Pesticides alternative strategy for Reduction of Insect (Ips typographus, Eight-toothed spruce bark beetle)
Subject Keywords
Pesticides, Chemicals
Sponsors
Description
Identifiers
Code
Effective date
Review year
Alternative Strategy
Behaviour-modifying chemicals – particularly sex attractant pheromones, bark beetle attractants and host tree volatiles – can be used both to monitor pest populations and to prevent or divert attacks.Bark beetles, especially in the genus Ips, produce attractant chemicals, derived partially from thehost tree itself, to alert other beetles to the presence of suitable host material. These chemicalshave been identified and synthesised and many are available commercially. Ips typographus, theEuropean eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, is potentially one of the most dangerous pests ofspruce in Europe and is not yet present in Britain. Pheromone traps, baited with the I. typographusattractant, have been deployed at ports and wood processing yards for a number of years and haveallowed plant health inspectors to respond to infringements of import regulations. Other possibleuses of pheromones are to disrupt successful mating through saturation of the atmosphere so thatmales are unable to locate females within the general pheromone atmosphere. Alternativetechniques, such as target technology, can be used to attract pests to a source impregnated withinsecticides or microbial agents so that the pests can be killed without broadcast sprays of insecticide.
Alternative Type
Specific strategy
Pest Type
Insect
Alternative Trial
No
Coverage Country
United Kingdom
Method
Reduction