Cigarette beetles, a common pest among stored-product insects, can pose significant challenges across various industries. To effectively monitor and control these pests, businesses must utilise efficient pheromone traps. At Giridhar Pai Associates (GPA), we offer a range of traps from globally recognised brands, including the Trece, Inc. (Trece) Storgard CB traps and lures from the United States, as well as the New Serrico Traps from Fuji Flavours Co. Ltd. (Fuji Flavours) in Japan. In this blog post, we will explore the five Ps—Purpose, Price, Performance, Practicality, and Provenance—that should influence your decision when selecting a cigarette beetle pheromone trap.
Purpose
The importance of defining the purpose of your trap cannot be overstated. As the cigarette beetle is an ubiquitous pest, monitoring its presence and population levels is essential for businesses across their supply chains. The suitability of a cigarette beetle trap varies significantly depending on specific conditions and expectations. For instance, GPA advocates for in-transit monitoring of cigarette beetles in spice raw materials such as chilli, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cumin on trucks. In-transit monitoring ensures buyers can be certain the supplier has dispatched bags free of CBs.
Overseas buyers of Indian exports increasingly demand the use of pheromone traps in shipping containers to confirm the absence of cigarette beetles during transport. The Storgard Thinline III CB+K trap and the New Serrico Trap are compact and fit easily into shipping containers, making them ideal for in-transit CB monitoring during export.
Price
Price is a critical factor in the decision-making process when selecting CB traps. The prices can vary not only by brand but also by the types offered within a single brand. For example, the Storgard CB trap range includes both the Quick Change (QC) Dome and the Thinline III, specifically designed for cigarette beetles. Alternatively, the New Serrico Trap is the sole CB trap offered by Fuji Flavours.
To aid your assessment, we provide a comparative table illustrating the cost of monitoring cigarette beetles—calculated on a per-trap, per-month basis—offering a clear reference for evaluating the price competitiveness of various products. Notably, the QC Dome is the most economical option, as it is reusable and requires only a pheromone lure tray change every two months, making it a cost-efficient choice for long-term monitoring.
Performance
When assessing the performance of CB traps, it is crucial to recognise that all three traps marketed by GPA utilise pheromones and kairomones to attract both male and female CBs. However, performance evaluation is complex; it hinges on the effectiveness and durability of the pheromones and kairomones employed within the traps. Our comparison table shows that the Storgard CB lures last up to two months, while the lures for the Serrico Trap last for one month.
Understanding the nuances of trap performance enables you to select a trap that meets your specific environmental conditions and cigarette beetle management goals. Our traps are tested under various circumstances, ensuring they deliver reliable performance to keep your operations pest-free.
Practicality
Practicality is yet another important determinant influencing consumer choices when selecting cigarette beetle traps. Customers generally favour products that are easy to use and don’t require specialised skills for handling. The Thinline II and New Serrico Traps use glue-based technology, making them especially suitable for low-dust settings. Conversely, the QC Dome incorporates kairomone oil as a trapping medium, enabling it to perform well even in more dusty environments.
Despite differences in their mechanisms, all three traps are designed for straightforward setup and monitoring, facilitating a seamless integration into your pest management practices.
Provenance
The provenance of the CB pheromone traps is a lesser discussed but vital aspect influencing consumer trust and choice. GPA sources its traps from reputable global manufacturers, ensuring reliability and effectiveness. The QC Dome and Thinline III are products of Trece, a world leader in pheromone technology. At the same time, the New Serrico Trap is manufactured by Fuji Flavours, a company notable for being the first to synthesise the CB pheromone.
Both brands have established a reputation among our Indian customers, who select products based on their industry needs and specific use cases. This assurance in product quality and efficiency can significantly influence your purchasing decision.
A comparison of three cigarette beetle pheromone traps
How Do You Decide Which Cigarette Beetle Pheromone Trap to Use?
In deciding which cigarette beetle pheromone trap to use, it becomes clear that while price plays a significant role, the insights from this blog post—anchored in the five Ps—also effectively guide your choice.
Purpose: The appropriate trap depends on its use context. A trap designed for monitoring during transport differs significantly from one intended for monitoring storage environments. Notably, the New Serrico Trap and Thinline III CB+K Trap are compact and can be conveniently inserted between bags of raw materials in trucks or finished goods in shipping containers. Their glue components ensure effective trapping without the risk of liquid spillage, unlike the QC Dome Trap.
Price: Given that each trap type has differing lifespans for its pheromone lures, a consistent metric is necessary for comparison. GPA introduces the term “Cost Per Trap Per Month” (CPTPM) to facilitate easy evaluation of various traps across brands. The CPTPM quantifies the monthly monitoring costs for each trap type and provides a clear basis for comparison. Using this metric, it becomes evident that use-and-discard traps like the New Serrico Trap and Thinline III CB+K Trap are relatively pricier. Furthermore, the New Serrico Trap has a lure lifespan of 1 month, making it more expensive than the Thinline III CB+K Trap, which lasts 2 months. Conversely, the QC Dome is the cheapest on the market, thanks to its reusability and lower lure replacement costs.
Performance: As GPA markets leading global pheromone trap brands, the performance of both Trece and Fuji Flavours traps is well-established, catering to a wide range of applications. It’s essential to note, however, that the efficiency of glue-based traps can suffer in high-dust situations, in which case the QC Dome remains a reliable option.
Practicality: All three CB pheromone traps from GPA are designed for ease of use, eliminating the need for complex setup. To further assist our customers, we provide instructional videos on our YouTube channel that demonstrate the assembly and operation of our CB pheromone traps.
Provenance: The New Serrico Trap has built a solid reputation over the past three decades within the Indian tobacco industry, making it a preferred option for tobacco companies. GPA began marketing the New Serrico Trap to the food sector starting in 2024. The longstanding Dome has been a staple in India for nearly 25 years, and as of 2025, it was replaced by the newer model, the QC Dome. Additionally, GPA has introduced the Thinline III CB+K Trap as a cost-effective alternative to the New Serrico Trap.
Conclusion
In summary, understanding the five Ps—Purpose, Price, Performance, Practicality, and provenance—can significantly enhance your decision-making when selecting a cigarette beetle pheromone trap. We hope this blog post sheds light on the various factors that affect your choices. Should you have any questions about cigarette beetle pheromone traps or need assistance in starting or enhancing your monitoring program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us through our website. Your success in cigarette beetle management is our top priority!