Mating disruption of Ephestia cautella (Walker) in chocolate factories

Field trials have been carried out in order to evaluate the use of the pheromone (9Z,12E)-tetradecadienyl acetate (TDA) for mating disruption (MD) of almond moth, Ephestia cautella (Walker). Tests were carried out in Italy during 2010 in two chocolate factory departments: one of 650m2 (A), and another one of 300m2 (B). After a period to assess moth population, MD dispensers (CheckMate® SPM type) containing TDA were placed in July. Pheromone-baited traps, oil traps + pheromone, and water traps in the chocolate factory department A, and pheromone-baited traps in the chocolate factory department B were used to monitor the population of E. cautella during the entire experimental periods. In chocolate factory department A the presence of MD dispensers notably reduced the number of adults found in the traps; in chocolate factory department B, mating diruption kept the number of males in pheromone traps low but was not able to eradicate the E. cautella population. The results of the present work indicate that in chocolate factories the use of mating disruption is feasible against E. cautella, and should be further evaluated as a component of an Integrated Pest Management- based control strategy.