Native budworm moth trapping

It is easy to host a native budworm trap. Once the trap is set up, host growers or consultants simply need to check the trap, count moth numbers, and report the results, weekly.

Installation requirements

You will require:

• star picket
• star picket driver or sledgehammer
• pliers
• moth trap
• mounting bracket
• moth lure.

Installation instructions  

• The moth trap should be positioned 10 to 20 metres (m) in from the crop edge of one of the more susceptible pulse crops (that is, field peas, lentils, faba bean, chickpea, lupin, or canola, ordered from most to least susceptible).
• Drive the star picket 20 to 30 cm into the ground or until it is firm.
• Attach the moth trap to the mounting bracket with the wire provided. Thread the wire through the hole at the end of the metal bracket and the two holes on the lid of the trap. Use pliers to squeeze the wire together around the trap lid holes.
• Connect the mounting bracket to the star picket with the bolt and nut provided so the bottom of the moth trap is level with the top of the crop (for the trap to operate efficiently, is very important the base of the trap is level with canopy height).

Note: Adjust the height of the moth trap as the crop grows. The base of the trap should be maintained level with the crop canopy height, to obtain best results.

• Take one of the small orange-brown coloured pheromone rubber tube lures out of the plastic bag and place it in the green lure holder cage in the trap.

Note: Avoid touching the pheromone tubing with your fingers - the pheromone scent on your fingers can contaminate the lure and lessen its effectiveness. 

• Insert the complete lure unit into the lid of the trap so the pheromone lure is suspended over the opening to the trap.
• Place the plastic bag containing the small piece of pesticide strip in the base of the trap. This strip kills the moths and will last for about three months. Do not handle the pesticide strip with bare hands.

Lure replacement and disposal

• Replace the lure in the trap with a new lure every 4 weeks. Keep your supply of lures fresh by placing them in a fridge or freezer, or another cool place.
• Discard the old lure in a bin. Do not throw into the crop or leave in the holder.

How to check, record, and report moth trap results

Each Tuesday, inspect the trap for moths.

• Unclip the base of the trap and count the number of moths present.
• Empty the trap base of moths and reconnect the base.
• If you wish to inspect the trap more often, record the number of moths at each inspection date, and the total number for the week.
• Email trap results to department Senior Technical Officer, Alan Lord (Alan.Lord@dpird.wa.gov.au).

Record netting outcomes and spraying activities

When you sweepnet your crop to check for grub numbers, fill in the relevant section on the Native budworm moth trap and net datasheet form, and record details of any spraying for budworm.

Native budworm moth trap and net datasheet form

Moth trap numbers are provided weekly by volunteer farmers, agronomists, and department staff in the WA grainbelt. The data provides advance warning to pulse and canola growers of the likely risk of budworm caterpillars being found in crops in the weeks following the arrival of moths.

Trapping results may also be discussed in our PestFacts WA newsletter.

Eggs laid by moths during August hatch after about 7 days. The caterpillars then take at least 2 weeks to grow to about 5 mm in size and be large enough to be detectable by sweep netting crops. It takes about 7 weeks (of average spring temperatures) from the egg stage for native budworm to reach the fully-grown caterpillar size of about 40 mm.

Refer to Cesar Australia’s Darabug model, to predict lifecycle development times for native budworm and other moth species.

During the growing season, the table below provides the number of native budworm moths caught by manual pheromone traps for each 7-day period. The dates are recorded in chronological order, from left to right.

These moth numbers provide an early warning and do not substitute the essential task of sweep netting crops to determine caterpillar numbers. Many trapped moths do not always lead to many grubs due to predators, parasites, and weather conditions.

To view a map of native budworm trapping results, refer to Cesar Australia’s Darabug MothTrapVisWA webpage. The map allows users to monitor weekly changes in moth flight numbers during the growing season by adjusting the trapping date range bar at the bottom of the page.

Darabug model| cesaraustralia

Native budworm moth trap numbers 2024

Key

- indicates no data received, # indicates trap removed, ( ) numbers in brackets indicate trap catch days (if not standard 7 days), N=north, S=south, E=east, W=west