What is the role of pheromones in insects?

Pheromones are chemical agents secreted by insects as sexual attractors. These chemicals are used to attract insects and predict populations.

Are pheromones a type of pesticide?

Pheromones have a number of advantages. Insecticides don’t just kill pests, but also beneficial insects such as pollinators and pest-eating predators. Pheromones, on the other hand, are precisely targeted, because each insect species has its own chemically distinct pheromone.

How can we control pesticides?

Ploughing and cultivation of the soil before sowing mitigate the pest burden and there is a modern trend to limit the use of pesticides as far as possible. This can be achieved by monitoring the crop, only applying insecticides when necessary, and by growing varieties and crops which are resistant to pests.

What is a pheromone dispenser?

ISOMATE pheromone dispensers allow growers to use the most advanced technology available to manage insect populations. These proven control methods, called mating disruption, use the insect’s own communication system to its detriment. In the wild, female moths release a sex pheromone into the air to attract male moths.

Are there any successful pheromone based pest control methods?

Some pheromone-based pest control methods have been successful, usually those designed to protect enclosed areas such as households or storage facilities. There has also been some success in mating disruption. In one form of mating disruption, males are attracted to a powder containing female attractant pheromones.

How are pheromone traps used to control insects?

Pheromones are frequently used to monitor and control lepidopteran and coleopteran species, with many available commercially. Pheromones are available for insects including: Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pheromone insect traps. Scholia has a topic profile for Pheromone trap.

How are male pheromones used in mating disruption?

There has also been some success in mating disruption. In one form of mating disruption, males are attracted to a powder containing female attractant pheromones. The pheromones stick to the males’ bodies, and when they fly off, the pheromones make them attractive to other males.

What do you need to know about pesticide efficacy?

The information provided below is intended to help pesticide registrants or applicants for registration complete the efficacy requirements related to pesticides intended to combat invertebrate pests.