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Pea Moth Pheromone Trap


What Are Pea Moths?

The Pea Moth (Cydia Nigricana) is small, with a wingspan of only 12-16mm. It is of brown colouring with black and white bands on the edge of its wings. The adult moths lay their eggs on flowers, or leaves, of peas during June and July. These eggs will hatch into larvae/caterpillars within 2 weeks.

The caterpillars are white initially, but turn to a yellow colour with a brown head and will tunnel into pea pods. The pea pods that have been attacked by the caterpillars can be difficult to identify until the pod is opened, as the entrance holes made by the caterpillar are very small. The caterpillars will feed on the developing seeds in the pea pod. The peas will appear eaten and lots of frass is produced within the pod. Some pods will have two caterpillars inside, and the pods can sometimes appear yellow, and ripen earlier.

How Does This Trap Help Combat Pea Moths?

The Dragonfli Pea Moth Pheromone Trap uses a species specific pheromone lure to catch and trap male Pea Moths. The Pea Moths will detect the pheromone and fly into the trap expecting a female Pea Moth to be present. Moth mating and egg laying will be reduced as a result, and future generations of larvae will be prevented from developing. Moth populations can also be monitored through this trap which will help provide you with an early warning as to their activity.

How Do I Set Up The Trap?

The Pea Moth trap supplied by Dragonfli is called a castellation trap, that prevents the capture of larger insects and small birds, which might fly into a conventional trap by accident. The entry holes on the castellation moth trap are only big enough for moths.

Each trap is supplied with two pheromone lures, one for each generation of Pea Moths in the year. Simply remove the lure from the foil sachet and place it in the cage at the top of the trap. The trap is also provided with a sticky pad to place inside the trap. Remove the paper to activate the glue and place the pad at the bottom of the trap. This helps contain the moths in the trap and can be removed to count catches. The male moths are attracted by the pheromone lure, will fly inside the trap and drop down onto the sticky pad inside the trap.

Full application instructions are provided on delivery.

Where Should I Place The Trap?

The pheromone traps should be placed in the pea crop field, and hung level with the top of the crops. The traps should be raised accordingly as the crop grows and remain level with the top of the crop. 

How Many Traps Do I Need?

Each trap can cover a large crop of pea plants, and up to 250m2.

For large cropping in areas over 50 hectares, multiple trap sites may be required.

When Should I Use The Trap?

Pea Moths have two generations and your traps should be set up during or, ideally, before the arrival of each generation. The Leek Moths are active between May and June, with a second larger generation arriving between August and October

When Will I Need To Replace The Trap?

The trap can be used for years and replacement lures can be purchased here for additional coverage. The lures are designed to last an entire Pea Moth flying season, roughly 6-8 weeks. Replace your lures after this time as they will have lost effectiveness. Additional lures may also be stored in a fridge or freezer.

Ensure the sticky card inserts are removed and counted for moth catches on a regular basis to determine the Pea Moth population levels, and ensure there is space on the pads to catch new moths. Replacement sticky pads can be purchased here.

A pack of replacement small parts for the trap is also available to purchase here.

Professional Pea Growers Should Consider Our Pea Moth Trap Bundle 

Professional pea growers should opt for our Pea Moth Trap Bundle, and seek advice from the PGRO on the relevant thresholds and necessary action to be taken in treating larger scale infestations. If 20 moths are caught on two occasions, for instance, action should be taken with crop spraying. Contact the PGRO, or visit their website at www.pgro.org.