How to Manage Pests

UC Pest Management Guidelines

In pears, pheromone traps are used to monitor adult emergence and flights of codling moth and obliquebanded leafroller. Consperse stink bug pheromone traps monitor both adult migration into the orchard and the population cycle within the orchard.

Use the information obtained from the trap catches to schedule control actions when used in conjunction with degree-day calculations (codling moth and obliquebanded leafroller). The traps are used to establish a biofix, which is an identifiable point in the life cycle of the pest at which you can begin degree-day accumulation. For example, the biofix for codling moth is the first date that moths are consistently found in traps for three consecutive days and sunset temperatures have reached 62°F.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR USING PHEROMONE TRAPS

• Use a minimum of one trap per 5 acres for both regular (1 mg) and supercharged (10 mg) traps.
• Check traps twice a week until the biofix is established; thereafter, check traps weekly.
• Remove trapped insects from the trap after you count and record results (example form—49 KB, PDF).
• For moth traps, replace trap bottoms monthly or when they become covered with debris.
• Follow manufacturer's recommendations for replacing pheromone lures.
• Store pheromone lures in a refrigerator or freezer.

WHEN TO PUT OUT PHEROMONE TRAPS (consult individual pest section for best placement of trap)

IMPORTANT LINKS

• Sampling for insects using degree-days and pherompone traps (49 KB, PDF)

PUBLICATION

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Pear
UC ANR Publication 3455
General Information
L. G. Varela (Crop Team Leader), UC IPM Program, UC Cooperative Extension Sonoma Co.
R. B. Elkins, UC Cooperative Extension Lake Co.
R. A. Van Steenwyk, Insect Biology, UC Berkeley
C. Ingels, UC Cooperative Extension Sacramento Co.
L. R. Wunderlich, UC Cooperative Extension El Dorado Co.

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