Pest control chemicals are a group of chemicals used to control, repel or kill pests and prevent or control animal diseases. They include chemicals often referred to as pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, weedicides, rodenticides, biocides and repellents.

Pest control chemicals have been used in an agricultural setting and within homes for a very long time.
They often involve harsh pesticides that instantly eliminate pests upon application. They can either be applied systematically (targeting where plants are commonly ingested by pests) or to entire crops as in the case of aerial spraying. While this is effective on large crops and within homes, chemical pesticides have harmful and residual effects on both humans and animals living within the area. That is why chemical pesticides must be used with caution to avoid contaminating waterways and killing pets and livestock. There are regulations limiting their use in some areas.

However, every chemical on the legal market must first be approved by a government agency that deals with environmental protection before it is sold. Extensive studies are conducted to guarantee that an insecticide chemical is both effective against the target pest and safe for humans to use when directions on the label are adhered to. The most important thing to look for on a label is whether the chemical is safe for pest control use in residential areas, and in areas accessible to animals and children.

Every insecticide has one or more chemicals acting as the active ingredient. An active ingredient is the element in the insecticide solution that gives it its repelling or killing power. The active ingredient is always listed on the product label. For example, Remover 10 per cent SC has the active ingredient Alphacypermethrin. 

MODE OF ACTION

Every pest control chemical has a different mode of action. The mode of action is the way that the insecticide kills or repels the target pest. For example, Imidacloprid, the active ingredient in Acme Gel, kills by acting as a high-power poison to the insect’s central nervous system. Hydramethylnon, the active ingredient in Maxforce Ant & Insect Bait, is among a group of pesticides known as metabolic inhibitors.

These chemicals were marketed as economical, effective and good for long-term protection. It has been the Saudi Government’s policy to phase-out and remove these chemicals where alternatives were proven to be even more effective. Aldrin, dieldrin and heptachlor are no longer used to control termites in the kingdom. 

ADVANTAGES, DOWNSIDES 

Chemical pesticides are less expensive and are readily available, compared to their more natural counterparts. They are also very easy to use. That said, chemical pesticides deliver results instantly, right after application. Sometimes, this instantaneous result is what a lot of homeowners need. So it really is a delicate balance between what is needed now versus long-term effects.

One of the downsides of chemical pest control methods that should be taken into consideration is that they also harm the beneficial organisms that help your crops grow and eliminate pests. They can also harm the environment as they release harmful toxins to the surroundings. Human exposure to these pesticides can be very harmful. They are even more detrimental to the health of children and older people as they have weaker immune systems. 

Lastly, the effects of some pesticides are temporary and can only last a short while after application. When dealing with chemicals, it is advisable to always follow the manufacturer’s instruction and directions.

SAFETY DATA SHEETS

All pest control chemicals have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) which provides additional information to that given on the product’s label. This includes details on health and safety, and environmental effects. MSDSs are available from chemical product distributors or manufacturers. Pest control businesses should also be able to provide an MSDS on the particular pest control chemical they are using.

A number of chemicals have been trialed in Saudi Arabia. These include isofenphos and prothiofos as well as alpha-cypermethrin and esfenvalerate. Other pyrethroid and organophosphates have also been trialled. The companies have not proceeded from trial work to commercial development for a number of reasons including a lack of efficacy under climatic conditions or a lack of commercial viability.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids: They are the most common compounds used to control bed bugs and other indoor pests. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers.
Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins. Both compounds are lethal to bed bugs and can flush bed bugs out of their hiding places and kill them. However, where resistant bed bug strains exist, these treatments may cause them to move to a new hiding place, temporarily flushing them out of existing locations.

Some bed bug populations have become resistant to pyrethrins and pyrethroids. Sometimes using a combination product (either multiple pyrethroid or pyrethrin active ingredients, or one that combines different chemical classes into the same product) can improve bed bug control.

Biochemicals: Cold pressed neem oil is the only biochemical pesticide registered for use against bed bugs. Cold pressed neem oil is pressed directly from seeds of the Neem tree, a tropical evergreen tree found in Southeast Asia and Africa. The oil contains various compounds that have insecticidal and medicinal properties. It is also used in making products including shampoos, toothpaste, soaps, and cosmetics. Performance trials conducted at the approved label rates show both products control bed bug adults, nymphs, and eggs.

Pyrroles:  The compound is a pro-insecticide which means the biological activity depends on its activation to form another chemical. The new chemical disrupts certain functions in the bed bug’s cells, causing its death. 

Neonicotinoids: Neonicotinoids are synthetic forms of nicotine and act on the nicotinic receptors of the nervous system by causing nerves to falter continually until they fail. Because neonicotinoids use this different mode of action, bed bugs that are resistant to other pesticides will remain susceptible to the neonicotinoid.

Insect growth regulators: Insect growth regulators are chemicals that mimic juvenile growth hormones in insects. They work by either altering the production of chitin, (the compound insects use to make their hard external “shell” or exoskeleton) or by altering an insect’s development into adulthood. Some growth regulators force the insect to develop too rapidly, while others stop development.

In general, using other chemicals such as permethrins depends on discovering the nest and treating it directly. Many termite species which are successful in the urban environment do not generally build nests.

The replacement of cyclodiene termiticides (some of the so-called ‘organochlorine’ ones) with alternative chemical barriers are not without occupational and public health risks. On the basis of the high acute toxicity of OPs (organophosphorus chemicals) and the fact that required treatments of houses by pest-control operators (PCOs) need to be much more frequent than with the cyclodiene formerly used, it is suggested that there is a greater risk of poisoning events, involving both PCOs and possibly householders and /or their pets.

The use of new technologies which include monitoring and baiting to chemically kill termite colonies promises to dramatically reduce the potential exposure of PCOs and householders to termiticides.


RASLAN PLUS 30.5 PER CENT SC 

Masa Establishment is using Raslan Plus 30.5 per cent SC – active ingredient imidacloprid – which belongs to a new chemical class Chloronicotinyl. It is a systemic and contact insecticide for the control of termites in buildings and can be used both for pre- and post-construction treatments.

Raslan Plus 30.5 per cent SC is odourless and has relatively low toxicity towards people and pets; it has contact and systemic action and impairs the physiological activity of termites. Termites stops feeding and get killed within a few days. It spreads in all directions by a process called lateral soil movement (LSM), ensuring thorough soil coverage. 

Masa, being the leading pest control company in Saudi Arabia, offers reliable pest control services that keep premises totally pest-free. Our pest control chemicals are executed after examining and evaluating the affected area. The chemicals we use are highly effective, eco-friendly and non-toxic. Our pest control chemicals give 100 per cent results in removing entire pests present on your premises. We have a team of experts to apply pest control chemicals and all our products are available at attractive prices. We have managed to attain complete client satisfaction with our customer-oriented approach.

The company has 36 years’ experience in serving the public and the environment. It deploys the safest techniques, equipment and pesticides, leaving no residue. Our recourse is to apply not more than what is required and the risk of pesticide spillage is minimal.