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Deer Park, WI

The premise of these trap kits is great- lure them in with a sexy pheromone (who could resist?) and never let them return to the wild. Ingenious.

For a guy like me who's grown 10 years in the midwest and only encountered 3-4 months/larvae over that time period, I find myself between a rock and a hard place when considering using this form of insect control.

By virtue of hanging up this trap, Im essentially attracting every SVB for miles that my place is the place for some SVB hump action.

See the dilemma? Am i actually drawing more bug pressure to my patch with this trap or is it an essential insurance policy? What if the SVB thumb their nose at my suicidal sex pot and choose to nest in the plumbing of my 1140 stevens plant?

Fly under the radar or turn on the beacon? argh....

7/5/2010 7:17:28 PM

White Plains, NY

I wouldn't use. If you must, place the trap far away from your plants.

7/5/2010 8:47:06 PM

Connecticut

Hi Joze-
    I understand your concern, so last year I did a test…

I placed about one trap per plant in my 10 plant patch. Then about 100ft. away I put another trap that was in the area of some other cucurbits but not the giants. Over the season I would catch SVB (Squash Vine Borer) only in the traps that were next to the giant and all season I did not catch one in the trap that was only 100ft. away. So, my conclusion is that the SVB prefer the giants and the plants have a stronger attractant then the pheromone.

My conclusion is that the traps offer a greater monitoring advantage then complete control. I have chosen to increase the trap numbers to one per plant in hope that I will get the added benefit of mating disruption. However, every SVB in the trap is one less in the plant.

I have and will continue to use them in my patch, because I feel the information offers a greater benefit then relying on only the ones I can see flying around the patch. I am also noticing that they come in waves and from certain directions; meaning one side of the patch will have greater pressure at different times of the season. Also, I learned that SVB are around much later than originally thought. (I have caught them into August!)

Just thought I would offer my advice and in-field test so that you can make your own decision but at least it will be an educated one.

Best of luck this year,

-Matt

7/5/2010 9:44:28 PM

Pataskala,OH

Matt D. I was always wondering why my organic zucchini never got svb. It must be that the svb go to the AG first then die from the pesticide. leaving the other cucurbits unaffected

7/5/2010 10:12:19 PM

long Island

I have about 15 of the little buggers in my trap and I sure am glad I have the thing. It works great.
I just ordered up a fresh pc. of bait. Thanks Tom

7/5/2010 10:22:08 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Joze,
This is the second season using them, and I have to admit, I felt the same way until I found over 30 of the buggars dead in the traps at the end of the season, and I was able to bring a 1401.5 lb fruit to the scales.
Personally, I won't grow without them.
Tom

7/5/2010 10:25:23 PM

Navarre,OH

I wondered this same exact thing! These traps made me think of japanese beetle traps. You ever open the bait pack and get swarmed by beetles? I did last year. Beetles literally swarmed me and followed me and the trap to the front yard. Seemed like I had more beetles with the trap. Last year the silk on my corn was eaten so bad only half the corn was able to get pollinated. I blame it on the trap. This year I am using no trap and more of the old school method of picking as many off as I can and throwing them into a bucket of soapy water. I have nowhere near the amount of beetles I did last year w/o the trap. I was thinking this same stuff would happen with SVB's but thats a totally diff species of insect with totally different behaviors. Most of the pics and responses I have seen with these traps is people find a small handful of SVB's verses several hundrew like a beetle trap. If I wasn't so poor I would buy a SVB trap. lol

7/5/2010 10:29:28 PM

Connecticut

Also, let me just add this picture of a season worth of catches for a grower I recommended these traps to back in 2008…

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=91785

What is great about this picture is that 39 SVB were caught and the non-target insects were kept to a minimum. (Just another piece of information.)

-Matt

7/5/2010 10:34:09 PM

Tinykinville

okay jose you wonder about svbs generally wi has close to none this year is different listen to tom he is experienced grower who has encounter situation, plants pretected with right pesticide are good but better to kill svb before they even think about plant if they are in area and no protection eventually they will find it period.\

7/6/2010 4:39:35 AM

Dalton Ma.

do the traps only catch males?

7/6/2010 5:59:54 AM

Waquoit Mass

they work slick,and after takin two years off i figured id have none.WRONG ive trapped 20 so far.

7/6/2010 9:07:48 AM

Long Island,New York

Last I recall the pheromones are male attractants. The traps would therefore only catch males....and males in most areas don't lay eggs ( Cape cod and California might have different rules). Anyone put the svb's found in the traps under the scope for sexing? That said, who cares if the traps attract males from miles around? You still need the females and they are going to either be there or not without regard to the traps. As a insect pressure monitor I think they are great. Nice to know what critters are lurking so you can plan a defence. Warrior Z and merit, and if you wanna feel like your not wasting your time spraying then add the traps.

7/6/2010 1:49:17 PM

Wi

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=135668

Looks like it does a fine job with the ladies to me????

7/6/2010 2:15:24 PM

Deer Park, WI

All- appreciate your input on this topic. A potential oversight that needs clarification- I've assumed the lure in these kits is pheromone-based, however this needs to be confirmed. If it is, then G's argument has merit (please consider the inclusion of Minnesotans in regards to male egg-layers). However, Bogie's bucket (follow the link posted by Chris) confirms these traps do not have gender bias.

For those not wanting to turn on the borer beacon with these traps, I have found this alternative, as proposed by the UofM extension: "You can also use yellow trap pans to detect squash vine borer adults. This can be any container (e.g. pan, pail, bowl) colored yellow and filled with water. Because squash vine borer adults are attracted to yellow, they will fly to the container and be trapped when they fall into the water."

Coupled with a pro-active chemical program as also suggested by G, this may be the ideal approach for those with uncertain or low pressure from SVB.

7/6/2010 2:47:34 PM

Deer Park, WI

Correction- Bogie's bucket does NOT confirm the absence of gender bias. Given the similarities between male and female moths, it is impossible to discern which genders these traps catch. Anyone here have an entymology degree that can help with SVB sexing???

7/6/2010 3:01:45 PM

Navarre,OH

To attract females you need to buy a trap with a pic of Edward Cullen from Twilight on the side of it. FYI

7/6/2010 6:54:09 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Joze,
with all due respect, I can appreciate all of the analyzing, but theories aside, on a personal level, I've seen more SVB's then I have ever seen before, this was before putting my traps out, maybe it is just luck that last year I saw SVB near and on my plants and didnt get taken out by the larva, or that this year I have healthy plants and dozens of dead SVB in the traps, but I would like to call that more then a coincedence, in my opinion, and in the opinion of dozens of other growers who use them, I believe that the traps are a decent part of a preventive program. On the business end of things, Extensive research was part of creating these traps, the same corporation that manufactures these traps also distributes their products to the US Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Forest Service, and have developed products for use in and garden, forestry, landscape, agriculture, and commercial applications. The traps weren't tossed together in someones garage overnight and sold to giant pumpkin growers.
Just my 2 cents...

7/6/2010 11:36:46 PM

Deer Park, WI

Tom, thanks for your input.

I certainly acknowledge those who are finding success with these traps. I am also aware of their utility by academic and government agencies as a means to survey and control populations.

I simply need to understand their benefits and limitations before jumping in headfirst. Pheromone lures primarily attract males. I found one publication that also suggested these lures attract smaller numbers of females. If one concludes that eliminating large numbers of males lowers the reproductive capacity of females and thereby total population, then there is definite benefit. I'm curious if those who use the traps from year to year find an average decrease in trapped bugs. This then suggests the traps may have an impact on controlling populations.

If, on the other hand, populations only seem to be increasing from year to year, then perhaps the net effect is attraction rather than control. Scientific literature concluded that these lures DO attract large populations from local areas.

For those with known HEAVY infestations, this product may be of major benefit as part of a complete control program. I will not argue this. For those without SVB pressure, this is a serious decision that warrants further consideration.

My goal is to gather facts and observations so that myself and others can make informed decisions. This concept may seem intimidating. Regardless, everyone benefits when more information and discussion is brought forth.

7/7/2010 8:15:03 AM

Lexington, Ky

Even if I only "encountered" 3 or 4 moths over a ten year span, I would never make the assumption that I don't have SVB pressure.

I rarely see them when I'm in the patch. In 8 years of growing, I've only encountered them three times. The traps tell me one of two things, either I'm not spending enough time in the patch or I'm in the patch at the wrong time. Well, those moths are pretty fast, maybe too fast for my eyes.

I conducted a similiar test to Matt's.....same result.

7/7/2010 10:11:16 AM

Navarre,OH

Only found a few this year so far and they have all fell victim to my sons little bug vaccuum. He sucked em up and fed them to his spiders. That'll teach SVB's to enter my garden!

7/7/2010 10:39:20 AM

long Island

I`m not sure what kind of bug this is. I sprayed Merit last night. I have a lot of these in my trap also.
Whatever it is, its dead.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=91785

7/7/2010 10:58:22 AM

long Island

Oops, that's the wrong link

try this one:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=137214

There really should be an edit button on this web site

7/7/2010 11:04:44 AM

Western NY

wally, i'm pretty sure that's a lightening bug.

7/7/2010 11:13:12 AM

long Island

Poor thing. It ain't gonna light up no more.

7/7/2010 4:42:14 PM

long Island

i put my new lure in today and every bug from the block came to check it out.

7/7/2010 4:44:29 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

I have never seen one in my pkn patch, or any evidence of one! but last year w/2 traps, I saw 10 or so!!! Dead ones!!! This year, zero in each of two traps! So far!! Hope this helps. Peace, Wayne
PS...I purchased new lures, and strips. You only have to buy the traps once.

7/8/2010 12:48:27 AM