Mating disruption is a very common practice for controlling codling moth, because it is a highly efficient, cost effective, and reduced-risk management option. The concept behind mating disruption is to permeate the orchard with the codling moth female sex pheromone,preventing male moths from locating female moths.

Mating disruption is an appealing option because it:

1. can be used by organic growers as it is certified organic,

2. leaves no residue on the fruit,

3. is safe for non-target organisms,

4. is effective all season long, rain or shine, and

5. effectively prevents or delays mating, resulting in decreased populations.

Even if the male moth is able to find a female and mate, if mating is delayed by just three days, the female will lay half as many viable eggs, drastically reducing infestations in the future.

 However, mating disruption is not as effective as other options in certain situations. This technique is best used in orchards that are larger than 10 acres, in a regularly shaped square block, and in areas with relatively low codling moth densities.

Once codling moth numbers get too high in an orchard, it is likely that the males

will “accidentally” run into the females, so mating disruption becomes less effective. However, by using both mating disruption and chemical sprays for a year or two, populations can usually be brought down to low enough numbers so that mating

disruption can work without augmentation from insecticides.

The most commonly used dispensers for mating disruption are hand-applied twist-tie dispensers. Depending on the product, dispensers should be applied at a rate of 150 to 400 per acre. Some hand-applied dispensers need to be twisted on to the tree, while others easily clip onto the branches or are shot into the canopy. Dispensers should be placed in the top third of a tree, and distributed evenly throughout the orchard block, or placed slightly more densely at the edges of the orchard. These dispensers are effeffective throughout the duration of the growing season and should be in place before the expected beginning of moth fight.

Puffers are another type of pheromone dispenser. Applied at a rate of just 1 to 2 puffers per acre, puffers release the codling moth pheromone every 10 to 15 minutes. Puffers should be evenly spaced throughout the orchard, with more near the edges. Special attention needs to be paid to prevailing winds when setting up puffers, so that the pheromone gets distributed inside the block rather than to the surrounding areas. The canister on the puffer contains enough product for a single growing season and should be set out before the expected beginning of moth flight. Although puffers require more up-front costs, they can be refilled and require low labor costs because so few are set out per acre.

When using mating disruption, sex pheromone-baited monitoring traps are used to check whether the males are unable to find the lure, which would indicate that they are unable to find the actual females. For orchards using mating disruption, it is recommended to use one to two traps per acre (1 to 2 traps/acre). Lures should be loaded with at least 5 to 10 mg of the pheromone or the Codling moth Combo (CM DAC) lure, and place the sticky traps higher in the canopy than you would for normal monitoring. If over 10 codling moth adults are caught in the traps during the first adult flight, mating disruption is not adequately effective, and additional management techniques are necessary.