Manipulating Sex Pheromones for Insect Suppression

Abstract

A review is given of different methods of using sex pheromones in pest control programs. Survey and monitoring traps have been used extensively for determining the presence and abundance of pest populations are commercially available. Pheromone trapping studies for insect suppression have shown success with some species and could be a useful tool in some situations. The technique of attracting insects to the host for insect removal or exposure to insecticide has also proved to be useful in some programs. Mating disruption studies using widely-separated pheromone evaporators or encapsulated pheromone distributed throughout an area have indicated a great potential for this technique in insect suppression programs.