title: Assessing the Role of Environmental Conditions on Efficacy Rates of Heterorhabditis indica (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) for Controlling Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies: a Citizen Science Approach.
abstract: Certain species of entomopathogenic nematodes, such as Heterorhabditis indica Poinar, Karunakar & David, have the potential to be effective controls for Aethina tumida (Murray), or small hive beetles, when applied to the soil surrounding honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) hives. Despite the efficacy of H. indica, beekeepers have struggled to use them successfully as a biocontrol. It is believed that the sensitivity of H. indica to certain environmental conditions is the primary reason for this lack of success. Although research has been conducted to explore the impact of specific environmental conditions--such as soil moisture or soil temperature-on entomopathogenic nematode infectivity, no study to date has taken a comprehensive approach that considers the impact of multiple environmental conditions simultaneously. In exploring this, a multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine what environmental conditions resulted in reductions of A. tumida populations in honey bee colonies. To obtain the sample sizes necessary to run a multivariate logistic regression, this study utilized citizen scientist beekeepers and their hives from across the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Results suggest that soil moisture, soil temperatures, sunlight exposure, and groundcover contribute to the efficacy of H. indica in reducing A. tumida populations in A. mellifera colonies. The results of this study offer direction for future research on the environmental preferences of H. indica and can be used to educate beekeepers about methods for better utilizing H. indica as a biological control.
authors.affiliation: Center for Urban Bee Research, 5011 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20011 (izzy@urbanbeeresearch.org) izzy@urbanbeeresearch.org.
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Virginia Military Institute, Department of Biology, 301B Maury-Brooke Hall, Lexington, VA 24450 (smytheab@vmi.edu).
authors.forename: Ashleigh B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Smythe
authors.affiliation: University of Delaware, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, 252 Townsend Hall, Newark, DE 19716 (dadelane@udel.edu).
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Delaney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056630:Beekeeping; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D004777:Environment; D020387:Food Chain; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D017172:Rhabditoidea / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aethina tumida; Apis mellifera; Heterorhabditis indica; citizen science; entomopathogenic nematode