The effectiveness of two types of adhesive for catching insects in traps

Abstract

Sticky traps for monitoring insects use polybutene adhesive (PBA) to entangle insects. This glue is effective but messy to use and an alternative, hot-melt pressure-sensitive adhesive (HMPSA) is available. The effectiveness of these two adhesives was compared for catching pest and beneficial insects, primarily in apples. Various types of trap with either PBA or HMSPA were placed in orchards and vineyards in Hawke’s Bay and Nelson. Eight pests from six families, six parasitoids, five predators and one pollinator were commonly recorded. Traps with HMPSA generally caught similar numbers or more of both insect pests and beneficial insects than traps with PBA. Traps with HMPSA performed better for larger insects (>1.5 mm), whereas those with PBA tended to be more effective for smaller insects. Both types of adhesive were effective for up to 4 weeks. HMPSA was effective for monitoring a range of insect pests and beneficial insects. Compared with PBA, HMPSA was more consistent and much cleaner and easier to use. It is recommended that HMPSA replaces PBA in traps for monitoring moth pests in the pipfruit industry.