418 



Surface-sterilization studies of Anthonomus grandis Boheman eggs showed that 

 sodium hypochlorite (0.1 and 0.2%) and formaldehyde (10%) produced eggs free 

 of contamination. Treatments had an insignificant effect on egg hatch. How- 

 ever, eggs treated with sodium hypochlorite were buoyant due to the small gas 

 bubbles that adhered to the egg surface. This characteristic made sodium hypo- 

 chlorite more difficult to use than formaldehyde. The bacterial content of 

 adult weevils hatched from eggs surface-sterilized with 0.8% formaldehyde 

 (control) averaged 1.2 x 10 for aerobic and 4.6 x 10 for anaerobic species; 

 0.2% sodium hypochlorite and 10% formaldehyde averaged 2 each and 1 each, re- 

 specitvely, for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria per insect. It is concluded 

 from this study that 10% formaldehyde is the more effective and practical 

 method for surface-sterilization of large volumes of weevil eggs. 



821. Simmons, C. L., and Wilson, C. A. 1975. Studies to determine the effects 



of the boll weevil eradication experiment on the honey bee. Apis mellifera 

 L. Am. Bee J. 115: 356, 358, 360, 372. 

 Insecticides used in both areas were toxic to worker bees. Colonies could with- 

 stand severe mortalities, however, and survive. Unhatched sealed brood was 

 probably responsible for survival as the entire field force and many of the 

 hive bees were killed. Dead bees often completely covered the bottom board. 

 A thorough weekly cleaning of the hives also helped to save many colonies. These 

 observations agree with those cf Sanders (1975). Only four hives, all adjacent 

 to fields in the normal area, were completely killed by insecticides during the 

 spray season. Overwintering losses, however, were much greater in the eradica- 

 tion area. Honey stores in the normal area were sufficient for the colonies to 

 recover from the heavy bee kills and still survive the winter. In the eradica- 

 tion area, continuous applications of insecticides starting in early July, re- 

 sulted in a continuous light worker bee mortality. This, along with a dry fall. 



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