Contact your county Extension agent or land grant university for more specific information on insect traps and lures. A visual attractant trap often resembles a food source or an egg laying or resting site used by the insect pest in nature. An example of this is a trap that looks like a large, ripe red apple that fools apple maggot flies into thinking they have found a prime egg laying site. Instead, they are stuck fast to the nondrying sticky adhesive on the surface of the trap.
Many female insects release an odor to signal their readiness for mating.
These odors, or pheromones, can be reproduced in a laboratory. This material is then applied to a rubber cap or other device and the scent is released slowly over several weeks, attracting the insects to the collection device. Back to the top Benefits of insect trapping Insect traps can often indicate if a spray is economically justified. Trapping helps indicate the best possible time to spray for maximum effectiveness. Traps work 24 hours a day.