Beehive audience: wasp venom will boost honey production in Russia
Russian scientists have developed a new method of combating a dangerous pest of hives, the wax moth, whose larvae damage the honeycombs. Instead of chemicals that can weaken bees, experts suggest using a fungus that affects larvae in combination with an additive based on wasp venom. This approach makes it possible to destroy most of the pests and preserve the hives necessary for the development of beekeeping farms. According to the beekeepers, they are ready to put the new technology into practice if its effectiveness is confirmed during tests in apiaries. If successful, the development will help preserve bee colonies and increase honey production in the country in the future.
Wasp venom against moths
Specialists from the Siberian State University of Engineering and Biotechnology, together with colleagues from other scientific organizations, have proposed a new way to combat one of the most dangerous pests of bees — the wax moth. Its larvae damage the honeycombs, creating serious problems for beekeepers. Insecticides are usually used to kill pests, but chemicals can weaken the bees themselves, which eventually leads to a decrease in honey production. An alternative is the fungus metarisium, which selectively infects insect pests. However, by itself, it mainly destroys weakened individuals. Experiments by scientists have shown that the addition of wasp venom increases the effectiveness of the fungus: as a result, up to 90% of moth larvae die.
— The components of wasp venom not only have a paralyzing effect, but are also able to block certain reactions of the immune system. This reduces the protection of insects and increases their susceptibility to the fungus. Therefore, after exposure to the poison, less fungus is required to achieve high pest mortality," said Ekaterina Grizanova, project manager, head of the Laboratory of Biological Plant Protection and Biotechnology at the University.
The authors conducted laboratory experiments by placing wax moth larvae and female wasps in a single Petri dish. The wasps immobilized the larvae with venom, but the researchers did not allow them to lay eggs in order to evaluate the effect of the toxin itself. Then some of the larvae were infected with the microscopic fungus metarisium. In parallel, scientists conducted the same experiment with larvae that were not exposed to wasp venom.
Larvae of the wax moth Galleria mellonella and the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor
The results showed that no more than 5% of larvae die when exposed to poison or fungus alone. However, when two factors were combined, 52% of the larvae remained alive after a day, and only 10% after two days.
— In the future, we plan to develop a design for modifying the fungus so that it can synthesize a component of the wasp's venom and thereby more effectively control the number of insect pests. In addition, we want to explore the possibility of using RNA interference, which is the targeted suppression of the activity of a particular gene. This approach will block the protective enzyme of insects and increase their susceptibility to fungal infection," Ekaterina Grizanova explained.
Technology implementation
According to Valery Mikheev, Chairman of the Union of Beekeepers of Russia, effective and selective means of controlling moths that do not have a harmful effect on the bees themselves will be useful for beekeepers and will increase honey production.
— Such techniques can be used to prevent the appearance of pests. The less effort a bee spends on fighting them, the more effort it can put into producing honey," the specialist explained.
Ekaterina Grizanova sows mushrooms on a Petri dish
Ramil Yenikeev, Director General of the Agency for the Development of Beekeeping in Primorsky Krai, agrees that the technique will benefit farms.
— The main thing is that this technique should prove its effectiveness directly in apiaries. We are in favor of any innovations, if they are useful for beekeepers," he said.
Wax moth larvae feed on wax and damage the honeycombs. Waxed frames are the gold reserve of any apiary: without them, bees have nowhere to store nectar, so pest control is of paramount importance, Ramil Yenikeev explained.
Female parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor
According to NTI expert on crop production Yulia Barankina, the technology can also be used in the cultivation of agricultural crops.
— Cabbage moths, whiteflies, cotton scoops and other butterflies cause serious damage to vegetable and industrial crops. At the same time, many pests are gradually becoming resistant to insecticides," she noted.
The expert added that the productivity of apiaries depends primarily on the health of bee colonies, successful wintering, the presence of honey plants and protection from ticks. Safe honeycomb protection products could simplify the work of beekeepers and reduce the chemical burden on wax and honey. This is especially important for products that are exported with strict residue requirements.
A wax moth larva infected with a fungus. Dark spots are places where the fungus penetrates through insect integuments, which are melanized due to a protective enzyme.
Vladimir Pinaev, a member of the Public Council of the Basic Organization of the CIS Member States for Environmental Education, considers the method promising, but notes practical difficulties. Releasing the wasps into honeycombs or hives will require thoughtful logistics, and the effectiveness of the fungus depends on humidity. Therefore, for beekeeping, a more realistic solution may not be a combination of live wasps and a fungus, but, for example, a genetically modified fungus capable of synthesizing a component of wasp venom. The authors of the study consider this approach as one of the directions of further work.
The research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.
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