Problems in the Development of Tailor-made Insecticides: Forest Insect Control

The two major groups of forest insect pests requiring large-scale control measures are the bark beetles and the defoliators. Ethylene dibromide or lindane are the two insecticides generally used for bark beetle control. These are applied to the bark of infested trees with hand equipment, so there is little contamination of the environment. The method is nonetheless primitive and costly and oftentimes is not successful in stemming an epidemic. One of the most promising outlooks for tailor made, bark beetle control is the teaming of an attractant with a chemosterilant. The scope of our knowledge on these types of compounds is rapidly being brought to a state where studies on bark beetles can be profitably made.