BÜYÜK BALMUMU GÜVESİ Galleria mellonella L.'nın (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) KONTROLÜNDE KARBONDİOKSİTİN (CO2) KULLANIMI.

An investigation on determining the effectiveness of carbon dioxide gas against the eggs, larvae and pupal period of the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella L.) in stored honey combs. Greater wax moth (G. mellonella) is one of the most important destructive of honey bee combs, especially in hot and warm climatic condition areas. There is no need any preservation system to store empty honeybee combs in high elevation or cold climatic condition areas. Although, the adult, egg and pupal period of greater wax moth is not destruct the combs, larval period of them can be very dangerous for stored combs. This experiment was carried out on one hundred-nine honey combs between 10 October 2006 and 10 April 2007. All combs were taken at 20 September 2006 from honey bee colonies and than they were housed in empty hives. These hives were put in an open area and it was waited about twenty days for contamination with the eggs or larvae of wax moth. After this period, four empty combs, which were contaminated with greater wax moth's eggs or larvae, were housed in one big plastic bag that had been set in a wooden hive. Seven hives and fifty combs were used for carbon dioxide treatment. Eight hives and fifty-nine combs were used for control group. Fifty-five grams (2 kg/m³) carbon dioxide was given into each treatment plastic bag and two plastic bag was set in each hives to obstruct the development of eggs and larvae of greater wax moth. After the carbon dioxide treatment all plastic bag was stuck on with glue to protect the carbon dioxide in plastic bag. All combs and hives were stored in a same room that was suitable for development of the greater wax moth, And then, it was waited about 6 months to see the greater wax moth damages on honeybee combs. In spring, when the honey bee colonies needed the combs, all control and treatment hives were opened and stored combs were checked according to the greater wax moth' destructions. All data were analyzed according to non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. There were found 8% and 59.33% destruction in carbon dioxide group and control group respectively. It was calculated an important statistical significant between the control and treatment groups. These results showed that the carbon dioxide can be used confidently against the greater wax moth (G. mellonella) in stored combs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]