Puffer®
Automation | Duration
Suterra invented and perfected aerosol mating disruption. Puffer® products deliver consistent pheromone release, ensuring effective mating disruption all season long, regardless of weather conditions. Pheromone is emitted by electronic cabinets that:
- Contain NASA developed heat shield material batteries
- Withstand all weather conditions, such as rain and dust
- Are pre-programmed to match pest biology
Celada™
Diffusion | Simplicity
Celada is a vapor release dispenser that reliably emits pheromone to disrupt mating for an entire calendar year. Its proprietary resin formula interacts with pheromone at a molecular level to precisely control the release rate. The integrated hook is designed to facilitate easier deployment.
- Precise, controlled release rate
- Consistent performance across all environmental conditions
- Integrated hook designed to withstand harvest activities
Sprayable
Microencapsulation | Flexibility
Targeted applications of microencapsulated pheromones allow growers to introduce mating disruption as part of their standard spray program or receive unique benefits depending on the time of growing season.
- Longest acting sprayable product, compared to conventional insecticides
- Applied using traditional or novel equipment at lower volumes and higher speeds
- Zero pre-harvest interval (PHI) and minimal re-entry interval (REI)
1870s
In experiments conducted by Jean-Henri Fabre, male peacock moths located females using an odor imperceptible to the human nose, and the male antenna was responsible for detecting the female-produced stimulus.
1959
The first successful isolation and identification of an insect pheromone was bombykol, the female sex pheromone of the domestic silk moth. This discovery spurred biochemists to identify pheromones for thousands of economically significant pest species.
1967
Lyle Gaston and coworkers at the University of California first demonstrated that synthetic pheromones could be used to implement mating disruption of cabbage looper moths in the field, proving that this technique was a promising pest management tool.
1970s
Growers were introduced to pheromones in the 1970s when the first lures for monitoring were released. Using the sex pheromone of the female insect, these traps lured males to a sticky sheet where they could then be easily counted to help inform treatment decisions.
1980s
Mating disruption jumps from science to industry. Companies like Suterra are born, and the first mating disruption product targeting pink bollworm was introduced, revolutionizing pest control by preventing male insects from locating females for reproduction.
1990s
The first large-scale mating disruption adoptions take place. Pioneering and progressive growers begin adopting these products into their standard pest control programs.
1998
Suterra registered the first aerosol mating disruption product in the United States for use against peach twig borer, a pest most prevalent in stone fruit.
2010
Suterra was the first to develop and release a mating disruption product for a non-Lepidopteran pest, vine mealybug.
2014
Suterra finished building the world’s largest chemical facility dedicated exclusively to pheromone production, located in Bend, Oregon.
2017
Suterra released the first-ever full-year mating disruption dispenser, targeting the citrus pest California Red Scale.
2022
Mating disruption is adopted on 3+ million acres worldwide, driving sustainability in agriculture and innovation in the field.
2023
Suterra releases its latest vapor dispenser, a resin-based design that releases vine mealybug pheromone for a full year. Celada™ VMB is widely adopted throughout California and Europe.
2025
Mating disruption is recommended globally as a foundational approach to integrated pest management for control of the world’s most destructive pests including codling moth, navel orangeworm, vine mealybug, California red scale, Oriental fruit moth, diamondback moth, and European grapevine moth.