Pesticide
Description
Any substance used to destroy or control pests. Nearly all pesticides are toxic to humans. A natural pesticide made from ground tobacco plants was first used in the 1763 century to kill aphids. Examples of other natural organic pesticides include nicotine, rotenone, petroleum, kerosene, Creosote, and Turpentine. Early inorganic pesticides also introduced in the 18th century include Paris green, Bordeaux mixture, hydrogen cyanide as well as less commonly used compounds containing arsenic, copper, fluorine and sulfur. The first synthetic pesticide, DDT was developed in 1939 in Switzerland. After World War II, synthetic products proliferated including diazinon, aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane, lindane, parathion, along with numerous Fumigants. By the 1960s, the devastating effects of widespread usage have prompted the regulation of the most hazardous pesticides. As such, currently used chemicals break down rapidly leaving little to no residues and include some natural compounds such as pyrethrum and neem oil. Additionally, insect growth regulators (e.g., methoprene, hydroprene, and fenoxycarb) and sex Pheromones are being used with minimal human toxicity.
Traditional Mothballs containing naphthalene have been replaced by other volatile repellents such as 1,4-dichlorobenzene. Moth larvae can also be killed with insecticides like permethrin or pyrethroids.
See also attractant, fumigant, insecticide, and biocide
Synonyms and Related Terms
pesticides (pl.); pest control agent; attractant; fumigant; insecticide; biocide; rodenticide
Common Types of Pesticides
| Type of Pesticide | Target Pest Group | Common usage | Examples/Chemical Families |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbicides | Weeds and other unwanted vegetation | Lawns, agriculture | 2,4-D, glyphosate (Roundup), 2,4,5-T, atrazine, cyanazine, paraquat |
| Insecticides | Insects and other arthropods | Agriculture, businesses, industrial sites, households | Organophosphates (parathion, diazinon); Pyrethroids; Carbamates; lindane, organochlorines (chlorpyrifos and chlordane) |
| Fungicides | Fungi, molds, and mildews | Agricultural, storage and shipping, used on plants and surfaces | Various compounds: metalaxyl |
| Rodenticides | Rodents (rats, mice) | Towns, garbage sites, businesses, households | Various poisons |
| Bactericides (Disinfectants) | Bacteria | Hospitals, schools, businesses, households | Various compounds |
Natural and Non-toxic Alternatives
| Target Pest | Effective Compounds | Common usage |
|---|---|---|
| Ants, Cockroaches, Beetles (crawling insects) | Soapy water, cayenne pepper, citrus oil; catnip, mixture of honey and borax; diatomaceous earth, silica gel, sticky traps | On pests, on entry locations, behind cabinets, along baseboards, in an open container placed on side (pests may take honey/borax mixture back to colony for food) |
| Flies, Moths | Eucalyptus oil, dried basil leaves, bay leaves, cloves, cedar chips, cedar oil | Place cloth strips or sachets on table, or near pet food, doors, windows to repel flies |
| Bees, Wasps | Get professional help to remove nests; pyrethrins (from chrysanthemum flowers) are toxic to bees, but also cats and dogs | Avoid bright colors, strong perfumes; squishing bees and wasps will release pheromones |
| Birds | Barriers, nets, spikes, alarms, whistles, reflective tape, flashing lists | Placed in problem locations |
| Rodents | Flashlight with red filters, copper mesh hole fillers, traps | Placed in problem locations |
Resources and Citations
- MuseumPest.net at Link
- NIH: Pesticides
- National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC): NPIC website
- Nancy Odegaard, Alyce Sadongei, and associates, Old Poisons, New Problems, Altimira, Walnut Creek, CA, 2005
- Lynda A. Zycherman, J.Richard Schrock, A Guide to Museum Pest Control, FAIC and Association of Systematics Collections, Washington DC, 1988
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "Pesticide." Accessed 7 Sept. 2005.
- Wikipedia: Insecticide
- Wikipedia: Pest (organism)