Introduction (8 of 10)
How are the areas monitored? (continued)
Blunder traps are sticky traps that insects “blunder” upon whilst crawling along the floor, and get stuck. They are usually placed on the floor along the edges and corners of rooms where insects tend to wander. They can also be placed on windowsills or door frames, which could be potential entry points for insects. These traps tend to catch museum pests such as beetles (both adults and larvae), silverfish and booklice – as well as spiders, and insects such as flies.
Pheromone traps are also sticky, but they contain a pheromone that lures particular types of insect towards them. They get stuck on the trap and cannot get off. They are most frequently used to lure moths such as webbing clothes moths and Indian meal moths.
The traps should be replaced with new ones when they are full or dirty – or have reached their expiry limit. For pheromone traps, this is usually six months – as there is no pheromone left to emit after this. Blunder traps tend to last longer, as the stickiness does not wear out, but should be replaced more frequently if they become damaged or too dirty (i.e. full of dust/fluff).
