At the Wells and Sons orchard in Hood River, Oregon, John Wells is constantly looking for more environmentally sound pest control methods for the several hundred acres of pears and apples he grows. In 1996, John tested a new control technique, pheromone mating disruption, on about 5 acres. Coddling moths don't see very well and only fly at night. Females rarely fly at all. They sit on branches and release pheromones so that the male moths know where to find them.
Males fly around following the scent released by females hoping to mate.
The technique of pheromone mating disruption causes widespread confusion in the orchard. At bloom time, John Wells places pheromone dispensers in his orchard. These dispensers release inordinate amounts of pheromones, literally creating pheromone clouds in the orchard. Males fly around looking for females to mate with, but the scent of pheromones is so overbearing, they never can find the females. The males die frustrated, and the females never have a chance to mate and create new coddling moths.