Back to WVU Horticulture and Gardening Page Sticky traps, or sticky boards, are very helpful for detecting and monitoring many flying insect pests in greenhouses, including whiteflies, thrips,and aphids. When populations of these pests are low, sticky traps may even be of limited value in the control of these insects. The traps should be painted a bright yellow on both sides and allowed to thoroughly dry.
Bright yellow is highly attractive to aphids, whiteflies, leafminers, leafhoppers, and thrips.
Bright blue and bright white are fairly attractive to thrips and aphids, but recent research indicates that these colors may not be as effective as bright yellows for some pests. As a substitute, vegetable oils or natural gum resins plus hydrogenated castor oils can be spread thinly over a board, but these materials will not be effective for long periods of time. Some automotive cup greases are also suitable, but they also require frequent renewal, especially in dusty conditions. All of these materials need to be cleaned and reapplied as insects accumulate on the trap. Preliminary research suggests boards should ideally hang 7.8 ft above the floor in greenhouses.