Integration of Repellents, Attractants, and Insecticides in a "Push-Pull" Strategy for Managing German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) Populations

Abstract

"Push-pull" is a behavior manipulation strategy in which behavior-modifying stimuli are integrated with a pest control agent. We evaluated the efficacy of an insecticide bait in combination with attractants ("pull"), repellents ("push"), or both ("push-pull") using a hydramethylnon-based bait, feces-contaminated surfaces as an attractant, and methyl neodecanamide-treated surfaces to repel cockroaches. Both adult males and first-instar German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), chose shelters nearest the attractant-treated surfaces and farthest from the repellent-treated surfaces. Food consumption was highest from food nearest the preferred shelters, and mortality was highest when the insecticide bait was near the preferred shelter. These patterns were more apparent in first instars than in adults. Our results from large arena studies in the laboratory show that the push-pull strategy can be used to displace pests from resources or commodities that are to be protected, and simultaneously lure the pest to an attractant source coupled with a pest control agent. Concentrating cockroaches into a limited area should facilitate the precision-targeting of the pest population and promises to reduce insecticide use.

Evaluating a push–pull strategy for management of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura in red raspberry

“…Furthermore, we also anticipated that this rejection would be reflected by an increase in the number of adults captured by traps in push–pull plots versus pull plots. This has been demonstrated in other cases where attractive and aversive stimuli acted synergistically to increase rejection of deterrent‐treated targets and to increase the number of insects captured by mass trapping devices . We did not observe an increase in trapped adults when fruit were protected by the deterrent in laboratory or field assays, which implies that this deterrent is not acting to increase the relative attractiveness of the trap versus the fruit.…”

“…This has been demonstrated in other cases where attractive and aversive stimuli acted synergistically to increase rejection of deterrent-treated targets and to increase the number of insects captured by mass trapping devices. 43,44 We did not observe an increase in trapped adults when fruit were protected by the deterrent in laboratory or field assays, which implies that this deterrent is not acting to increase the relative attractiveness of the trap versus the fruit. However, we did observe higher infestation in fruit from other low hanging clusters compared with the main clusters, which were closer to point sources of the deterrent odor in push-pull plots.…”

Automated aerosol puffers effectively deliver 1‐OCTEN‐3‐OL, an oviposition antagonist useful against spotted‐wing drosophila

“…The best known example of a successful push‐pull system comes from Africa, where maize, Zea mays L. [Poaceae], and sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moenchare, are protected from stem borer herbivory using a combination of attractant and repellent intercropped grasses to manipulate the insect's behavior 44,45 . Similar systems have been experimentally adopted for cotton bollworm 46 ; the pea leaf weevil, 47 pollen beetle in oilseed rape, 48 onion maggot, 49 and western flower thrips on chrysanthemums, 50 although there are also examples of applications in forest, 51 medical, 52 and urban 53 entomology. Unfortunately, because D. suzukii is a unique crop pest among Drosphilidae , there are no previous push‐pull systems available for reference among its sister species, despite belonging to one of the best understood insect genera.…”

Behavioral Responses of the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius, to Insecticide Dusts

“…Insecticides that potentially induce avoidance behaviors in bed bugs could be used in a “push–pull” control strategy if combined with an attractant and a pest control agent. “Push–pull” is a proposed behavior manipulation strategy that has been evaluated successfully in agricultural and livestock pests, as well as German cockroaches [ 54 , 55 ]. This strategy consists of displacing insects from a resource (e.g., shelter) and lured with an attractant to areas containing a pest control agent (e.g., traps, nonrepellent insecticides, or baits).…”