AsianScientist (Aug. 9, 2011) – On August 4 this year, authorities from China’s State Forestry Administration released 600 million bees (周氏啮小蜂) in the northern city of Baoding to kill off moths which have been plaguing large areas of crops and forests.
Known as the “forest locust,” the American white moths were first detected in China’s Liaoning province in 1979.
So far this year, the infestation has spanned more than 20,000 hectares of farmland and forests in the city, said Duo Jianguo, head of the Baoding forest epidemic prevention station, to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
As written on the cartons the bee larvae are shipped in, the bees are touted as the natural enemy (天敌昆虫) of the American white moth. Using their stingers, the bees bore into white moths’ pupa and kill their larvae.
Because the bees then overtake niches previously occupied by the moths, they therefore represent a sustainable and environmentally friendly form of pest control.
This is the fifth year in a row that authorities have released the bees, which have received the nickname of “forest defenders” for their effectiveness in controlling moth populations for significant lengths of times.
The original discovery that the bees were natural moth repellents was made by Chinese entomologist expert Professor Yang Zhongqi, who gave the bees their name.
The bees have previously been used to eliminate moth infestations in the provinces of Liaoning, Shandong, Tianjin, Shanxi, Hebei, and in cities such as Beijing.
However, experts warn that the use of the bees as a sole measure to control the moth population is insufficient.
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Source: State Forestry Administration.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
