Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)—An Effective Treatment for Plant-Eating Caterpillars and Beetles

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) generates poisons that are successful in eliminating numerous species of caterpillars, fungus gnats, blackflies and mosquitoes, with very little impact on other organisms. Certainly among the main benefits of B. thuringiensis products is that they affect very few non-targeted species.

Bt works on the gut of the target insect. The bug eats part of a leaf or stem that the gardener has covered with Bt. The ingested bacteria give the bug a "stomachache" that's so serious, it can no longer eat. It eventually dies without doing any more damage.

Bacillus thuringiensis strain israelensis is a small subset of these bacteria, employed as natural control substances for the larval stage of a number of Dipterans (moths and butterflies).

Bt israelensis also protects against mosquitoes, although it's usually far better to get rid of standing water and manage unwanted plants on the edges for ponds.

Mosquito dunks float on water and can continue working for 1 month or longer if there are regular environmental conditions.

They gradually discharge a long-term, natural mosquito larvicide on the water's area. This larvicide is consumed by mosquito larvae living in the water.

Bt strain aizawai can be used to master the wax moth caterpillar in bee hives as well as numerous other caterpillars.

Bt is important for management of diamondback moth caterpillar that has become resistant to Bt strain kurstaki in certain places.

Using Bt israelensis for management of fungus gnat caterpillar requires soaking the soil. Bt is sprayed onto leaves to control the elm leaf beetle and Colorado potato beetle is dispersed on to leaves.

Bt doesn't manage shore flies, yet another common fly seen in garden greenhouses.

Bacillus thuringiensis Products

Bt products make up about 1% of the insecticides market around the globe. The industrial Bt products are powders that contains a combination of dried out spores and contaminant crystals. They're placed on leaves or some other environments in which the target caterpillars or beetles feed.

A number of caterpillars aren't managed by Bt, particularly those living in the soil and those that make a hole into plant cells without ingesting any of the Bt-covered plant material. The peach tree borer, corn earworm and cutworms that cut away field crops or garden vegetation are samples of caterpillars rarely managed by Bt remedies.

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