Trapping Optimization and Development of “attract and kill” strategy for the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in avocado

Goal of the work was to improve our ability to trap the beetles for detection of the invasive shot-hole borers. Lures were successfully developed for attracting the two invasive shot hole borer species to traps. Different variants of the attractive chemicals were tested to determine which chemical production procedure, resulting in a reliable production method and a reliable availability of the lures. The influence of release rates of the lures was tested for the attractant lure and results show that the release rates can be substantially lower than the present lures without loss of effectiveness. Different trap types were tested to determine which traps and trap colors would optimize the trap catch of lured traps. Different preservation materials were tested to determine how they influenced trap catch. A materials were found that deters the beetles from being attracted to lured traps. Population development as measured by trap catch was determined in two different avocado groves over time in Escondido.