Eradicate existing populations of invasive non-native species

Overall effectiveness category Awaiting assessment
Number of studies: 2
Share Tweet Email

View assessment score

How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

not assessed
Certainty

not assessed
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Study locations

Key messages

One replicated trial in Louisiana, USA, demonstrated that colonies of invasive Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera can be killed by providing insecticide (acephate)-laced syrup for 30 minutes.

One replicated controlled before-and-after trial attempted to eradicate European buff-tailed bumblebees Bombus terrestris from trial sites in Japan by catching and killing foraging bees. The treatment led to an increase in numbers of two native bumblebee species, but did not eradicate B. terrestris.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

Williams et al. (1989) tested a method for killing naturalised colonies of Africanized honey bee Apis mellifera using poisoned bait, in an outdoor experiment in Louisiana, USA. Nineteen colonies were given sucrose-honey syrup containing the organophosphate insecticide acephate at 250 ppm (mg/l), at feeding stations 10 m away from the experimental hives during April 1988. 13 colonies died within three days. In six treated colonies and two control colonies, the queen bee survived or was replaced and the colony survived. Treatment lasted for 30-40 minutes before foragers became poisoned. No other insects were observed visiting the bait.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Williams J.L., Danka R.G. & Rinderer T.E. (1989) Baiting system for selective abatement of undesirable honey bees. Apidologie, 20, 175-179.
Nagamitsu et al. (2010) removed foraging non-native buff-tailed bumblebees B. terrestris from six wooded sites (0.1-1.0 ha in size) in agricultural and urban landscapes in the Chitose River basin, Ishikari, Hokkaido, Japan, from 2005 to 2006, and monitored bumblebees at these and seven control sites from 2004 to 2006. The removal treatment increased numbers of the native bumblebee B. ardens in both years, and increased numbers of B. hypocrita in one year, but did not consistently lead to a drop in the numbers of B. terrestris trapped at the sites.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Nagamitsu T., Yamagishi H., Kenta T., Inari N. & Kato E. (2010) Competitive effects of the exotic Bombus terrestris on native bumble bees revealed by a field removal experiment. Population Ecology, 52, 123-136.

Please cite as:

Dicks, L.V., Showler, D.A. & Sutherland, W.J. (2010) Bee conservation: evidence for the effects of interventions. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter, UK

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bee Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Exclude introduced European earwigs from nest sites Action Link	Awaiting assessment	1	Synopsis Link
Prevent spread of the small hive beetle Action Link	Awaiting assessment	1	Synopsis Link
Keep pure breeding populations of native honey bee subspecies Action Link	Awaiting assessment	1	Synopsis Link