Using Pheromones for Insect Management in New Mexico

Guide H-152

Charles R. Ward, Extension Entomologist

College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences New Mexico State University

The insect's world is filled with many odors. Insects use these odors to cue them in a variety of complex social behaviors, including courtship, mating and egg laying. Scientists and pest control specialists have known about these complex communication systems for decades. Recently, this high technology has been made available for use by the average person because these chemicals, called pheromones (pronounced fer-a-mons), can be produced synthetically.

Pheromones regulate many types of insect behavior. Sex pheromones are produced by one sex (usually the female) to attract the other sex for mating. Mass attacks by certain bark beetles are coordinated by aggregation pheromones that attract other beetles to the same tree. Alarm pheromones are produced by honey bees and aphids to help in colony defense. Trail pheromones are produced by ants to help other worker ants find food sources.

Insect pheromones, particularly the sex pheromones of moths, are among the most biologically active compounds known. A single molecule of pheromone can be detected by some species. Because of this sensitivity, insect sex pheromones are now used in insect management.

Synthetic sex pheromones are available for many pest insects, and are used for pest detection. More than 60 types of pheromone or other trap types are available from commercial sources listed at the end of this publication. Two commonly used trap types are the delta and wing traps (figure 1).

Other trap designs (figure 2) exist (funnel traps, sticky cards, water pan traps, cone traps) and may improve the catch for some species. Pheromone traps are more convenient to use than other kinds of traps, such as blacklights, which are non-specific, cumbersome, and require batteries or access to electricity.

(NOTE: Figures 1 and 2 not available. Please see PDF file or contact NMSU Agricultural Communications for a hard copy.)

Pheromone traps allow the grower or homeowner to make a better decision about when to apply control measures. Because of this, they can form an integral part of an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program. Also, pheromones have been used to detect the presence of exotic pests such as the gypsy moth, which has been detected in neighboring states.

Pheromone uses recommended in New Mexico primarily involve sex pheromones produced by female moths. These traps only attract males of the same or closely related species and do not increase the level of pest infestation around a trap site. More general attractants such as food lures or aggregation pheromones can increase insect activity in the vicinity of a trap. The primary uses of pheromones in New Mexico are to help determine:

emergence of the first insects of the season
effectiveness of a dormant spray
timing of spring and summer sprays
where the moths are coming from
moth density
population trends from year to year

FRUIT

General recommendations for pheromone trap use in fruit orchards are as follows:

Timing for initial placement place
traps in the orchard in spring, early enough to capture the first male insects. More specific timing depends on the specific population patterns of each insect.
Placement of traps
hang traps 4-8 feet high and try to keep traps in the same quadrant in each tree (i.e.the northeast corner). Place traps 1-2 feet inside the tree canopy.
Density
use at least three traps per orchard.

Recommended density:

1 trap / 5 acres up to 20 acres
1 trap / 10 acres 20 to 80 acres
1 trap / 20 acres greater than 80 acres

Checking and servicing traps
count and remove the insects at least once a week, preferably 3 to 7 times a week during periods when the pests are most likely to be flying in the greatest numbers. Record the number of pests caught and the date the trap was checked in order to find out how many pests were present per day. Replace pheromone dispensers (synthetic pheromone source) every 2-4 weeks to make sure a constant level of pheromone is being released. Replace sticky cardboard bottoms of traps every 200-300 pests collected, or as the sticky surface becomes dirty. Keep a record of dates and types of trap service to assure proper trap function. The objective is to keep about the same degree of stickiness in the trap throughout the trapping season, and to keep track of expenses.
Dispenser storage and removal
keep dispensers in the freezer until needed for use. Do not leave used septa or dispenser containers (wrappers) in the orchard or garden.
Trapping multiple pests
place each trap type in a separate tree; ie. don't put peach tree borer and oriental fruit moth pheromone traps in the same tree. Best if the trees are at least 30 feet apart.

Recommendations for specific fruit insect pests are as follows:

Codling Moth: Captures of the first male moth can be used to estimate closely the occurrence of egg laying when degree day models are used. For example, in the north central fruit-growing areas, first insecticide applications are tentatively recommended 270-420 degree days (base temperature of 50° F) after the first male is caught in the pheromone trap. The degree day concept is still being studied; therefore, as a general rule, control measures for codling moth should be implemented 3 to 4 weeks after the first male is caught, if populations exceed two moths per trap per week for 2 consecutive weeks.

Specific recommendations for pheromone trap use in monitoring codling moth populations are given in Table 1.

Peach Tree Borer: Treatments are recommended 7 to 10 days after the first moth is captured, and at monthly intervals as long as traps continue to capture at least five moths per week. An alternative fall application may also be used. Contract your county extension agent for details.
Leafrollers (Fruit Tree, Omnivorous, Three Lined): Treatments should be timed approximately 7 to 10 days after the first moth captures.
Peach Twig Borer: Detection of the first generation flight indicates the time to treat apricots. The second-generation flight indicates timing to protect peach trees. Treatments should be made 8 to 10 days after these flights begin.
Western Cherry Fruit Fly: Treatments are recommended 7 to 10 days after the first flies are captured in the spring, usually several weeks after petal fall.

Table 1. Recommendations for Pheromone Trap use for Codling Moth in Monitoring and Control Applications. (a)

________________________________________________________________________________________

Trap unit 		Timing of	  Determination of     Evaluation of	Mass
and operation 		control 	  population levels	mating		trapping
			measures			       disruption
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Trap design		Pherocon 1 CP (c)	Same		Same		Same

Pheromone dispenser	Pherocon rubber 	Same		Same		Same
			stopper (c)

Maintenance schedule (b)

  Trap renewal		Every 4 wks or after 	Same		Same		Same
			cum. catch of 70 moths

  Pheromone dispenser	Every 6 wks		Same		Same
   renewal

  Removal of catch	2 times/wk	       Once/wk	      2 times/wk       Once/wk

Trap placement		Before spring emer- 	Same		Same		Same
  (temporal)		gence until end of flight

Trap placement (within tree):

  Elevation		1/3 up of vertical 	Same	     in upper 1/3     in upper 1/3
			canopy dimension		      of canopy	       of canopy

  Quadrant		Southeast at 		Same		Same		Same
			periphery of canopy

Trap placement (within orchard):

  Center traps		Evenly spaced	      Uniform grid	Same		Same
			throughout orchard    pattern

  Border traps				      If influx 	Same		Same
					      suspected

Trap density		Minimum of 3	      At least 1/ha   At least 1/ha   Optimal trap
					      in small; 1/5 		        density
					      ha in large 		       not known
					      orchards
______________________________________________________________________________________________

(a) From Western Regional Research Group. 1986. WRRPO12 (University of California Bulletin 1918): p. 17.

(b) Or Pherocon 1 CP trap and Pherocon rubber septum: will vary with other trap units.

SHADE TREES

Lilac/Ash Borers and Carpenterworms S Treatments should be applied 7 to 10 days after the first moth is captured. If strong flights continue (five or more/week), reapplications are suggested at monthly intervals.

Nantucket Pine Tip Moth S Begin monitoring at least by mid-April to determine when peak moth flights occur. Control measures should be applied 5 to 10 days after each peak flight. Up to five flights can occur each year, depending upon location in the state. Only two flights occurred in the Albuquerque area in 1988, with sprays being recommended on May 5-15 and July 7-17. These dates must be determined each year for maximum effectiveness of the treatments.

Bark Beetle S Experimental applications of bark beetle aggregation pheromones for control are in progress. Most trials involve attracting beetles to trap trees that will be treated with insecticide or logged. Bark beetle pheromones are not recommended for homeowner pest control.

VEGETABLES

Corn Earworm S Detection of moths indicate the time to spray sweet corn. If moths continue to be trapped, treatments should continue.

STORED PRODUCTS

Indian Meal Moth, Lesser Grain Borer, Red and Confused Flour Beetles, Sawtooth and Merchant Grain Beetles S Pheromones are used for these species to detect an infestation and when insecticide treatment is needed.

NUISANCE PESTS

Wasps, Yellow Jackets, Bees and House Flies S Traps will help reduce population levels around houses and parks.

GREENHOUSES

Whiteflies and Aphids S Yellow sticky traps are used to help reduce populations and monitor population levels for timing chemical controls.

FUTURE USES

The identification and uses of insect pheromones is an active area of research, and new developments continue to be made. Potentially, pheromones may be used to trap out certain New Mexico pests and to attract insects to insecticide or chemosterilant baits, reduce the number of insecticide applications, or to confuse insects and disrupt mating. Use of traps as a sampling tool to determine need for and timing of control measures can provide the basis of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy for these pests. Studies are continuing to help refine these techniques. This guide is written only to summarize the progress made through 1988; updates will be made as significant developments occur. A listing of local and commercial sources of pheromones and pheromone and other types of traps is below. Some nurseries and agricultural and lawn care products distributors may also be able to special order these supplies. Those listed have at least some of them in stock.

Local Distributors:
Helena Chemical Company Box 629 Mesquite, NM 88048 Phone (505) 233-3171 or 1-800-432-7581	Van Water & Rogers, Inc. PO Box 25187 3301 Edmonds Ave., SE Albuquerque, NM 87125 Phone (505) 842-6303 or 1-800-432-6614
National Distributors (All Brands):
Great Lakes IPM 10220 Church Road, NE Vestaburg, Michigan 48891 Phone (517) 268-5693	Insects Limited, Inc. 10540 Jessup Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46280-1451 Phone 1-800-992-1991	Pest Management Supply Co., P.O. Box 938 Amherst, MA 01004 Phone (413) 253-3747	Tri-State Chemicals, Inc. P.O. Box 1192 Brownfield, TX 79316-1192 Phone (806)637-3538
National and International Distributors/Manufacturers:
Biological Control Systems Ltd. Treforest Industrial Estate Treforest, Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan CF37 5SU, UK	Consep Membranes, Inc. P.O. Box 6059 Bend, OR 97708 Phone (503) 388-368	Gardens Alive Natural Gardening Research Center P.O. Box 149 Sunman, IN 47041 Phone (812) 623-3800	Necessary Trading Co. P.O. Box 305 New Castle, VA 24127 Phone (703) 864-5103 or 1-800-447-5354
Pacific Biocontrol 719 Second St., #12 Davis, CA 95616 Phone (916) 757-2307	Phero Tech Inc. 7572 Progress Way Delta, B.C. Canada V4G 1E9 Tel: (604) 940-9944 Toll Free: 1-800-665-0076 Fax: (604) 940-9433 E-mail: sales@pherotech.com WWW: www.pherotech.com	Research Institute for Plant Protection P.O. Box 9060 6700 GW Wageningen The Netherlands Attn.: Dr. Simon Voerman	Scentry, Inc. A United Agri. Products Co. P.O. Box 426 Buckeye, AZ 85326-0090 Phone (602) 233-1772 or (602) 386-6737
Shi-Etsu Chemical Co. 6-1, Ohtemachi 2-Chome Chiyoda-Ku Toyko 100, Japan	Sigma Chemical Co. P.O. Box 14508 St. Louis, Missouri 63178	Trece, Inc. P.O. Box 5267 Salinas, CA<~>93915 Phone (408) 758-0205

SOURCES

Cranshaw, W. S., and W. L. Meyer. 1986. Uses of pheromones for insect control in Colorado. Colorado State Univ., Coop. Extension Serv., Service in Action Publication No. 5.562, 2 pp.

Mueller, D. 1985. Pheromone. Pest Control Technology, April, 1985:62-65.

Sholberg, P. L., F. G. Zalkin, and R. F. Hobza. 1985. Stone fruit orchard pests: Identification, Biology, and Control. Calif. Dept. of Food and Agric., Div. of Pest Mgt. Sale Pub. No. 518, 418 pp.

Western Regional Research Group. 1986. Codling moth management S Use and standardization of pheromone trapping systems. Univ. of Calif., Division of Agri. and Natural Resources, Western Regional Research Publication WRRP012 (Univ. Calif. Bull. 1918), 23 pp.

DISCLAIMER

This publication contains recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the user's responsibility to read and follow all current directions for the specific product being used. Due to constantly changing labels and product registration, some of the recommendations given in this writing may no longer be current by the time you read them. If any information in these recommendations disagrees with the directions provided with the product, the recommendation must be disregarded. No endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not mentioned. The author and the New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service assume no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations.

Always use the most current, up-to-date recommendations. For clarity, trade names have been included in some instances. This is not intended to discriminate against similar products or recommend only those mentioned.

NOTE: Further information concerning use of pheromones for crops may be obtained by writing to the commercial sources listed above for these products.

New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affimative action employer and educator. NMSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Written: February 1990
Last Modified: January 1993
Placed on Server: March 29, 1996
Revised for electronic distribution: September 1998