ABSTRACT
Pests cause a reduction in size, yield, storage, and market quality of crops and food and serve as vectors in the spread of diseases. To control pests, a series of chemicals, called pesticides, have been developed. Pesticides include acaricides or miticides, used against mites; algicides, used against algae; attractants, used to attract insects, birds, and other animals; chemosterilants, used to interfere with reproduction; defoliants, used to remove leaves from plants prior to harvest or to eliminate unwanted plants; fungicides, used against fungi; herbicides, used against weeds; insecticides, used against insects; molluscicides, used against slugs and snails; ovicides, used against insect eggs; repellents, used to drive animals or insects away; and rodenticides, used against rats, mice, and other rodents.
