Insecticides

Insecticides are chemical compounds used to control or kill disease-carrying insects. The etymological origin of the word insecticide derives from Latin and literally means to kill insects (ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, lice, moths, beetles, fleas, wasps, termites, mites, snails, slugs, aphids, caterpillars, thrips, whiteflies, parasitic worm infestations, moths, beetles and other pests).

Insecticides are available in many different forms, which include wettable dusts, aerosols, gases, granules, oil solutions, emulsifiable concentrates, seed treatments, oil-based liquid sprays, fogging concentrate, ultra-low volume liquids and ultra-low volume aerosols.

Types of insecticides

According to their chemical composition, toxicological action or method of penetration, insecticides are classified as organic (containing carbon) and inorganic.

Organic insecticides attack the central nervous system or disrupt insect growth. They include organophosphorus compounds (such as malathion), organochlorine compounds (such as DDT), carbamates, pyrethrum, synthetic pyrethroids, insect growth regulators and fumigants.

Silica and boric acid are two types of inorganic insecticides. The former is a desiccant agent that absorbs the waxy coating of insects, leading to dehydration and suffocation. This type of insecticide is light, white and fluffy. Boric acid, meanwhile, is an absorption wax as well as a stomach poison. When kept dry and placed in the right places in the right concentration, it is useful in insect control.

It is important to keep in mind that some insecticides are harmful to other animals, such as bees, which play a beneficial role in the ecosystem, therefore their use should be informed and consider their effects on the environment.

Side effects on humans

All insecticides are harmful to health, but the least harmful to humans are electrical insecticides.

Extended contact with insecticides can cause indigestion, headaches, vomiting, skin stains, eye pain and cause allergic reactions in humans.

The most toxic insecticides are:

• Pyrethroids (pyrethroids) such as permethrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin and bifenthrin, which, if they reach waterways, kill aquatic organisms.
• Organophosphates such as malathion, disulfoton and acephate are toxic to natural enemies.
• Carbaryl harms bees, natural enemies and earthworms.
  Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that can be toxic to bees and parasitic wasps, especially if applied to flowering plants.
• Metaldehyde, snail bait, which is toxic to dogs and wildlife.

Recommendations for the use of insecticides:

• Save food, kitchen utensils and children's toys so that they do not become contaminated.
• Do not spray all the rooms of the house with insecticide, because it would only contaminate the home excessively.
  Fumigate where there is more presence of insects, such as around doors and windows, under the bed, corners and closets.
• Use masks and avoid the presence of other people during the application of the insecticide. The inhabitants of the house must enter after the time indicated on the product and ventilate the house for 30 minutes.
• Always read the instructions on the container.

To reduce environmental contamination it is necessary:

• Apply localized treatments where the pest is most abundant.
  Avoid making generalized applications throughout the garden or house.
  Apply correctly on the affected plants or places, avoiding displacement to other plants or places outside the application site.
• Do not apply when it is windy, because pesticides can be transported to places where they are not needed or required.
• Avoid runoff or penetration into sewers, streams or other bodies of water to prevent contamination of water sources.
• Avoid application immediately prior to irrigation or rainfall, unless labels require irrigation immediately after application.
• Avoid application on hard surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways and foundations, as they can easily run off and end up in storm drains.