Overview
This measure reduces pest abundance in the designated area or site by attracting and killing the pest.
- Examples of this measure include bait spraying, mass-trapping, coloured sticky traps with or without pheromone lures, and the use of trap crops.
- Evaluating the efficacy of this measure requires demonstrating the extent to which the attract and kill technique reduces pest populations at times when the commodity is vulnerable. The resulting effect on infestation rate should also be assessed.
- Commercial application of attract and kill techniques can be considered when conducting a pest risk assessment. They can also be proposed as a phytosanitary measure.
- Assurance can be achieved through maintenance and audit of records of the critical steps in applying attract and kill technologies. In some cases, physical audits can also be conducted.
Evidence to support efficacy
Evidence is required to demonstrate that the attract and kill technique, using the planned placement, will result in the required reduction in pest abundance at times when the commodity is vulnerable. The methodology will need to consider how pest abundance, daily dispersal of the pest and trap attractiveness and lethality may vary through time and space. Methods will vary with the type of attract and kill technique and the biology of the pest.
Applying the measure
How it is used
Attract and kill technologies only work for actively mobile pests for which attractants have been identified and manufactured. They are often used in production systems to manage pests of concern. For example, bait spraying, where droplets combining an attractant with a small amount of pesticide are sprayed onto the orchard, are often used to manage fruit flies.
The commercial use of attract and kill technologies can be considered when conducting a pest risk assessment, and can also be considered as a phytosanitary measure.
Use with other measures
Attract and kill techniques are generally combined with other measures in a phytosanitary systems approach, such as other pest management measures, or protected facilities.
Similar measures
The use of attract and kill techniques as a measure is different from using attractants for surveillance, where the goal is to detect pests rather than control them. This measure also differs from pesticides as it uses a lure to attract the pest, although pesticides might still be used to kill them. Attract and kill may be used as a component of Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) and as a corrective action in a Pest Freedom or Low Pest Prevalence measures.
Assurance of correct implementation
Records of the application of attract and kill methods may be required. Depending on the method, this could include timing, placement and maintenance of approved devices, or timing of applications (such as bait sprays). These records may be audited annually by authorised personnel, with oversight by the NPPO or relevant authority of the exporting jurisdiction. There may be requirements for training and standard operating procedures to ensure that the attract and kill method is effectively applied. In some cases, physical inspection and audits can also be conducted of attractants and trap layouts.