Abstract
Some hypotheses supported the concept that entomopathogenic nematodes are safe bio-agents, causing low infection probability to honey bee workers and brood under colonies conditions and have no effects on the colony strength and might be used as a bio-control agent against the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella.However, the obtained results showed that the mortality percentages in bee larvae after treatment with EPNs ranged from 49.2% to 77.6 % in the case ofSteinernema sp. isolates and from 39.8% to 55.2 % in Heterorhabditis sp. isolates under the colony conditions, the nematode infection inside the entire colony was restricted to the treated areas and didn’t widespread through the other frames. Direct treatments inside the laboratory also confirmed the susptibility of bee workers and larvae to nematode infection of all tested isolates with differences in successful recycling. The present work strongly supported that both Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae families are not recommended to be used in bee colonies as bio-control agents. Further research is needed to cover the possibilities of using them for infected wax combs during storage before reusing it in the bee colonies.
Highlights
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (H1) & Heterorhabditis sp. (H2) were obtained from Applied Center of Entomonematodes (ACE), Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University
The Effect of EPNs on the Brood Mortality in Honey Bee Combs under the Colony Conditions: The mortality percentage of the brood treated with the tested isolates of Heterorhabditis species (H1&H2) and Steinernema species (S1&S2) under colony conditions were determined according to the percentages of the empty cells in the treated areas of combs
Regarding to Steinernema isolates the total percentages of uncapped cells in honey bee brood areas that treated with 200, 400 and 600 infective juveniles (IJs) of the isolate S1 were 57%, 71.9%, and 77.6%, respectively, that were higher than treated with S2 isolate (49.2%, 63.5%, and 75.3%, respectively)
Summary
The main objective of this study is to answer the question, is it safe option to use entomopathogenic nematodes as bio-control agents inside honey bee colonies without any side effects on the vitality of the honey bee workers and brood?. The main objective of the present work was to examine the possibilities of using EPN isolates, Heterorhabditis sp. Inside the bee colonies and discuss the consequences on colony vitality in case of using them as biological agents to suppress the infestation of G. mellonella in the bee colonies The main objective of the present work was to examine the possibilities of using EPN isolates, Heterorhabditis sp. and Steinernema sp. inside the bee colonies and discuss the consequences on colony vitality in case of using them as biological agents to suppress the infestation of G. mellonella in the bee colonies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
