[Trap Placement] Out in the Cold

When temperatures dip below 50°F, it’s time to put on a jacket and evaluate your pheromone trap locations. Why? Because insects are not responsive to pheromones when temperatures are below 50°F and even stop responding well to pheromones when temperatures fall below 60°F.

The first step in evaluating your pheromone trap program is to determine the nighttime temperature of your pheromone trap locations.

If temperatures are cool, consider:

• Discontinuing pest monitoring until
the weather is warmer.

• Moving pheromone monitoring traps
inside to warmer areas.

Don’t neglect pheromone traps in the winter (or at any time). Traps with last summer’s insects in them give a poor impression to just about everyone — employees. inspectors, auditors and clients.

BETTER WINTER MONITORING. If temperatures are warm indoors where the pheromone traps are located, but the temperatures outside are cool or cold, then the traps can be useful. There will be no outside insects confusing the trap catch indoors. Everything caught will be from nearby and will require investigation.

Winter is the best time to monitor pests like Indian meal moths and warehouse beetles near outside doorways. In the summer, it’s difficult to determine what catching several insects in a pheromone trap near a truck door means, but it can offer useful information in the winter.

RE-EVALUATE YOUR PROGRAM. Winter also is a good time to assess your pheromone trapping/monitoring program. Some points you’ll want to consider include:

• Pest species monitored.

• Range in numbers of insects caught (e.g., few or full).

• Pheromone trap locations.

• Conditions in trap locations (e.g., dust, air movement, etc.).

• Frequency of checking traps/monitors.

• Record keeping and improvements.

• Benefits of the pheromone trapping program.

Pheromone traps/monitors can be a useful part of a good Integrated Pest Management program, but their use must be evaluated periodically for maximum benefit.

Winter is a good time to have a team meeting to discuss these points and decide what’s best for the winter and for next year’s pheromone trapping program.

The author is director of technical support and regulatory compliance, Copesan Services. He can be reached at jsargent@giemedia.com.