Pest Control Products

Pest control products have a very wide range of substance classes and products, such as insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, germicides, nematicides, bactericides, viricides, live traps, foggers, rat poisons, and bug zappers. They have played a major role in agriculture, lawn care, and gardening but due to the concern over global warming and environmental issues, more and more gardeners and farmers are using alternative practices. Not only is the environments a key issue, but also reducing the costs of the chemical pesticides, which in turn will increase profits.

Insecticides are a pesticide, and are used against insects in the developmental stages, which helped in the increase in agricultural activity in the 1900s. But, they also have the extreme potential to alter our ecosystems and are considered highly toxic to humans, by entering the food chain. Many have been banned due to these adverse affects. There are several ways to classify insecticides:

• Systemic insecticides—incorporated by treated plants, as insects consume it while eating the plants.
  
• Contact insecticides—includes nicotine and pyrethrum, originating from plants as a defense against insects
  
• Inorganic insecticides—manufactured from mainly sulpher
  
• Organic insecticides—synthetic chemicals, largest number available for today's use
  

Live traps are a much less toxic method to use for control of animal pests and more humane. More controllable, a family pet or a neighbor's cat cannot be poisoned by accident, but released back into its own habitat. Foggers are something different also, with total release foggers (also known as "bug bombs"), used to kill and control fleas, cockroaches, and other pests. They are pesticide products which are used to fumigate a specific area, using aerosol propellant that release their contents at once. They are used to control and remove fleas, pests, and cockroaches—and the container is extremely flammable.

Two other products are rat poisons and bug zappers. The rat poisons are working with a rat—one of the most intelligent and sturdiest pests alive. Many old-timers have suggested that once you use a particular rat poison that seems to be working for you, as the rat will carry the product pieces down to its nest, they will catch on and discontinue eating it. Then—it will be time to choose another type or brand of rat poison. The bug zappers are those that are hung on trees or poles about 25 feet away from the living quarter. Many people take them along camping or for picnics. They are quick, instantaneous, and no pesticides are used with them so they are not toxic.