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milky spore

6K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Joseph Clemens 
#1 ·
Has anyone ever tried using milky spore on the ground below the beehives for shb. Its originally used to kill japanese beetle larvae as they pupate. I shouldnt see since shb are grubs and these spores eat grubs why it wouldnt work. Any insight is greatly appreciated as ive got to do something.
 
#3 ·
Are SHB burrowing into the soil? That's where Milky Spore works! Milky Spore is for ground beetles, I do not know if the SHB's life cycle includes below ground pupating? I think they pupate in the hive.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I cannot find specific reference to Milky Spore being effective on SHB. However, the literature I did find, said Milky Spore bacteria killed many different species of beetle grubs/larva upon ingestion, and was completely innocuous to all other living creatures, similarly to Bt/Certan/B401/aizawai. Similar to Bt. aizawai, Milky Spore was said to be most effective when ingested by the youngest/smallest larva.

I wonder if Milky Spore has been tried with SHB? Does anyone know?

If SHB were in my hives, I'd probably run a controlled experiment (for myself), with a test hive and apply a small amount of the inoculant in a spray to idle combs and inner surfaces of the test hive(s), let it dry, then set the test hive up with bees, once the combs are filled with honey, pollen, and brood, set it up for a SHB rampage and see how it goes. Also see if the Milky Spore has any obvious detrimental effects on the brood or bees.
 
#7 ·
I don't know- I put milky spore out in my yard a year ago- more for the Japanese beetle in the grass/garden than SHB, I've still got SHB. I do recall that at a year and a half I am supposed to reapply, then be set to 15 years or so. I still vote chickens are #1 bug patrol.
 
#8 ·
Fl_Beak,

SHB larva eat before they enter the ground to pupate, and since Milky Spore needs to be eaten before it will infect grubs that are susceptible to the disease. I was wondering if anyone has inoculated honeycomb with the milky spore disease, then encouraged SHB to infest the milky spore inoculated gear, to see if it might kill SHB grubs before they mature to burrow, pupate, and emerge as adults. I don't expect it to be of any use on SHB, by just inoculating the soil with the disease.
 
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