Insecticides Derived from Natural Products: Diversity and Potential Applications

Abstract

Termites are one among the pests that pose serious threat to live plants as well as cause harm to plant-based products. The urban environment and agriculture are most threatened by them as they are the most challenging pests. The annual and perennial crops face significant losses, and in the semiarid and subhumid tropics around the globe, wooden components are also destroyed by them. Among the successful methods, chemical control is of great importance, but the side effects of such chemicals lead to the production of serious health issues, especially respiratory problems, if present in the environment. Plant-based natural products are promising replacements for these chemical pesticides. Botanicals used for pest remediation especially the one derived from essential oils are target-specific. A safe environment and food free from residues are attained by their use as they are required in little amount and also possess a quick decomposition. The mode of action of these herbal pesticides may vary. Some may act as direct toxicant, while others might act upon as antifeedant, repellent or behavior modifiers, morphogenetic agents, or phagostimulants. The current chapter aims to discuss the different aspects of various natural herbal plants parts and their potential application in the management of pest particularly termites. A sneak peek to their mechanism of action will also be taken into consideration. Essential oil-bearing plants being abundantly grown for various purposes become a possible herbal alternate to chemical pesticides.