--CAUTION--
Exercise great caution when using this group of insecticides.
Organic phosphates on the Army stock list include Malathion, diazinon, and dursban.
c. Carbamates (Organic Sulfur Compounds). The carbamates are relatively
new insecticides.
They generally have a lower toxicity to mammals than many of the
organic phosphates.
But they have a longer residual effect (which is still considerably shorter
than that of the hydrocarbons).
Carbamates currently stocked by the Army are:
Carbaryl (Sevin).
--
Propoxur (Baygon).
--
Bendiocarb (Ficam).
--
Because of concerns for human health and environmental safety, there has been great
interest in developing safer pesticides. A result of this is the use of natural pathogens
and predators of disease vectors and arthropod pests. Viruses, bacteria, and fungi
have all been successfully used to reduce arthropod populations.
a. The bacteria Bacillus thuringiensus var. israelensis (bti) is the most widely
used of these agents for mosquito control.
b. The most widely used predator of mosquito disease vectors is the mosquito
fish, Gambusia species.
c. The predaceous mosquitoes in the Genus Toxorhynchites have also been
used to reduce mosquito vectors populations.
6-18. INSECT GROWTH REGULATORS (IGR)
The search for safer pesticides has also resulted in the use of synthetic hormones to
control insects. Methoprene is a synthetic growth regulator that has been extensively
used to control mosquitoes and other insect pests.
a. When immature insects are physiologically ready, they produce a hormone
that causes them to molt to the next stage of development.
MD0152
6-12