HOW INSECT TRAPS WORK

The presence of insects where human activities take place can be characterised by different degrees of gravity, from irritating ants and mosquitoes in domestic environments to hygiene problems caused by cockroaches and parasites in public places, and even economic damage to agriculture caused by shield bugs and aphids.

To prevent these problems, insects can be combated in several ways: the administration of nebulised solutions can solve existing problems, but entomological traps can be used to prevent infestation at source.

Entomological traps allow the adults of specific species of insect to be attracted and then trapped or killed in order to avoid interference with human activities and to control population.

Traps must therefore employ two systems: attraction and capture/killing.

Different stimuli are used to attract various species of insect in order to guarantee the selective action of the trap. The most frequently used are light, colour and various volatile chemical substances that reproduce the signals of other members of the species (pheromones) or the smell of food.

Once the insects have been attracted, they can simply be either held in the trap with glues or contaminated with particular substances, the action and effectiveness of which varies from case to case. Some simply kill the insect directly, others use it as a vector to carry the insecticide to the nest (in the case of ants, for example), while others alter its breeding mechanisms in order to indirectly control population growth.

Entomological traps that simply retain the insect are known as monitoring traps or monitors: they are initially used to determine whether there is an actual infestation of that species in a given place through the selective effect of attractants without using active ingredients.

This approach is useful in many cases, for example in domestic environments where animals or children are present, avoiding the risks associated with the use of biocide traps.

IGO manufactures a wide range of products to combat insects to contract, from biocides to monitors: traps for cockroaches, moths, ants, flies and mosquitoes, as well as mosquito tabs, poisoned baits for ants and diffusers for moths are just a few examples of products we can create for our clients, also handling printing, packaging and shipping.

IGO has been a classified Medical and Surgical Device factory for over 15 years, manufacturing insecticide products for domestic and civil use to contract, employing substrates such as cellulose or granules, as well as blends and solutions in general, to which one or more active substances have been added.

Please consult our catalogue of biocides and monitor traps, and contact us for more information.