Pest Control

1
Pest Control

• Chapter 12
• APES January 2007

2
Objectives

• Define the major types of pesticides
• Describe the pests they are meant to control
• Outline the history of pest control

3
What are Pests?

• A pest is something that
• annoys us
• Detracts from resources we value
• Interferes with a pursuit we enjoy
• Biological Pests organisms that reduce the
  availability, quality or value of resources
  useful to humans.

4
Annoying defined

• What does it mean to be annoying?

5
DAMAGE!

• 100 plants, animals, fungi, and microbes cause
  90 of all crop damage worldwide.

6
Pests are Generalists

• Opportunistic
• Reproduce rapidly
• Migrate quickly to disturbed areas
• Pioneers in ecological succession
• Compete against specialized endemic species
• Can take over a biotic community

7
What is a pesticide?

• A chemical that kills pests.

8
Types of Pesticides

• Biocide kills a broad range of living things
• Herbicides kill plants
• Insecticides kill insects
• Fungicides kill fungi

9
Defining Pesticides

• Mode of dispersal
• How is is put out there?
• Mode of action
• How does it kill?

10
History of Pest Control

• We have always used chemicals of some sort.
• But now its quite prevalent since the 50s.

11
Early Ways to Control Pests

• Salt
• Smoke
• insect-repelling plants

12
Sumerians

• killed bugs with sulfur 5000 yrs ago

13
Chinese

• Mercury and arsenic to control body lice 2500
  years ago

14
Greeks and Romans

• Used oil sprays, ash and sulfur ointments, lime,
  and other things to protect crops and livestock
  from pestilence

15
Alcohol

• Fermentation protecting foods during pickling to
  protect it from bacteria and fungus

16
Spices

• Valued for flavors and the ability to deter pests
  and spoilage

17
mechanical methods

• The Romans
• Burned crops
• Rotates fields

18
Biological controls

• Plant derived insecticides
• Predatory ants in orchards
• Ducks and geese to eat insects

19
Synthetics

• Man made chemicals, partner!

20
DDT

• Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane
• Developed by Swiss Chemist Paul Muller
• (nobel peace prize in 1948 for it!)
• Used to control the potato beetle in Switzerland
• Saved soldiers in WWII from disease

21
DDT the wonder chemical

• Cheap, stable, soluble oil
• Highly toxic to insects, safe for mammals
• Can save a crop when bugs are already established
• 90 effective with one application
• Sprayed on houses and people, livestock and
  crops, used to combat insects all over the world