Alternatives: Biological Insecticides The liabilities of
chemical insecticides have encouraged interest in biological
controls, which turn natural processes and mechanisms against
pest insects and have few if any harmful side effects.
Biological controls include using predators, parasites, and
pathogens to kill target insects without harming other
organisms. In another strategy, huge numbers of sterilized male
insects are released to compete with fertile males for mates,
diminishing the population of the next generation. Interest is
growing in the use of synthetic insect hormones to disrupt
pests' vital processes, such as growth; and synthetic
pheromones, powerful insect sex attractants, to monitor pest
populations, sabotage pest reproduction, and lure pests into
traps. In practice, however, some of the environmentally
attractive features of biological insecticides—their inherently
slow and selective activity, their strict management
requirements—can make them economically unattractive to farmers.
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