attractant
noun
at·trac·tant ə-ˈtrak-tənt 
: a substance (such as a pheromone) that attracts specific animals (such as insects or individuals of the opposite sex)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web For mosquitoes, Frost suggests using a mosquito repellant instead of an attractant like a bug zapper. 
Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2022 Another idea involves devising a chemical attractant to lure the insects into baited traps, although such an effort would also risk summoning uncontrollable swarms of bugs into currently unaffected groves. Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2022 Though if the bear never gets the food or other attractant, this will be a game that has little reward, other than idle fun. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Nov. 2021 In the surf, pompano fishing should pick up as the water clears and becomes more briny—catch them on live sand fleas, or fresh cut shrimp with a strip of Fish Bites Sand Flea flavor attractant on a pompano rig; www.ateamfishing.com. Frank Sargeant, al, 15 Oct. 2021 Since the attractant is so strong, reviewers suggest hanging the trap far from your outdoor seating area. Lily Gray, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2021 This fragrant mint cousin contains a natural chemical called nepetalactone, which is both a feline attractant and a useful insect repellent. Christopher Michel, Good Housekeeping, 1 July 2020 He and his colleagues hiked up and down mountains, sometimes in pouring rain, to check traps baited with a chemical attractant called Swormlure. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 26 May 2020 Blade color: The blade of a spinner is the key attractant of the entire lure, in its color, flash and vibration. Josh Dahlke, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2018 See More
Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2022 Another idea involves devising a chemical attractant to lure the insects into baited traps, although such an effort would also risk summoning uncontrollable swarms of bugs into currently unaffected groves. Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2022 Though if the bear never gets the food or other attractant, this will be a game that has little reward, other than idle fun. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Nov. 2021 In the surf, pompano fishing should pick up as the water clears and becomes more briny—catch them on live sand fleas, or fresh cut shrimp with a strip of Fish Bites Sand Flea flavor attractant on a pompano rig; www.ateamfishing.com. Frank Sargeant, al, 15 Oct. 2021 Since the attractant is so strong, reviewers suggest hanging the trap far from your outdoor seating area. Lily Gray, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2021 This fragrant mint cousin contains a natural chemical called nepetalactone, which is both a feline attractant and a useful insect repellent. Christopher Michel, Good Housekeeping, 1 July 2020 He and his colleagues hiked up and down mountains, sometimes in pouring rain, to check traps baited with a chemical attractant called Swormlure. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 26 May 2020 Blade color: The blade of a spinner is the key attractant of the entire lure, in its color, flash and vibration. Josh Dahlke, Outdoor Life, 1 Oct. 2018 See More Word History
First Known Use
1889, in the meaning defined above