SPLAT BASE: A Revolutionary Attract And Kill Technology To Effectively Manage Orchard Pests

Conventional insecticide products are still the foundation of pest control in pome fruit production on the east coast. The insecticide landscape is changing rapidly with increasingly restricted use due to regulatory and consumer demands. Rapid suburban growth encroaches on pome production areas placing extra stress on small and medium producers. Insect sex pheromones mediate long-distance mate-finding. Mating disruption of fruit pests in the US is at a juncture where its efficacy and reliability need to be significantly improved if eastern fruit production regions are to rely on this tactic as a primary control. Here we propose a more effective use of pheromone, instead of as an attractant that, in conjunction with small doses of a toxicant, eliminates attracted males from the mating pool.