Attractants, Repellents, and Antifeedants

The earliest record of an attractant used for economic purposes was an attempt in 1885 to control grasshoppers in California by means of attractive poisoned baits. Later, wine growers in Europe used traps baited with stale beer, sugar water, and old cider to control the grapevine moth. Other baits included lemons and oranges in the formulation, later changed on a chemical basis by substituting amyl alcohol for citrus fruit. A fly bait consisting of a mixture of old casein, brown sugar, and water was considered an excellent attractant. Molasses-yeast baits for peach moth control were added to the list. In the late 1920s, hundreds of aromatic compounds were screened for their attractant properties. Additional impetus was given by the discovery of geraniol as an attractant for the Japanese beetle. A list of many of the old type attractants is given by Dethier (1947).