Evaluation of the Efficacy of Beetle Lure (BFL 225) and Bullet Synthetic Multi-Attractant as Insect Baits in Untreated Grain Storehouses

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of synthetic general beetle lure and bullet synthetic multi attractant in trapping insects in untreated grain stores. Four grain stores (two each) in two major markets within Calabar metropolis, were sampled at random and selected for this research. Three groups of four traps each with sticky bases were treated as follows: Trap group “A” was treated with BFL225 pheromone multi-attractant, Trap group “B” was treated with bullet lure multi-attractant pheromone and Trap group “C” was untreated (control). This experiment was replicated on monthly basis for a period of eight months to also ascertain the influence of weather conditions on trapped insect population. Insects caught were identified base on the different trap efficacy and recorded following the method in Ukeh and Mordue, (2009). All traps were re-treated monthly for efficient trapping. Data obtained from the experiment were laid out as factorial in CRD and subjected to analysis of variance using GenStat statistical software (Version 6). Significant means were compared using LSD and DNMRT at 5 percent level of probability. Insects trapped and identified include Sitophilus spp, Corcyra ciphilonica, Tribolium castaneum and Callosobrochus maculatus. The treated trap groups (A and B) significantly (p<0.05) caught more insects than the untreated trap group (control). However, between the treated trap groups, the BFL 225 significantly (p<0.05) caught more insects than the bullet lure treated trap. The number of insets caught also varied significantly (p<0.05) with different months. The wet month of August significantly had the highest number of insects followed by June. The dry months of January and February also had high number of insects relative to the other months. The least number of insects caught were obtained in the months of April and May. The interaction between the trap treatment type and month was significant (p<0.05). Generally, higher number of insects were caught in both treated and untreated trap groups in the wet month (June – August) compared to other months. BFL 225 treated trap groups significantly caught the highest number of insects in August, followed by the bullet treated trap group and the untreated in the same month. The bullet lure treated traps caught the least number on insects in April and May and was not significantly (p<0.05) different from the number caught by untreated trap (control) in the month of April. The trap treated with BFL225 caught the highest number of insect. Hence, this research supports the use of BFL 225 as an efficient tool in integrated pest management approach for stored grains.

Keywords: Beetle lure, Bullet synthetic, Insects, Pheromone, Treated traps.

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-20-03

Publication date:October 31^st 2022