Pest Control

Pests and Pest Control

the need for pest control
promises and problems of the
chemical approach
alternative pest control methods
socioeconomic issues in pest
management
pesticides and policy

The Need for Pest Control:

Defining Pests
any organism that has a negative
effect on human health or economics
any organism that is noxious,
destructive, or troublesome
plants or animals

formosan termite
fire ants
aedes mosquito
medfly

Why control pests?

to protect our food
to protect our health
for our convenience

Pesticide Use in the United States

Different Philosophies of Pest

Control
chemical technology
use of chemicals to kill large numbers of
the pest
short-term protection
environmental and health consequences

Different Philosophies of Pest

Control
ecological pest management
control based on pest life cycle and
ecology
control agent may be an organism or
chemical

Different Philosophies of Pest

Control
specific to pest and/or manipulate a part
of the ecosystem
emphasizes protection from pest

integrated pest management: using

all suitable methods chemical and

ecological in a way that brings about
long-term management of pest
populations and minimal environmental
impact.

Development of Chemical
Pesticides
first-generation pesticides
(inorganic)
first attempt at chemical technology
toxic to humans and agricultural plants
pests developed resistance

Development of Chemical
Pesticides
second-generation pesticides

used after WW II
organic chemicals
toxic to humans and agricultural plants
pests developed resistance

The DDT Story

DDT: the magic bullet
extremely toxic to insects; seemed nontoxic to
humans and other mammals
cheap
broad-spectrum and persistent
effective for disease prevention (typhus fever,
malaria)
expanded agricultural production
Paul Muller awarded Nobel prize in 1948

Aerial Spraying

Problems Stemming from

Chemical Pesticide Use
development of resistance by pests

chemical pesticides lose effectiveness

resistant pest populations produce next
generations

resurgences and secondary pest outbreaks

after eliminating a pest, its population rebounds

in even higher numbers than previous levels
outbreaks of species populations that were not
previously at pest levels

adverse environmental and human health

effects

Human Health Effects

cancer, dermatitis, neurological disorder,
birth defects, sterility, endocrine system
disruption, immune system depression
agricultural workers suffer acute poisoning
during pesticide application
aerial spraying and dumping bring
pesticides in contact with families and
children
soldiers exposed to agent orange in
Vietnam suffered high rates of cancer and
other diseases

Environmental Effects
DDT led to the decline in populations
of several bird species
bald eagle
peregrine falcon

bioaccumulation
biomagnification

Biomagnification

Nonpersistent Pesticides
substitutes for banned pesticides
breakdown after a few weeks
can still be harmful because of:
toxicity
dosage
location

Alternative Pest Control

Methods

cultural control
control by natural enemies
genetic control
natural chemical control

Complex Life Cycle of Insects

Parasitic Wasps

Genetic Control
chemical barriers, e.g., Hessian fly
physical barriers, e.g., sticky
glandular hairs
sterile males are released into pest
population, e.g., botfly larvae
genetic engineering, e.g., Bt Bacillus
thuringiensis - a bacterium that
produces a protein killing larvae of
many insect pests

Natural Chemical Control

a volatile chemical produced by the
opposite sex of a species which alters the
reproductive behavior of the opposite sex
perfumes
colognes
after shave
natural body odors

Natural Chemical Control

manipulation of
pests hormones or
pheromones to
disrupt the life
cycle
Japanese beetle
trap

Integrated Pest Management

(IPM)
an approach to controlling pest
populations using all suitable methods
- chemical and ecological - in a way
that brings about long-term
management of pest populations and
also has minimal environmental impact

Concerns with pesticides

pesticides need to be evaluated for
both intended use and impacts on
human health and the environment
protection and proper training of
those who work with pesticides
public protection from risks of
pesticide residues on food products

Pesticides and Policy

FIFRA: Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act:
concerns 1 and 2
FFDCA: Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act: concern 3
FQPA: Food Quality Protection Act:
concern 3

Pesticides in Developing
Countries
U.S. exports > 200,000 tons of
pesticides each year = $1.6 billion
(25% banned in this country)
PIC: prior informed consent =
exporting countries inform all
potential importing countries on bans
to restrict pesticide or other toxic
chemicals