Attractant semiochemicals usually consist of pheromones, kairomones or both. These have many Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Resource Management (IRM) applications. Formulated into lures, they can be used in traps to capture specific species or a number of related species.

Traps can be used to monitor insect population levels from site-to-site, week-to-week and year-to-year. Threshold population levels, timing of damaging life stages (biofix) and success of control techniques can be conveniently and accurately determined. In select cases, semiochemical traps can be used to mass-trap damaging infestations; for example, bark beetle tree baits create mass attack when deployed on susceptible host trees, enabling foresters to concentrate infestations for more effective removal.  Semiochemical traps are also effective for quarantine detection of non-indigenous insects.

Attractant pheromones, formulated as sprays or small release particles, can also be used to disrupt insect mating. Attractant honey bee pheromones can manipulate bee behaviour at the hive level, as well as improve crop pollination.

Repellant semiochemicals are typically pheromones or allomones. Pheromones can be used to communicate to pests that the host is too crowded and thus unsuitable for colonizing. Allomones acting as non-host volatiles can also signal that the prospective host is incompatible. For example, hardwood tree volatiles can be used to protect valued coniferous trees from attack by conifer seeking pests.

These technologies offer resource managers new options to treat problems in ecosensitive and endangered species habitats where conventional chemical pesticides are problematic or simply not an option.

Useful Definitions

Semiochemical: Are naturally occurring message bearing biochemicals used by insects and other organisms for communication and perception of their environment.

Pheromone: Are a class of semiochemicals secreted by some animals (especially insects) to communicate and influence the physiology or behavior of others of the same species. A species may have more than one type pheromone and some examples are provided below:

        Alarm pheromone: A pheromone that communicates to members of the same species that there is an imminent danger to other members of the same species.

        Aggregation pheromone: A pheromone that causes the behavior of a particular animal species to congregate in a specific location.

        Antiaggregation (repellent) pheromone: A pheromone that causes dispersal behavior of a particular animal species from a specific location. This may have both short and long range implications depending on dose.

Kairomone: A subclass of pheromone, produced by one organism that can benefit the member of another species. For example: a pheromone produced by one organism to attract a mate may undesirably attract the attention of a predator.

Allomone: Semiochemical produced by one organism that detrimentally affects the behavior of a member of another species.