Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Soil-Derived Bacillus sp. as an Entomopathogenic Agent Against Aedes aegypti Larvae

Ichwan Baihaki (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia)
Afifa Radhina (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia)
Herera Rahajeng (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia)
Niken Rahmah Ghanny (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia)
Fransiskus Samuel Renaldi (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, Indonesia)

ANTHOR: Education and Learning Journal
Vol 5 No 5 (2026): Anthor 2026

Introduction: Dengue fever (DF) cases frequently emerge during transitional seasons, such as the current period. Vector control programs for dengue fever commonly rely on chemical methods, which may cause adverse environmental impacts. Recently, environmentally friendly approaches using locally derived bacterial strains have been developed for dengue vector control. Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Bacillus sp. isolated from soil surrounding the campus as an entomopathogenic agent against Aedes aegypti larvae. This research was conducted as a laboratory experimental study, with Bacillus sp. bacteria serving as the subjects to test their pathogenicity against Aedes aegypti larvae. Results and discussion: The results showed that all bacterial isolates resembled Bacillus sp. Among them, isolate B2, obtained from soil under a banyan tree, exhibited the highest larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, with a pathogenicity rate of 13.3%, while isolates A1 and C2 showed the lowest activity, with pathogenicity rates of 4.0%. Conclusion: The study concluded that none of the Bacillus sp. isolates were effective as entomopathogenic agents against Aedes aegypti larvae, as all larval mortality percentages were below 50%. Further research is recommended to identify Bacillus sp. isolates with higher entomopathogenic efficacy against Aedes aegypti larvae. This could be achieved through broader soil sampling, a larger number of isolates, and extended study durations.