Introduction: The use of microbes or its products against to control insects/pets is called Microbial Insecticides. Microbes & microbial products used as insecticides. Less harmful, fewer environmental effects. Microbial insecticides are biological preparations that are often delivered in ways similar to conventional chemical insecticides. Can be applied as sprays, dusts, liquid, wet-table powders, or granules

1. Microbial Insecticides
Amjad Khan Afridi

2. Microbial Insecticides
 Introduction: The use of microbes or its products against
to control insects/pets is called Microbial Insecticides.
 Microbes & microbial products used as insecticides.
 Less harmful, fewer environmental effects.
 Microbial insecticides are biological preparations that are
often delivered in ways similar to conventional chemical
insecticides.
 Can be applied as sprays, dusts, liquid, wet-table
powders, or granules

3.  Microbial insecticides are essentially
nontoxic.
 They also do not pose a disease risk to
wildlife, humans, and other organisms
not closely related to the target insect.
In fact, they can be applied when a fruit
or vegetable is almost ready for harvest.
 Microbial insecticides are comprised of
microscopic living organisms (viruses,
bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or nematodes)
or the toxins produced by these
organisms.

4.  Most microbial insecticides are toxic to a single species or
group of insects, so you can often target a pest without the
risk of killing beneficial insects in the process.
 Also, most microbial insecticides can be used in
conjunction with conventional insecticides.

5.  In a few cases, the microorganisms used in these products
can become established in an insect population or its
habitat. This means the insecticide can provide control for
several weeks or seasons.

6.  Bacterial pathogens used for insect control are spore-
forming, rod-shaped bacteria in the genus Bacillus.
 They occur commonly in soils, and most insecticidal
strains have been isolated from soil samples.
 Bacterial insecticides must be eaten by the pest to do
their job.
 The most popular microbial insecticides in the
United States are preparations of the bacterium
known as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
 The most widely used Bt products are pathogenic
and toxic only to caterpillars—the larvae of
butterflies and moths.
 Other varieties of Bt are available to control
Colorado potato beetle larvae, bagworms, tomato
hornworm and mosquito larvae etc.
Bacteria Insecticides

8.  Viruses also must be ingested by the insect.
 They often cause dramatic natural disease
outbreaks among insect populations.
 But unlike bacterial insecticides, the
development of virus-based insecticides has been
limited.
 Some important pests for which viral insecticides
have been developed include the gypsy moth,
pine sawflies, and the codling moth.
 granulosis viruses: codling moth GV (Decyde®)
 Nuclear polyhedrosis viruses: Heliothis NPV
(Elcar®)
Virus Insecticides

10.  More then 750 species known to infect insects
 Like viruses, fungi create natural epidemics among insect
populations, often killing a high percentage of the
population.
 Only a few fungal insecticides are currently available in the
United States.
 One is the Bio-Path cockroach control chamber, a fungus is
the active ingredient.
 Vericillium lecanii (Vertelec)
 Hirsutella thompsonii (Mycar)
Fungicides

11.  Protozoan pathogens naturally infect a wide
range of insect hosts.
 Although these pathogens can kill their insect
hosts
 Many are more important for their chronic,
debilitating effects.
 One important and common consequence of
protozoan infection is a reduction in the number
of offspring produced by infected insects.
 Although protozoan pathogens play a
significant role in the natural limitation of
insect populations, few appear to be suited for
development as insecticides.
 Nosema locustae , a pathogen of grasshoppers.
It is sold as NOLO Bait® and Grasshopper
Attack®
Protozoan

12. Thank You
12th April, 2021, Monday