Implementing a Pheromone Monitoring Program
By Ethan Estabrook, BCE, Research Entomologist and Product Support at Insects Limited
Grain storage, food processing, warehousing, retail facilities, and residential houses are far too diverse to expect a single set of pheromone monitoring recommendations to be adequate.
Here are 4 fundamental questions to ask when developing a pheromone monitoring program:
1. What type of pheromone monitor should I use?
2. How many pheromone monitors are necessary?
3. Where should pheromone monitors be placed?
4. How often should pheromone monitors be serviced?
What type of pheromone monitor should I use?
It is important to Start with the Insect First!
Identifying the insect and understanding their biology is the first step to an effective integrated pest management and pheromone monitoring program. Insect species have specific pheromones so using the correct pheromone lure for your target species is especially important.
For example, cigarette beetles and drugstore beetles look very similar but require different pheromone lures to monitor. Knowing the species also helps determine what style of trap to use.
Hanging pheromone traps work well with strong flying insects like the Indian meal moth or Mediterranean flour moth.
Pitfall traps placed on the ground, work well with crawling insects like many of the beetle species but are more vulnerable to getting lost or damaged.
As for the best pheromone traps - test them for yourselves and see which works best for you.
How many pheromone monitors are necessary?
Typically, there is a positive correlation between food product value and the number of pheromone monitors deployed. A 10,000-square-foot seed warehouse will probably have fewer pheromone monitors than a 10,000-square-foot warehouse storing baby formula. Many quality control managers and pest control operators place pheromone monitors 50 – 150 feet apart in food processing facilities. The facility size, number of floors, complexity of the trapping environment, and temperatures are all conditions that can influence how many pheromone monitors are necessary. The number of pheromone monitors at a facility ultimately depends on the overall objective of the pheromone monitoring program.
Where should pheromone monitors be placed?
Place one or two pheromone monitors per area in areas such as a pantry or home. In commercial areas, such as warehouses or retail stores, place hanging pheromone monitors every 50 – 150 feet apart for strong-flying insects and floor pheromone monitors every 25 – 50 feet apart for crawling insects. Pheromone monitor density can be increased or decreased based on insect activity and how closely you want to monitor for insects. Hang pheromone monitors at eye level, where they will not be damaged, that allows easy access to inspect for insect captures. Ventilation, open doors, machinery producing heat, and air currents will affect the shape and size of pheromone plumes being emitted from the pheromone monitor. Keep pheromone monitors 15 -25 feet away from exterior doors to help prevent the attraction of outdoor insects into the facility.
How often should pheromone monitors be serviced?
Generally, pheromone monitors should be serviced on a 7 or 14-day schedule. Many stored product insects complete their life cycle within a month, so a monthly service visit only collects one data set per generation. Many things can change within a facility over long service intervals such as turnover of food products, changes in weather, and sanitation conditions. Service all traps and lures on the same day to help enable direct comparisons of capture among pheromone monitors. How often lures should be changed depends on the type of pheromone lure and the manufactures guidelines. Most pheromone lures should be changed out every 2 – 3 months.
Implementing pheromone monitors into an IPM program can identify valuable information about insect activity, such as the detection of insects, insect species, population trends, and locations of infestations. Pheromone monitors are meant to be used as a monitoring tool as part of an integrated approach to pest management. By themselves, pheromone monitors do not eliminate an insect outbreak. With the information from pheromone monitoring, inspection, increased sanitation, and removal of infested material, control of stored product insects can be achieved. If you have any stored product insect or pheromone monitor questions, contact me at E.Estabrook@InsectsLimited.com.
Insects Limited, an Insect Pheromone Company
Insects Limited, Inc. researches, tests, develops, manufactures and distributes pheromones and trapping systems for insects in a global marketplace. The highly qualified staff also can assist with consultation, areas of expert witness, training presentations and grant writing.
Insects Limited, Inc. specializes in a unique niche of pest control that provides mainstream products and services to protect stored food, grain, museum collections, tobacco, timber and fiber worldwide. Please take some time to view these products and services in our web store.
