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ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
New inexpensive disposable yellow-jacket/wasp trapping systems
New inexpensive disposable yellow-jacket/wasp trapping systems
Yellow card traps used to block ants from eating fruit tree blossoms
Capture Shothole Borer (Scolytus regulosus)
Monitoring System for Sweet Potato Weevil (Cylas formicarius)
 
Sweet potato weevil on a sweet potatoSweet potato weevil is the most imporant insect pest to a crop grown in more than 100 countries.  It's not uncommon for yield to be reduced by 60 to 100% where adequate controls are not in place. 
 
Monitoring effectively for this pest is critical.  The Alpha Scents monitoring system for SPW consists of our plastic UNI-Trap (bucket style) and Cylas formicarius pheromone lure.  Traps should be deployed immediately after planting seed potatoes in mother beds and after slips are transplanted into production fields.
bucket trap bucket trap     red septum pheromone lure                                Sweet potato larva in potato   
 
Cylas formicarius illustrationMale weevils fly from plant to plant in distances of 1m to 5m toward the pheromone scent.  Hang traps just above the crop canopy for maximum capture rate.  Monitoring uses include 1) determining weevil population, 2) helping to time insecticide applications, 3) by continuously capturing males reduces mating and may reduce damage to storage roots, 4) detection in weevil-free zones, 5) use near stored sweet potato facilities to detect weevil infestations.
  
Deploy approximately 2 traps per every 2 to 3 acres, i.e., 2T:1A, 4T:6A, 10T:20A, 20T:80A
 
Sweet Potato Weevil Lure
Single $2.75 25 $35.00 * 100 $120.00
UNI-Trap: 
Single $11.00 * 25 $217.50 * 100 $850.00
 
UNI-Trap is available as all green and all yellow online.  For mixed green/yellow color specify in the comment section during checkout., or call us to order. 
  
PHOTOS:  Adult - Florida Division of Plant Industry Archive, Florida Dept. of Ag and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org; larva - Clemson U, USDA Coop Ext Slide Series, Bugwood.org; Artwork - Art Cushman, USDA, Property of Smithsonian Institution, Dept of Entomology, Bugwood.org
Deploy Disposable Yellow-Jacket Traps Early
 
Yellow Card Trap baited with Wasp lure Early deployment of our Yellow-Jacket lure attached to our No-mess Adhesive™ Alpha Scents Yellow Rectangle Adhesive Traps may capture queens. 
 
Compared to other yellow-jacket trapping methods our non-toxic system requires no messy liquids, is disposable and inexpensive.  When a rectangle trap fills up with wasps rapidly, the 30 day lure can be moved to a fresh trap for extended capture periods. 
 
By placing a trap in gardens, backyards, near nests, near compost piles, and when fruit is ripening yellow-jacket populations can be reduced to reasonable levels in the initial year of deployment.  Continued use will hold yellow-jacket and wasp populations down in future years as well.
 
Yellow-Jacket Lure:  Single $2.75 * 25 $35.00 * 100 $120.00
Yellow Rectangle Adhesive Trap:  Single $2.10 * 25 $32.50 * 100 $120.00
 
Available online now or order by phone.
Order Online:  
Order By Phone:
  • Phone Sales:  503-342-8611 * 971-998-8248
  • Fax Your Order:  314-271-7297
  • Retail Resellers of Pest Wizard� Brand: 
    Phone Sales:  702-540-3401 or Email:  sales @ pestwizard.com
PDF file
Documents Online (PDF):
Yellow No-mess Adhesive™ Card Traps Used to Keep Ants From Eating Fruit Tree Blossoms 
This Spring ants were observed by entomologist, Eric LaGasa (WSDA) eating away the ovary part of blossoms in a pear orchard.  Blossoms were left with no pistol that would have developed into the pear.  LaGasa said he had not seen this kind of ant behavior in blossoms before.  Interestingly, we have recently received reports from cherry growers who have, this year, dealt with ants eating blossoms.

PLAY
Click to view a video of the ants eating the blossoms
  
 In an attempt to block the ants from climbing up the tree LaGasa used wire and Alpha Scents yellow adhesive card traps to wrap tree trunks and scaffolds, as shown below.  Good results were observed. 

Disclaimer:  These photos and the video have been provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation for any particular product or application.  They are shown here by permission of the photographer, Eric LaGasa, Washington State Department of Agriculture 

 

Alpha Scents President's Comments:  All of our sticky coated traps are coated with our popular No-mess Adhesive™.   This makes it especially easy and convenient to cut and handle our rectangle card traps.  See past issues in our archive for examples of traps being cut to fit inside cups for Drosophila traps, formed into tubes for enhanced capture rates, and other novel methods.  Our yellow traps have been rated in USDA studies as capturing 2 to 4 times all other brands tested. 
Capture Shothole Borer (Scolytus regulosus)
 
Shothole Borer damages fruit tree crops like peach, nectarine, apricot, plum, cherry, and others.  Adult females drill holes in the bark and lay eggs in 1 to 2 inch long galleries running down the cambium layer of the tree.  Larvae overwinter beneath the bark.  When hatched they mine secondary galleries at right angles to the egg gallery.  Pitch exuding from holes usually kills eggs.  If the tree has been injured or has weakened areas, resin buildup does not occur.  At this point invasion is successful.  Ultimately larvae may girdle the tree and cause tree or branch death.
 
No-mess Adhesive™ Alpha Scents Yellow Rectangle Traps with ethanol lures attached may be used to capture and monitor adults, as shown in the photo. 
Month/Year � Newsletter produced by Glassnoise, Inc.for Alpha Scents, Inc.