Metabolism of 1-naphthyl-N-methyl carbamate (carbaryl) by bacterial isolates from honey bees and the effect of bacterial inoculations on carbaryl tolerance in bees

I.D. SHARMA AND A. NATH. 1996. The bacteria which inhabit the body of foragers of Apis cerana indica F. were evaluated for degradation of carbaryl (1-naphthyl- N -methyl carbamate). Citrobacter sp., Enterobacter aerogenes and an unidentified isolate could utilize carbaryl as sole carbon and energy source. The enrichment cultures of bacteria could degrade carbaryl 0.019–0.082 in nutrient broth and 0.111–7.895 mg μg^-1 bacterial dry wt in basal salts medium of 1 mmol 1^-1 carbaryl. 1-Naphthol was the major product of carbaryl degradation. The dip and injection inoculations of foragers ( Apis cerana indica F. and Apis mellifera L.) with these bacteria resulted in a significant increase in tolerance to carbaryl. The application of mixed culture to bees induced higher tolerance than the individual isolates. This is the first report of the use of bacteria to decontaminate a living system.