Use of pheromones: Natural allies for protecting crops

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Harnessing the language of insects to better protect your crops, without chemicals inputs and without impacting the environment.

Pheromones, these chemical substances naturally emitted by insects, are now valuable tools for monitoring, trapping, or disrupting the reproduction of agricultural pests. They allow for the protection of crops in an ecological, targeted, and residue-free manner, while also reducing the use of chemical insecticides.

Description

Biological control is not limited to the use of natural enemies against pests. There are many other methods that are equally effective and environmentally safe, such as the use of pheromones to control pest populations.

Pheromones, these chemical substances naturally emitted by insects, are now valuable tools for monitoring, trapping, or disrupting the reproduction of agricultural pests. They allow for the protection of crops in an ecological, targeted, and residue-free manner, while also reducing the use of chemical insecticides.

What is a pheromone?

A pheromone is a molecule produced by an insect to communicate with other individuals of the same species.

It acts in very small doses and conveys a specific message: to attract a mate, signal danger, or indicate a food source.

Researchers have succeeded in reproducing these molecules in the laboratory, paving the way for their use in biological control .

Operating principle

Pheromones work on the principle of chemical communication. Each insect species has its own "olfactory language" . By releasing a specific pheromone, we can:

• Attract males to a trap to reduce populations: mass trapping

• Saturate the surrounding air with sexual scents, preventing males and females from finding each other : sexual confusion

• Monitor populations using surveillance traps : monitoring

The different types of pheromones used by pests

Pheromones can have different functions in pests:

• Sex pheromones: attract a mate for mating (e.g. Moth : Tuta absoluta, Helicoverpa armigera…) .

• Aggregation pheromones: bring several individuals together on the same resource (e.g. Coleoptera, Bugs : weevils, stink bugs…) .

• Trail or path pheromones: mark a route to a food source (as in ants) .

Usage strategies in biological control

Sexual confusion

Skema illustrating how the sexual confusion strategy works.

For sexual confusion, sex pheromone dispensers are installed in the plot to disrupt communication between male and female pests of the same species. This helps reduce mating, thereby decreasing egg production and pest populations.

Widely used in viticulture, arboriculture, and greenhouse crops .

Mass trapping of male moths in the bag trap

Mass trapping

This technique involves capturing a large number of insects (males and femeles) to limit reproduction and kill them through the presence of sex or aggregation pheromones in the trap. It is effective in orchards, greenhouses, and enclosed vegetable crops .

Monitoring (population tracking)

Delta trap containing a pheromone capsule to attract males and a sticky trap to catch and trap them

Monitoring involves tracking the evolution of pest populations over time in order to determine periods of flight, mating, or infestation. The trap used here are not intended to eliminate insects at the beginning, but to detect their presence and anticipate treatments or control interventions.

Monitoring involves placing sticky traps equipped with sex or aggregation pheromones to attract and detect the early presence of a pest and to decide the right time to take action. In this type of trap, the pheromone is released by a special capsule placed inside the trap called Rubber septa. This capsule acts as a source of artificial pheromones that mimics the natural pheromones emitted by femele insects. It is the most common method, used in almost all crops .

Skema showing the butterfly being attracted to the pheromone capsule, which then ends up in the insecticide trap (Attract then kill)

The "Attract-and-Kill" strategy

In this strategy, pheromones are combined with a food lure or an insecticidal surface. They selectively attract pests to a specific point where they are then eliminated. This method helps reduce insecticide treatments at the plot level by targeting only the attracted individuals .

The 'Lure-and-Infect' strategy

In this case, pheromones attract pests to a dissemination point of a pathogen (entomopathogenic fungus, virus, or nematode). The insects become infected there and then spread the pathogen within their population. This is an innovative approach that combines chemical communication and natural biopesticides .

Aggregation and anti-aggregation

Aggregation pheromones can be used to gather pests in areas where they can be more easily trapped or treated. Conversely, anti-aggregation pheromones repel individuals, preventing them from colonizing a given area. These strategies are tested, for example, for weevils, bark beetles, and stink bugs .

The 'Push-Pull' strategy

Skema illustrating the "Push-Pull" strategy

The principle is based on a combination of attractive and repellent signals:

• The “push” uses repellent agents like reppelent plants or avoidance pheromones to drive the pest away from the main crop.
• The “pull” employs attractive agents like trap plants or dispensers of attractive pheromones to concentrate them elsewhere.

It is a comprehensive agroecological approach, already used against certain moths, aphids, and maize borers .

The different types of traps using pheromones

The choice of trap depends on the type of insect targeted, its behavior (flying, crawling, attracted to a particular color, etc.), the type of the crop, and the goal (monitoring, mass trapping, or mating disruption). Here are the main models used in agriculture:

The Delta Trap

Photo of a Delta trap hanging from a tree

The delta trap is undoubtedly the most commonly used in monitoring programs. It is shaped like a small triangle made of cardboard or plastic, inside which there is a sticky plate and a pheromone capsule. When a male insect is attracted by the scent, it sticks to the plate, allowing easy counting of the captures. This type of trap is very effective for monitoring pest moths.

Lightweight, economical, and easy to install, it must nevertheless be protected from rain and dust to maintain its effectiveness.

The funnel trap

Photo of an example of a multi-funnel trap set up on a forest tree

The funnel trap is designed to capture large quantities of insects. It consists of a plastic funnel leading to a collection container placed below. The pheromone attracts pests, who fall inside and cannot escape. This system is particularly used for large-sized coleopterans.

Very sturdy and weather-resistant, it is well suited for mass trapping or long-term monitoring. The only drawback: it is a bit bulky and needs to be emptied regularly.

The Bucket Trap

Photo of a bucket trap installed in a fruit tree

The bucket trap works on the same principle as the funnel trap but in a simpler form: a plastic bucket with a lid and side openings. The pheromone capsule is suspended inside, attracting insects that fall into the bucket and cannot escape. This device is often used for the mass trapping of nocturnal moths and borers.

Very sturdy, it withstands open-field conditions well, particularly in large-scale crops.

The Bottle Trap

Photo of a bottle used as an insect trap.

The bottle trap is a simple and economical solution, often made from recycled plastic bottles. With a few holes drilled and equipped with a pheromone cap, the bottle attracts insects that enter, cannot get out and then die from drowning or poisoning. This system is particularly appreciated for artisanal or local monitoring of pests such as certain flies mothses, or beetles. Although inexpensive and easy to make yourself, it must be replaced regularly, as it deteriorates over time and with exposure to the weather.

Aggregation trap

Photo of an example of an aggregation trap used against stink bugs

Aggregation traps use aggregation pheromones, which attract both males and females of the same species to the same resource. This type of trap is particularly effective against beetles (such as weevils or bark beetles) and certain bugs. It is often used for mass trapping or monitoring populations in orchards, palm groves, large crops, and sometimes in wooded areas.

Summary Table : Choice of Pheromone Trap According to Pest and Crop

Type of trap	Targeted pests	Crops concerned	Type of pheromone	Usage Objective
Delta trap	- Lepidoptera (tortrix moths, cutworms, clothes moths)	- Vegetable crops under greenhouse or tunnel - Orchards	- Sex Pheromones	- Monitoring
Multiple funneltrap	-Wood-boring beetles (bark beetles, longhorn beetles...)	- Forests - Palm groves	- Aggregation pheromone	- Mass trapping
Funnel trap	- Lepidoptera (moths, migratory butterflies)	- Large-scale crops (corn, cotton, soy) - Open field	- Sex Pheromones	- Mass trapping
Bucket trap	- Lepidoptera (moths, migratory butterflies)	- Large crops - Tropical orchards	- Sex Pheromones	- Mass trapping
Bottle trap	- Diptera (fruit flies) - Coleoptera - Lepidoptera	- Fruit crops -Vegetable crops - Tropical crops	- Sex Pheromones	- Monitoring - Artisanal mass trapping
Aggregation trap	- Beetles (weevils, bark beetles) - True bugs (stink bugs)	- Field crops - Orchards - Ornamental crops	- Aggregation pheromone	- Mass trapping

How to use pheromones?

For optimal use, traps or dispensers should be installed at the start of the season, before the first pest flights. The choice of device should be suited to the target species: funnel traps, delta traps, buckets, bottles, or other specific models.

Pheromone capsules must be replaced regularly, generally every 4 to 6 weeks depending on environmental conditions. In greenhouses or under tunnels, heat increases evaporation and speeds up pheromone degradation, so it is recommended to change the capsules every 4 weeks. In open fields or orchards, where conditions are often cooler and more stable, their effective duration can sometimes reach 6 to 8 weeks .

Used capsules may still contain remnants of pheromones, which are considered as biopesticides, so they should not be thrown into regular trash or discarded in nature. The best practice would be to gather the used capsules in a sealed bag or container and then deposit them in the specific agricultural waste stream, through a system such as ADIVALOR or collection of plant protection waste (at authorized distributors, cooperatives, chambers of agriculture, etc.).If no specific collection exists, they should be treated as non-hazardous chemical waste: at a waste disposal site, specifying that it is "used biocontrol material." Some companies that supply the capsules (e.g., Biobest, SumiAgro, Russell IPM…) offer take-back or recovery programs for used capsules .

Where to use pheromones?

Pheromones can be used on a wide range of crops:

Vineyards

Protected crops (tunnels, greenhouses)

Orchards

Large-scale crops

Forest

They are effective in both organic and conventional production.

When to use pheromones?

The installation depends on the pest's life cycle.  

In general, pheromones are placed:

• Before the first flights (spring) for lepidopterans to prevent mating  

• Continuously, for pests present throughout the season  

• And adjustments are made based on trapping observations

How can one obtain pheromones?

Pheromones and their traps are available:

• At agricultural cooperatives (Coopérative Valsiagne Pro, Unéal…)

• From suppliers specializing in biological control and integrated protection (Biobest, Koppert, SumiAgro, Russell IPM, etc.)

• On certain authorized professional specialized websites.

How much do pheromones cost?

Costs vary depending on several factors: the crop to be protected, its size, the targeted pest species, and the strategy:

• Pheromone capsule: €3 to €10 each, approximately 30 to 100 € per hectare, depending on the number of traps installed (often 10 to 20 traps/ha for monitoring) .
• Complete trap: €10 to €30 depending on the model around €100 to €300 per hectare for a standard monitoring network .
• Mating disruption: approximately €80 to €250 per hectare .

Advantages of using pheromones

For the producer:

• Significant reduction in pest populations.
• Fewer chemical insecticide treatments used → cost savings and better production image.
• Compatible with other biological control methods.
• Easy to use and integrate into an overall strategy.

For the environment:

• Species-specific (no impact on beneficial insects, helpful organisms, pollinators, or humans).
• No chemical residues or toxic compounds left in the environment.
• Preservation of biodiversity and ecological balance.

Limitation on the use of pheromones

For the producer:

• Initial cost higher than a conventional insecticide (Higher initial cost but often offset in the long term by a reduction in the number of treatments, resulting in a lower cost per treatment and better durability of results)
• Effectiveness depends on pest density and the size of the treated area (better on a large scale)
• Requires good knowledge of the pest's life cycle to know when to apply the pheromone precisely
• Some species do not yet have an available pheromone
• Some pests can develop resistance to the pheromones used.

For the environment:

• Little direct impact if the pest migrates from untreated areas
• Sensitive to weather conditions (heat, wind)
• Regular monitoring is necessary to prevent recurrences

Cette page a été rédigée en partenariat avec Msc Boost

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