When you think of insecticides or pesticides, most people think of home and garden pest control. That is true, but did you also know that it helps with our agriculture? Insecticides are made of chemicals that kill insects, and that is definitely their primary purpose.
They can come in two different forms, organic or inorganic. Pesticides are made to destroy, alter, or inhibit the life cycle of any pests. They are usually made with synthetics, but sometimes they are made with biological products. They also contain active and inactive ingredients.
These products aren’t only used around your office, home, or garden, they are also used at your local farms, and in the agriculture that surrounds you. Many farmers use a systemic form of insecticides or pesticides, because they till it into the ground before they plant their crops. When they use a systemic form, it grows up with the plant.
As the plant grows, it has protection on it because of the pest control that was used. It comes up through the roots, onto the branches, leaves, and eventually the fruit or vegetable. Then, if an insect or pest tries to nibble on the crop, the chemicals are ingested and the pest dies. Doing this helps protect the crops and yield a larger harvest.
Even though insecticides and pesticides sound like they do the same thing, they are made differently. Inorganic insecticides are made with a mixture of silica, which causes suffocation of the insect, or boric acid, which is incorporated primarily into ant baits.
Organic insect control is split into these main groups, organophosphorous compounds, organochlorine compounds, carbamates, pyrethrum, pyrethrins, insect growth regulators, and fumigants. Most of these, organic and inorganic, come in several different forms, including sprays, gels, baits, granules, powders, smokes, and dust.
Pesticides also have several groups that fall under them. Those would be bactericides, baits, fungicides, genetically modified organisms, herbicides, lures, rodenticides, and repellents. Some organic pest controls use extracts of pyrethrum, as does organic insecticide, garlic, tea-tree oil, and eucalyptus oil. An example of the usage of bactericides would be swimming pools that use chlorine.
Fungicides are readily used on grape vines and fruit trees to ward off certain disease. Genetically modified organisms are used in agriculture to make the crops more resistant to pests and disease. A great example of that would be a GMO that was incorporated into cotton to provide it protection from the cotton bollworm. Rodenticides are chemically designed to control mice and rats. Repellents are made more to repel the pest rather than destroy it, like mosquito repellent. Insecticides and pesticides can help with any pest infestation you have.
Lastly, we can’t forget to cover the proper way to use any insecticides or pesticides. It is important to read the manufacturer label before you use it. The label will tell you a number of things that are important to know. It will tell you how to store it, what to do with any left over product, any limitations the product has, and most importantly, how to use it for maximum effectiveness.
Using it the way the manufacturer designed it to be used will almost guarantee success. Some products may be a simple point and shoot spray, while others may require you to leave the area alone that you treated. As with smokes and fumigants, you may need to leave the dwelling that you treated closed up, with no humans or pets in that dwelling. It will also tell you how long the treatment takes to be effective, and how long it will last. Sprays work almost on contact, where as baits or gels may take a day or two to work because it has to be ingested.