Diatomaceous earth and pest control

Jutta Gopfrich <j.goepfrich [at] ledermuseum__de> writes

>... Also we are looking for a source for
>pheromone traps against certain beetles (Anthrenus).

The use of pheromone traps must be carefully checked.  The traps
draw in insects. The pheromones attract other insect as well as the
target species. The pheromone is volatile- insects smell it- and is
fat soluble and can impregnate fatty materials and make them more
attractive to the target insect- insect specimens contain fats. This
is well established in the field using pheromone traps for such
things as the spruce bud worm. People have become pheromone traps
just working with the volatile fat soluble materials. The
alternative is non-chemical sticky traps associated with a small
light source. This is discussed in my book Heritage Eaters.

Mary-Lou Florian
Conservation Scientist, Research Associate
Royal British Columbia Museum
Victoria BC, Canada


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:41
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 8, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-41-004
                                  ***