Chemical Control:

Insecticides
 IPM

Plant resistance
Biological
Chemical

Cultural

Insecticides are one of the four

building blocks of IPM
Component of pest control since
the 1950s
 Not a perfect solution
• At least 3 million workers poisoned each year

• 20 000 deaths per year

• Teratogenic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects

 Public concern about Insecticide
use
~100% of us have some insecticide residue in our bodies
Insecticides represent an $ 8 billion
industry
For the Correct use of insecticides,
we need to consider:
Ease of use
Insecticide resistance

Economics
Safety Insect behavior

Way of delivery
Ecotoxicological impact

Toxicology
 When to apply?

• Thresholds

• Calendar applications
Problems with calendar application
approach

• Resistance
• Secondary pests
• Destruction of natural enemies
• Health hazards
• Environmental hazards
Going towards better insecticide
use

(Dent 2000)
 Insecticide Composition

Insecticide = Active Ingredient + Additives

Classes of Insecticides

Botanical Insecticides Synthetic Insecticides

• Sabadilla •Organochlorines
• Nicotine •Organophosphates
• Quassia •Carbamates
• Unsaturated isobutylamides
•Pyrethroids
• Ryanodine
•Neonicotinoids
• Naphtoquinones
• Rotenone
• Sweet flag
• Marigolds
• Pyrethrum Biorational Formulations
• Azadirachtin •Growth regulators
• Essential oils
•Pheromones
• Botanical insecticides
•Microbial formulations
Botanical Insecticides
Secondary compounds
• Alkaloids
• Terpenoids
• Phenolics
• Glucosinolates
• Etc.
 Reasons for lack of Commercial Development

• Perceived as old fashioned

• Lack of representation on official lists
• Not as dramatic effects as synthetic insecticides
• Inactivation by exposure to air and light
• Problems due to seasonal availability
• Lack of quantitative information regarding dosages
• Lack of quantitative information regarding toxicity
 Synthetic Insecticides
Synthetic Insecticides
•Organochlorines
•Organophosphates
•Carbamates
•Pyrethroids
•Neonicotinoids
Affect synaptic transmission
Concerns
• Some are highly persistent in the environment

• They accumulate in the food chain

• If release from fats, poisoning or death

• Some are banned in developed countries

• Unfortunately, still used in some developing

countries
 Examples
Organochlorines Carbamates
- Aldicarb -Carbofuran
- DDT - Endosulfan
- Aldrin - Gamma HCH
- Dieldrin - Gamma BHC
Pyrethroids
-Tefluthrin
- Deltamethrin
Organophosphates - Lambda
-cyhalothrin
-Diazinon - Permethrin
-Fenitrothion - Cypermethrin
-Dichlorvos
-Dimethoate
- Malathion Neonicotenoids

-imidacloprid
-nitempyram
- acetamiprid
- thiamethoxam
 Biorational Formulations

Biorational Formulations
•Growth regulators
•Pheromones
•Microbial formulations
Growth Regulators

• Interfere with development

• Disrupt metamorphosis and reproduction

• Specific for arthropods

 Hormones involved
• Moulting hormones or ecdysones
- Re-absorption of old cuticle
- Deposition, hardening and tanning of new
cuticle

• Juvenile hormones
- Prevent insect from going to next instar.
 Concerns
• Take longer to act than conventional
insecticides

• Ecdysones are expensive

• Not ideal when larval stages are the pest

 Examples
Juvenile Hormones
- Methoprene Chitin Synthesis Inhibitors

- Tebufenozide - Diflubenzuron
- Fenoxycarb - Hexaflumuron
- Pyriproxifen - Triflumuron
Triazine Derivatives
- Melamine
- Cryomazine
 Pheromones

• Mediate intraspecific interactions

• Around 50 available for IPM

• Mostly use in association with traps

 Pheromones Uses in IPM
• Monitor pest populations

• Mass trapping

• Mating Disruption

• Lure and Kill

Microbial Formulations

• Uses bacteria, fungi, nematodes, protozoa

and viruses

• Mostly used as inundative releases

• Specific for arthropods

 Increase interest in Microbial Pest
Control
• Resistance to synthetic insecticides
• Decrease in discovery of new synthetic insecticides and
increase of discovery of microbial novel agents
• Increase in the perception of risk posed by synthetic
insecticides
• The high host-specificity of microbial pesticides
• Improvements in the production and formulation of
microbial pesticides
• Relaxation of the regulations governing registration of
microbial pesticides
 The Pesticide Treadmill

• Pest resurgence

• Secondary pest outbreaks

• Pesticide resistance
Going towards better insecticide
use

(Dent 2000)
 Insecticide Composition

Insecticide = Active Ingredient + Additives