The Role of Pheromones and Gamma Radiation in Insect Control

Pheromone is a chemical substance comparable to hormones. The pheromones are concerned with the co-ordination of individuals in a population. They are produced by various ectodermal glands. The different pheromone categories are sex, aggregation, dispersal or spacing, alarm, trail and social insect pheromone. In many insects pheromones act as sexual attractants enabling one sex to detect and seek out the other. The use of gamma rays for insect sterilization is a promising method for insect control. Potentially pheromone may be used to trap out certain pests and attract insects to insecticide or chemosterilant baits, reduce the number of insecticide applications, or to confuse insects and disrupt mating.