History of Fuji Flavors
- The Fuji Flavours Co. Ltd. (Fuji Flavors) is a part of the Japan Tobacco (JT) group, with the latter establishing Fuji Flavors in 1971 to research, develop, and manufacture flavours and insect monitoring products.
- In 1980, Fuji Flavors became the first company in the world to synthesise the cigarette beetle pheromone at its laboratory.
- In 1981, Fuji Flavors introduced the Serrico Trap, which contains pheromone and kairomone tablets, to attract and trap cigarette beetles on the glued surface of a cardboard trap.
Fuji Flavors Ecomone product range: Fuji Flavors Ecomone range is a portmanteau of the two words – “eco”-friendly and phero”mone”, denoting synthetic pheromones that help in eco-friendly management of stored product pests through pheromone traps for monitoring such pests.
GPA starts distribution of the Ecomone range in India: In January 2024, recognising the need for Fuji Flavors’ New Serrico Traps and other Ecomone products, Giridhar Pai Associates (GPA) planned their distribution in India. The Ecomone range is GPA’s fifth leading pest management brand it exclusively distributes in India.
The New Serrico Trap
Japan’s Fuji Flavors’ New Serrico Trap is the world’s leading product to detect and estimate cigarette beetles (also called tobacco beetles) (Lasioderma serricorne) inside a structure.
Since the eighties of the twentieth century, Fuji Flavors has marketed its Serrico Traps (now New Serrico Traps) to the food industry, tobacco industry and other users like museums to monitor cigarette beetle populations inside storage facilities and other spaces that can harbour cigarette beetles.
The New Serrico Traps differ from the original Serrico Traps by having a combined attractant containing the ‘serricornin’ sex-pheromone that attracts male cigarette beetles and other food attractants or kairomones that attract both male and female cigarette beetles.
Components of the New Serrico Trap: The New Serrico Trap consists of glued traps and an attractant tablet containing pheromones and kairomones that attract male and female adult cigarette beetles.
The New Serrico Trap
The New Serrico Trap Benefits
Detection and monitoring tool
- The New Serrico Trap attracts male and female adult cigarette beetles, indicating their presence, location and population.
Superior performance
- The New Serrico Trap has higher catch rates (speed of attraction) and catches of cigarette beetles among similar traps.
Versatile
- The New Serrico Trap can be used horizontally or vertically, including in dusty spaces, as its side flaps protect its glued surface.
Space saving
- The New Serrico Trap’s design allows use even in limited space, like inside pallets or below stored-product racks (when placed horizontally).
Easy to assemble
- New Serrico Traps are easy to assemble by removing the release paper from the glue and placing the attractant lure after its removal from its foil pack.
Highly effective
- The New Serrico Trap consistently captures cigarette beetles to highlight and pinpoint their presence even at very low cigarette beetle population levels.
Efficient
- The New Serrico Trap is a low-cost device that detects cigarette beetles, alerting users to prevent the pest’s damage to food, tobacco and artefacts.
Fuji Flavors product range
| Stored product pest | |
| Common name | Scientific name |
| Stored Product Beetles | |
| Cigarette Beetle | Lasioderma serricorne |
| Confused Flour Beetle | Tribolium confusum |
| Red Flour Beetle | Tribolium castaneum |
| Flat Grain Beetle | Cryptolestes pusillus |
| Lesser Grain Borer | Rhyzopertha dominica |
| Saw-toothed Grain Beetle | Oryzaephilus surinamensis |
| Maize Weevil | Sitophilus zeamais |
| Drugstore Beetle | Stegobium paniceum |
| Carpet Beetle | Anthrenus verbasci |
| Stored Product Moths | |
| Tobacco Moth | Ephestia elutella |
| Indian Meal Moth | Plodia interpunctella |
| Rice Moth | Corcyra cephalonica |
| Almond Moth | Ephestia cautella |
| Mediterranean Flour Moth | Ephestia kuehniella |
Fuji Flavors pheromone traps and lures for stored product pests
| Insect | Trap type | Sale unit |
| Cigarette Beetle | New Serrico Trap | Box of ten traps and ten lures |
| Cigarette Beetle, Indian Meal Moth, Tobacco Moth | Serrico W+ | Box of ten traps and ten lures |
| Confused Flour Beetle, Red Flour Beetle, Flat Grain Beetle, Lesser Grain Borer, Saw-toothed Grain Beetle, Maize Weevil, Khapra Beetle | Torios | Box of fifty traps, fifty lures and fifty glueboards Box of ten traps, ten lures and ten glueboards |
| Drugstore Beetle, Carpet Beetle | Hiresis | Box of ten traps and ten lures |
| Indian Meal Moth, Tobacco Moth, Rice Moth, Almond Moth, Mediterranean Flour Moth | Gachon | Box of ten traps and ten lures |
Gachon Almond Moth Monitoring Trap
Torios Multiple-Beetle Monitoring Trap
Hiresis – Drugstore and carpet beetle monitoring trap
The New Serrico Trap use instructions
- Trap placement: Place the traps in a grid pattern at 5-10 m between two New Serrico traps.
- Identification: Mark the trap number on the New Serrico trap for easy identification and maintain a trap location map.
- Placement: Place the New Serrico Trap 1.5 m above the floor level.
- Trap replacement: Replace the New Serrico Trap and lure once monthly for effective cigarette beetle monitoring.
- Periodic inspection: Check the New Serrico traps once weekly and record the number of cigarette beetles caught in the trap.
- Counting and corrective action: Maintain a record of the New Serrico trap cigarette battle catches and plan appropriate action in response to the counts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are different types of pheromones?There are two types of stored product pest pheromones, sex and aggregation pheromones. The cigarette beetle and Indian meal moth pheromones are sex pheromones that attract male insects of the species. The confused flour Beetle / red flour beetle pheromone is an aggregation that attracts female and male insects.
2. Can I use multiple pheromone lures in one Ecomone trap?The Serrico W+, Torios, Hiresis and Gachon Fuji Flavors’ Ecomone traps have pheromones which monitor multiple insect species through one trap.
3. What is a kairomone, and what is its benefit?A kairomone such as a food flavor that is an insect attractant. In the new Serrico traps, vegetable oil containing food attractant or kairomone enhances the trap performance by attracting both male and female cigarette beetles.
4. How frequently should I check the New Serrico and other Ecomone traps?We suggest that you check the Ecomone traps at least once weekly. You can check the traps more frequently if the insect activity increases.
5. How do I ensure the effectiveness of the New Serrico trap?Use the dust flaps of the New Serrico Trap if you place it in a dusty environment.
Further, there must be no gap between the wall and the trap, as cigarette beetles could lodge in such a space.
Lastly, both open sides of the New Serrico Trap must be clear to allow cigarette beetles to land and enter the trap and get caught in the glue.
6. How do I interpret the New Serrico trap cigarette beetle catches?Occasional cigarette beetle trapping indicates a possible problem in the future and the need for more intensive observations. As trap counts increase, tighten the trap grid and remove infested products contributing to the cigarette beetle population.
A high number of cigarette beetles trapped indicates the need for identifying and removal of small quantities of infested products and improved hygiene of the area. Pesticide spraying on surfaces surrounding the infested product may also be needed.
Consistent high cigarette beetle trapping indicates infested product presence. After product inspection to identify cigarette beetle-infested material, extensive cleaning and heat treatment or fumigation of the product and the warehouse structure may also be needed.
7. How do I store unused New Serrico Trap pheromone lures?Fuji Flavors suggests storing New Serrico Trap pheromone lures at room temperature in the dark (away from sunlight) to ensure longevity and effectiveness.
8. Can I control stored product insect pests by using pheromone traps?No. You can only monitor stored product insect pests by using pheromone traps. You will need to use fumigation or heat treatment to control stored product insect pests.
9. What is a pheromone trap count threshold?There are two types of pheromone trap count thresholds: average insect per trap and the maximum insect per trap, both during the count period. Exceeding the count threshold should result in an inspection to detect the source of cigarette beetle infestation in the space being monitored or the product.
10. How frequently should I check the pheromone traps?We recommend that you check the Ecomone pheromone traps at least once weekly. Increase the checking frequency if you find higher insect activity.
11. What are the actions required after weekly pheromone trap counting?The weekly pheromone trap counting should consider inspection to detect infestation if the established threshold is breached. After the infestation source is detected, better cleaning, removal of infested product, chemical pesticide spray application and treatment of infested products are required.
12. Where can I use Ecomone traps?You can use Ecomone traps in storage, manufacturing, and even transit for detecting and identifying the source of stored product insect infestation in the supply chain.
13. Do zero Ecomone trap counts indicate no infestation?We have extensively tested FLYght with other leading Indian fly catchers thatuse either 15 or 30W UV fluorescent tubes. In our tests, the fly catches of FLYght were either equivalent or slightly higherthan those of the other brands.