Types of Pesticides

Pesticides are also referred to by the type of pest they control. Pesticides can be either biodegradable pesticides, that break down into harmless compounds by bacteria and other living organisms, or persistent/Non-Biodegradable pesticides, which can take months or years to break down.

Classification of pesticides are according to the types of pests they kill

Grouped by the pest types they Kill;

• Insecticides – Insects
• Herbicide – Plants
• Rodenticides – Rodents (rats & mice)
• Bactericides – Bacteria
• Fungicides – Fungicide

• By pests: Many professionals classify pesticides by the pest they target. They create terms for different types by combining the name of the pest with the suffix “-cide”. For example, a pesticide that attacks algae is referred to as an algicide, and a pesticide that targets fungus is known as a fungicide. This is a frequently used classification method because it allows you to choose a pesticide based on a specific pest control problem. In other words, if you were experiencing a fungus infestation, you would purchase fungicide to attack this problem directly.
• By active ingredients: You can also classify or group pesticides based on their active ingredient. The active ingredient is the biologically active component in a pesticide. These ingredients are typically the force that controls pests and their name must be printed on the pesticide’s container.
• By mode of action: Next, you can also classify pesticides by their mode of action (MOA), For instance, one type of insecticide might control pests using a different technique than another. A pesticide’s MOA is listed on its container as a letter or number. You can use these numbers to group pesticides with the same MOA together.
• By how or when they work: Lastly, professionals also group pesticides by how or when they function. There are many different examples of how pesticides work. For instance, some pesticides use direct contact to repel pests. In this method, the spray is applied directly to crop surfaces and the pesticide begins to work. Or, a different type called selective pesticide only attacks a certain type of pests.