Bacillus thuringiensis

[ thoo-rin-jee-en-sis ]

noun

1. a bacterium used in genetically altered form in the biological control of budworms, gypsy moth larvae, Japanese beetles, and other insect pests. : B.t.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bacillus thuringiensis¹

< New Latin (1915): Thuringian bacillus; so named in reference to its discovery in larvae of Mediterranean flour moths from a mill in Thuringia

Example Sentences

The Department of Agriculture plans to treat about 1,400 acres in Thurston County, around Steamboat Island Road and Highway 101, and 900 acres in Skagit County with a naturally occurring soil bacteria — the kurstaki subspecies of Bacillus thuringiensis, or Btk for short.

From Seattle Times

Get mosquito dunks or granules, which are a form of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and effective against the gnat larvae.

From Seattle Times

The introduction of Bt corn, which contains a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally insect-resistant bacterium that organic farmers routinely spray on crops, dropped the crop’s insecticide use by 35 percent.

From New York Times

Organic pest maintenance in the garden requires frequent reapplication of products like neem oil or Bacillus thuringiensis.

From Seattle Times

Among the options are parasitic worms called nematodes and Bacillus thuringiensis, a type of soil bacteria toxic to some larvae.

From Seattle Times