However, in East Africa pheromone traps are, in the rule, not locally available, and imported ones are not affordable to smallholder growers.īecause pheromone traps are so effective and specific, they are useful for mass trapping pests. Several types of pheromones traps have been developed for monitoring and mass trapping African bollworms, cutworms, fruit-flies, etc. This material is then applied to a rubber cap or other device and the scent is released slowly over several weeks, attracting the insects to the collection device. These odours can be reproduced in a laboratory. Many insects, release an odour to signal their readiness for mating, specially the females (sex pheromones), or to attract other insects (male and females) from the same species (aggregation pheromones). Instead, they remain nearby, actually increasing the total number of insects in the immediate area.Ī scent lure may smell like food to an insect pest or, more frequently, like pheromones. In addition, many insects that are attracted to the area around the light traps (sometimes from considerable distances) do not actually fly into the trap. Most of the attracted insects are not pests. However, light traps have the disadvantage of attracting a wide variety of insects. Light traps are more efficient when placed soon after the adult moths start to emerge but before they start laying eggs. They can be used to catch moths such as armyworms, cutworms, stemborers and other night flying insects. The sticky boards have to be changed, or the water replenished, once they are covered by insects, dust and/or debris, otherwise they will not be effective. Sticky and water traps need to be checked regularly the trapped insects should be identified and counted and the traps serviced. Water traps are also useful for trapping aphids thrips and leafminer immatures that drop to the soil to pupate.Coloured traps can be easily made at home (see below). As the yellow colour attracts many insect species, including beneficial insects, use yellow sticky traps only where necessary. Thrips are also attracted to white and blue. Yellow sticky traps and water traps have been used for monitoring adult leafminers, whiteflies, aphids (winged forms) and thrips among other insect pests.They are useful for monitoring adult insects in the nursery or field. ![]() Most insect traps either use glue to immobilise insects or have funnel structures to prevent them from escaping.Ĭoloured sticky traps (blue, yellow or white) or water traps ![]() Insect traps consist of a visual (colour, shapes and light) and/or chemical (scent) attractant to attract the target insect, plus a device to capture the insect once it arrives. Mass trapping is most likely to be effective when the density of the target pest is low and immigration into the trapped area is minimal, as is the case in restricted environments (e.g. In some instances, attractants and traps also can be used to control insect populations directly by mass trapping or mating disruption. ![]() Insect traps are useful tools for monitoring insect populations to determine the need for control or the timing of control practices.
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