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Pheromones are chemical aromatics that are secreted unconsciously by humans and animals for the purpose of passing "commands" to another creature of the same species. There are different kinds of pheromones, each with their own effect: one will serve as an attractant, while another may have a repelling effect. Not only the distribution of these substances happens subconsciously, but also the reaction of the other specimen to the ‘assignment’ occurs automatically. 

The composition of many pheromones has now been traced, so that they can be chemically imitated. For example, chemical sex pheromones are used in perfumes.

There are many different types of pheromones in nature. In horticulture, we mainly use delta traps containing a phermone capsule:

• Sex or reproductive pheromones
• Confusion pheromones

On the productlist page you will find various pheromone capsules against, among others, the Turkish moth, Florida moth, cabbage leaf roller and Tuta absoluta.

When you use pheromones, you should take account of a number of things:

• Hang the Delta traps right above the crop, so that they are easy to reach for the pests.
• Remove the delta capsules from the plastic packaging and place them on the plate in the deltaval. The capsules work using temperature, so when they get warmer than the storage temperature, the pheromone is released and they start working.
• When you use different traps, then ensure that there is at least 50 meters of distance between the traps. This is to prevent the mixing of the different pheromones. 
• Replace the pheromones every month to get the best result.
  

The pheromone trap contains a sticky bottom with sex pheromone. The effect of a sex pheromone is as follows: the males are attracted by the attractant and will look for the source. The capsule with the pheromone lies on a sticky bottom. This causes the males to stick in the delta trap, making reproduction impossible.

Normally, a male pest insect is attracted to the female through pheromones she secretes. By using a lot of pheromones throughout the greenhouse, they disrupt the ability of the males to find the females. This should be used preventively when the very first moth is found.

Please note that these pheromone traps mainly serve as an indication to determine the pest pressure. Of course, a lot of males can be caught with it, but other corrections will always have to be made to control the plague.

The most widely used kinds of pheromones in horticulture are the attraction and gathering pheromones, sex pheromones, and flee pheromones. 

• Attraction and gathering pheromones: these pheromones are very attractive to insects. When you apply attraction and gathering pheromones in Delta traps or on sticky trap sheets or rolls, insects will approach, after which they get stuck to the sticky plate in the Delta trap and die. This method is mainly used for monitoring, but also helps to keep insects away from plants. 
• Sex pheromones: by releasing large quantities of sex pheromones, it becomes hard for male insects to track a female insect. This way, the pheromones disrupt the formation of pairs, due to which the insects present in the greenhouse are less capable of reproducing preventing the fast growth of a pest. Sex pheromones could also be used, incidentally, as an attractant (just like attraction and gathering pheromones).
• Flee pheromones: These pheromones have a repellent effect on insects and ‘order’ them to stay away. By applying alarm pheromones to plants or fruits, insects will keep at a distance.

Pheromone traps can be combined with plant protection products. By using pheromone traps to lure insects to a point source of plant protection products, plant protection products need only be used on a small area. This way you save on the use of plant protection products. Another advantage of this is that a smaller part of the crop comes into contact with the plant protection products, resulting in less residue.    

Many pests can be caught with the help of pheromone traps and delta capsules. This catches male moths, such as the tomato leafminer, Turkish moth and the Duponchelia moth. Below is an overview of all delta capsules from the range.

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