Effects of microwave radiation to the Bean Weevil Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Acanthoscelides obtectus Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a pest that causes economic loss, particularly on dry beans. In the fight against this pest, successful results have been achieved using various methods, particularly chemicals. However, the intensive use of chemicals not only causes resistance problems in insects but also poses a threat to both environmental and human health. For this reason, producers and researchers are turning to alternative control methods. One of these methods is control through the use of microwave radiation. When this method is used, minimal product loss occurs, and the pest population is significantly reduced to very low levels. In this study, the effect of different microwave values on the bean seed beetle A. obtectus Say, a stored product pest, was determined. In the experiments, seven different durations (5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 seconds) and five different power levels (120, 350, 460, 600, 700 watt) were applied to determine the mortality rate of the pest. The production of this pest under laboratory conditions and the experiments were conducted in climate chambers with a temperature of 25±1°C and relative humidity of 60±5%. According to the results, it was observed that the mortality rate increased both with prolonged exposure to low radiation values and with short exposure to high radiation values. Based on the results, the data suggest that this could be an alternative method for the control of A. obtectus.