Bt ( url link)

[sc-bee]

Here is a link I stumbled across about Bt, it references Aizawai (in certan) and Kurstaki (that has been mentioned on the forum. I provide the link for your information only and have no experience with either. Thanks.
www.conknet.com/~planter/garden/bt.html

[TwT]

makes me wonder what it would do to SHB larva?? good post.

[sc-bee]

Yes, I wonder the same thing. Especially after my experiences last summer. Seems it may work on SHB in the larval stage????? Certainly (no pun intended [img]smile.gif[/img] ) someone like Unv. of GA. has taken a look at it.

[Kieck]

I think it's worth checking, but remember that SHB are beetles (not "worms"), and even the larvae are beetle larvae. So far, most of the Bt is very specific, even down to species. For example the Bt used in corn against corn borer (Lepidoptera) has little or no effect on cutworms (also Lepidoptera), even though both species are in the same order. Other orders, such as beetles, keep gnawing on these corn plants seemingly unaffected.

They mentioned a form of Bt specifically for potato beetles in the link. Some variant of that form might be effective against SHB. Regardless, a trial to test the effects of Bt on SHB would be worthwhile, IMHO.

I wouldn't bet on Bt for the long run, though. Insects, so far, seem to develop resistance to Bt just as quickly as they do to any other chemical.

[Michael Bush]

The specific variet for wax worms is available here:

http://www.beeworks.com/usacatalog/items/item134.htm

My GUESS is that it won't help with the SHB. But it couldn't hurt to try. Bt DOES work on mosquito larvae in addition to many moth larvae, so it does work on some other insects. Luckily for us, it doesn't harm the bee larvae.