PHEROMONE TRAPPING OF THE SUGARCANE WEEVIL BORER: BEST TRAP PLACEMENT PLAN FOR CANE: FIELDS

摘要

TRIALS in Far North Queensland using different designs of pheromone traps proved the ‘water trap’ to be the most efficient in attracting the highest number of adult borers. The water trap is a 20 cm diameter pot with a plastic bag inserted to hold water and several drops of detergent that drown the attracted weevils, and with pheromone lures and cane pieces placed together in a plastic container and suspended over the water from a square of wire mesh. Pheromone traps placed under the shade of trees 4–5 m from the field attracted more adult borers than traps placed 30 m inside the crop. There was no significant difference in borer numbers caught in traps containing either new or 1-year-old pheromone lures, suggesting that storing the pheromone in a deep freezer for 1 year has minimal impact on its efficiency.