Insecticide
For other uses, see Insecticide (disambiguation). For a broader coverage of this topic, see Pesticide. FLIT manual spray pump for insecticides from 1928 Farmer spraying an insecticide on a cashewnut tree in Tanzania Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. [1] They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to be a major factor behind the increase in the 20th-century's agricultural productivity. [2] Nearly all insecticides have the potential to significantly alter ecosystems; many are toxic to humans and/or animals; some become concentrated as they spread along the food chain. Insecticides can be classified into two major groups: systemic insecticides, which have residual or long term activity; and contact insecticides, which have no residual activity. Furthermore, one can distinguish three types of insecticide. ...