectana carpocapsae Weiser
Environmental Entomology 11 (4), 920-924
Abstract: Spraying the infective stage of the nematode Neoaplectana carpocapsae Weiser directly on frames containing Apis mellifera L. resulted in limited mortality of worker bees and no mortality to the brood. Nematode mortality of adult bees was found only during the first 3 days after spray application. The brood was probably not infected because of the high temperatures (33.3 to 35.2°C) maintained around the brood by the worker bees in the center of the hive. The activity of the bee colony was not adversely affected after nematode treatment. Nematode-infected Galleria mellonella L. pupae placed in the honeycomb near the periphery of the hive resulted in nematode development and reproduction, probably because of the lower temperatures in this area. Direct spraying of nematodes on worker bees in cages at 25°C resulted in less than 15% mortality. Thus, N. carpocapsae can be used against insect pests where bees occur by following normal spray precautions.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Harry K. Kaya

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
non-target effects/fate in environm.

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Galleria mellonella
Steinernema carpocapsae/Xenorhabdus nematophila (entomopathogen)	Galleria mellonella