Insecticides and Microbial Environments

Abstract

By and large, insects have been the most successful of living forms, the class Insecta having more species than all other classes of animals combined. Even now, every year, insects account for a major loss to our food and property and are a serious health hazard, as vectors of many diseases. Hence, it is little wonder that insecticides (pesticides used to control insects) are the largest class of pesticides manufactured and used throughout the world, in an array of forms, to control the insects and thereby the destruction caused by them. The U.S. Federal Environmental pesticide Control Act defines a pesticide as “Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed or any other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacteria or other micro-organism which the Administrator declares to be a pest, except viruses, bacteria or other micro-organism on or in living man or other animals …” Thus, the term pesticide-insecticide includes all chemicals intended for use in agriculture or horticulture except fertilizers and chemicals used to control pests of any kind except veterinary products and drugs for internal parasites or pests of man and animals. The use of insecticides has made an enormous contribution to agriculture and public health. They have brought tremendous benefits through increased food and fiber production, control of vectors of human and livestock diseases, and protection of structures from insect damage.