Tests of a 3-Layer Laminated Plastic Bait Dispenser for Controlled Emission of Attractants from Insect Traps 1

Abstract

A new type of bait dispenser for insect traps is a 3-layer plastic laminate in which pheromone is concentrated in the inner layer. When the dispenser was compared with currently used dispensers of pheromone of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), and of the gypsy moth, Porthetria dispar (L.), the laminate dispenser generally caught greater numbers of insects. Also, in an aging test, the attraction of the laminate dispenser containing gypsy moth pheromone remained high for 120 days, and even the aged laminates outdrew freshly baited, standard bait-dispensers in all but one instance. Dispensers that emit lure at a constant rate are needed if traps are to be used for reliable estimates of insect populations.