Potential of Honey Bee Propolis and Venom as Eco-friendly Control Agents in Galleria mellonella L.

The study was conducted to determine the toxicity approach of four honey bee propolis and venom concentrations, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 ppm, regarding the biological aspects of the wax moth larvae Galleria mellonella L. Using 2,000 and 3,000 ppm propolis concentrations gave a 100% reduction percentage on wax moth larvae after spraying the treatment for 72 and 48 hours consistently. Applying 3,000 ppm of bee venom resulted in a 100% mortality percentage for the three test times of 24, 48 and 72 hours. The lowest period of larval development was observed when propolis was used at a concentration of 3,000 ppm, with an average of 7.66±0.33 days. At the 3,000 and 2,000 ppm concentrations of propolis, the pupal stage was unable to develop for adults of the insect, as all the individuals died. For bee venom, at concentrations of 3,000 and 2,000 ppm, none of the larvae have succeeded in the development of pupa or adult insects. Bee venom was the most effective substance against wax moth larvae, followed by propolis; LC50 values were 272.62 and 3,166.42 ppm, respectively. These results clarified the need for more research to affirm their effect in the field and on honey bees. KEYWORDS Biological aspects, mortality rate, natural substances, suppression materials, toxicity, wax moths