Bacillus Thuringienis or B.T.

[rbruno]

Does anyone know of any threat to honeybees regarding this pesticide? It's used for the treatment of the gypsy moth catepillar. I have a couple inquiries out on this and I may post the answer myself when I find out.

thanks
Rich

[Dee A. Lusby]

Hi

BT used to be sold in the USA under the name of "Certan" and was used on combs in storage to keep wax moths under control.

I know of no actual damage to honeybees after the combs were treated.

But it was taken off of the market in the USA after too many started making it in home brew after the recipe was published in "Mother Earth" back in the 1980s.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby

[TanaMc]

BT is still sold as Dipel at most garden shops. It works by paralysing the digetive system of insects that eat leaves with it on it. That is why it works on catapillars so well. Can't imagine a bee ingesting it unless it somehow got into plant nectar....
Home brew?!! with BT??? Yeesh....
Tana Mc

[Dee A. Lusby]

BT is still sold as Dipel at most garden shops. It works by paralysing the digetive system of insects that eat leaves with it on it. That is why it works on catapillars so well. Can't imagine a bee ingesting it unless it somehow got into plant nectar....
Home brew?!! with BT??? Yeesh....

Reply:
Sorry, but this is how BT is made and the landgrant university that published how in Mother Earth, simply showed how fermenting Milk with catapillars having injested same, made the BT that was then sold to the public after straining the fermented milk.

They then told how anyone could do the same, only on a smaller scale for own personal usage.

Sincerely,

Dee A. Lusby

[Michael Bush]

I often use Certan with fair results.