Testing of Chemical and Microbial Insecticides for Safety ... Some Techniques

As the use of various insect control agents increases, the need to study and describe their effects on man and other components of our ecosystem becomes more important. Two different types of suppression agents are being proposed for the Douglas-fir tussock moth: microbial insecticides and chemical insecticides. Although the 2 types of insecticides differ in origin and mode of action, the protocols covering tests of their safety are similar. One major difference is the toxicity-pathogenicity of microbials (Ignoffo 1973).