Wind-directed Pheromone Trap for Drone Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A portable pheromone-trap system was developed for monitoring drone honey bee, Apis mellifera L., populations. The wind-directed system included a white nylon net, pheromone lure (porous polyethylene rod treated with synthetic E-9-oxo-2-decenoic acid [9-ODA]), 6.1-m support, and sample bag holder. The trapping site and anemotactic flight behavior of drones affected capture rates. Traps baited with 5 or 10 mg synthetic 9-ODA routinely captured 150–300 drones per 3 min during the 90-min periods of peak flight. Nonreusable lure components, including 5 mg synthetic 9-ODA, cost approximately one-fourth of the minimum price for two virgin queens. This trap system has potential as a survey and management tool for Africanized honey bee suppression programs and for control of local drone populations by queen breeders.