Insect traps use pheromones, visual lures or food to attract pests and capture them. Pheromones are the substances female insects use to sexually attract males to them. Visual lures use colors and shapes to attract pests. No insecticides are used and beneficial insects rarely become trapped. Experienced organic gardeners and orchardists use insect traps to:
Monitor Pest Populations - Insect traps determine when pests emerge, how many there are and where they are coming from. The sooner this information is understood, the easier it is to control pests with other measures.
Control Pest Populations - In many cases traps alone have been shown to control pest populations below levels of economic damage. Many insects, including whiteflies, are drawn to yellow sticky strips. Red sphere traps work particularly well against apple maggots. Pheromone traps tend to confuse and exhaust male pests, inhibiting pest reproduction. Traps are also valuable in controlling pest populations when used in conjunction with some other form of natural pest control. For example, The Big Stinky Fly Trap captures adult flies while fly parasites seek and destroy fly pupae.
