1ICAR-KVK, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai625104, Tamil Nadu, India
Department of Agricultural Entomology; ICAR-KVK, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai625104, Tamil Nadu, India
Email: yogaento96@gmail.com (corresponding author)
Honey bees are subjected to several risks caused by synthetic and organic pesticides. Hence, this study evaluates through a laboratory experiment, the safety of some pesticides used in organic and inorganic farming. The workers of Indian (Asiatic) bee Apis cerana indica F. were subjected to contact and oral (feeding) bioassays. The results revealed that in the contact toxicity study treatment with thiamethoxam at 0.3g/ ml resulted in maximum mortality while, the least mortality was with B. thuringiensis @ 4g/ l. In the oral (feeding) toxicity study, neem oil soap with pungam oil soap (1:1 ratio) at 10% concentration exhibited maximum oral toxicity.
Apis cerana indica, Entomopathogens, Bacillus thuringiensis, Soaps, Neem oil, Pungam oil, Thiamethoxam, Safety, Bioassays, Contact toxicity, Oral toxicity
