What is an example of a physical pest control method?

Employing pheromone traps is a physical pest control method that relies on the natural behavior of pests to aid in their management. Pheromone traps use synthetic sex pheromones to attract specific insects, which then become trapped and are unable to reproduce. This method effectively reduces pest populations without the use of chemical pesticides, aligning it with the principles of integrated pest management that aim to minimize environmental impact.

Using insecticidal spray, while effective, is a chemical method that directly applies pesticides to eliminate pests. Planting resistant varieties involves genetic strategies to develop crops that can naturally withstand pest pressures, which is more of a biological control approach. Adjusting planting times is a cultural control method that alters the lifecycle dynamics of pests but does not physically trap or directly disrupt them in the same way that pheromone traps do. This makes the use of pheromone traps distinct as a physical method in pest management strategies.