Insect Pheromone Use in the Food Industry

Pheromones play an important role in the biology of insect species. Their use in the development of tools to enhance environmentally benign alternatives to synthetic pesticides is popular. The food industry is a major beneficiary of pheromone use. Pheromones are mostly used in pest monitoring, as monitoring is the cornerstone of all integrated pest management programs. This information is used to focus on identifying the source of the problem and determining the best method of control. Pheromones are also used in controlling pests, through mating disruption, mass trapping, and aggregating insect pests at delivery sites of biological control agents, such as entomopathogens.