Bacillus Thuringia, what it is and how it is used in plants

July 28, 2020 78 Comments

Thuringia bacillus is an ecological natural insecticide that we use to protect plants from insects. It is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the soil and is used for the biological control of some important insects that attack plants and crops.

Although it effectively fights the caterpillars of several insects, the Thuringian bacillus has a selective action and does not create problems for the beneficial insects of our garden. It is harmless to plants and safe for humans and animals as it completely decomposes in the food chain without leaving harmful residues in the environment.

We can get Thuringia bacillus preparations from agricultural stores to protect our crops from various insects. So let’s see in detail what uses the Thuringian bacillus has and how it is applied to effectively protect our plants from caterpillars and insects.

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In which plants is the Thuringia bacillus used?

The Thuringia bacillus has extensive application both in organic crops and in conventional crops to deal with different types of caterpillars in horticulture, ornamental plants and fruit trees as we describe in detail below:

1. Thuringia bacillus in vegetables

Thuringian bacillus is effectively used for the ecological treatment of the caterpillar of the caterpillar in various horticultural crops such as cabbage cultivation, broccoli cultivation, cauliflower cultivation, as well as tomato cultivation, pepper cultivation and eggplant cultivation. Also, it is used for the biological control of the caterpillar of the tuta (Tuta absoluta), the most important entomological enemy of the tomato crop, as well as for the treatment of the florimaia, the insect that attacks stored potatoes and creates characteristic holes in the potato tubers.

Caterpillars: Treatment in cabbages, broccoli, cauliflowers

2. Thuringian bacillus on fruit trees and vines

The Thuringia bacillus offers significant protection against several insects that attack fruit trees, such as for dealing with the core borer, which causes significant damage to olive cultivation. Also, the Thuringia bacillus fights caterpillars that attack and worm fruits in various fruit trees such as apricot, peach, plum and cherry. The use of bacillus is also applied to deal with the vine eudemis, the well-known «grape worm» that causes significant damage to both wine-making and table grape varieties.

How to deal with the worm in apricots (anarsia)

3. Thuringian bacillus in ornamental plants

The Thuringian bacillus is also used in several ornamental plants that we have in the garden or in pots on our balcony. For example, Thuringian bacillus is effective against the pine caterpillar which causes significant damage and dries up pine trees while it also fights leaf-boring caterpillars on roses, hydrangeas and other ornamental plants. Finally, at a preventive level, the Thuringia bacillus is a satisfactory ecological treatment for the lawn caterpillar that appears in the summer season.

How to deal with caterpillars in rose bushes

How is Thuringian bacillus applied to plants?

The Thuringia bacillus is commercially available in the form of a topical powder, which can be applied to plants by dusting the leaves and fruits, but in liquid form or a water-soluble powder that dissolves in water to spray the plants. Dusting Thuringia bacillus on plants can be done with a tulle, a sock or a special dusting tool while spraying will require a suitable size sprayer.

When applying Thuringia bacillus, dust or spray in such a way that the foliage and fruits are completely covered. For greater effectiveness, we make frequent repetitions of the application on the plants, every 7-10 days.

When creating the Thuringia bacillus spray solution for dealing with caterpillars, we add one teaspoon of sugar or sweetened milk per liter of solution to the solution. In this way, we make the food more attractive, the Thuringia bacillus is swallowed more directly by the caterpillars and they are killed more effectively.

We must note that the young small caterpillars are more sensitive to the bacillus bacterium and that is why the timely application of the preparation is required in the initial stages of the infestation.

When do we harvest fruit after applying Thuringia bacillus?

Thuringia bacillus as a natural insecticide has the advantage that the leaves, stems, flowers and fruits of plants and trees dusted or sprayed with Thuringia bacillus can be eaten immediately after a good wash.

With which preparations does the Thuringian bacillus combine in plants?

The Thuringia bacillus can be combined with other preparations during its application for a wider range of insect control and for the treatment of fungal diseases.

For example, in our grapevine cultivation and vineyard, we can use Thuringia bacillus for dusting and mix it with sulfur in a ratio of 1:2 to protect against grape powdery mildew fungus and eudemida at the same time.

Also, we can combine the bacillus that is for spraying with a potassium salt preparation or with natural pyrethrin to treat in an ecological way, in addition to the caterpillars, also the mealybug, mealybug and tetranych.

10 natural and organic insecticides for plants and crops

And a secret about the Thuringia bacillus

Thuringia bacillus packages must be kept and stored at low temperatures, even in a refrigerator, to remain effective until the next application, as it is a living organism.

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