Study pest control with sweetener effective?

US study proves efficacy against fruit flies
Chemical plant protection is often criticized for the potential risk of possible health hazards to humans and animals. Scientists are therefore looking for agents that are both harmless to humans, but at the same time have a negative effect on certain pests.

Sweetener against fruit flies showed effects. Image: Wolfgang Jargstorff - fotolia

A team of scientists at the US Drexel University has now found it: Some varieties of sweeteners had a toxic effect on fruit flies in the experiment. The active ingredients erythritol and D-mannitol were able to significantly reduce the fruit fly populations in the trial. The tested sweetener erythritol, a significant number of pests died on the fourth day of the experiment, when D-mannitol it took a few days longer. D-Mannitol acted exclusively on female insects. However, the scientists still considered the pest control effect to be potentially useful because it could prevent further propagation. Two other sweeteners, malitol and xylitol, turned out to be completely ineffective.

The scientists point out that the results should not discourage consumers from adding sweetener to coffee as the tested substances are considered safe for the human organism. To what extent other insect species, including beneficial insects, react to the active ingredient is unclear.Friederike Heidenhof, aid