Use of a Juvenile Hormone Analogue as Insecticide for Pests of Stored Grain

Abstract

INFESTATION by insect pests of stored grains is one of the principal causes of food losses in developing countries¹. Fumigation and treatment with conventional organic insecticides are handicapped by the problems of residual toxicity and the development of resistant strains of insects. Williams^2,3 has pointed out that juvenile hormone or its chemical analogues could be used as insecticides free from such disadvantages. We have explored the possibility of using a chemical analogue of juvenile hormone—methyl 3,7,11-trimethyl-7,11-dichloro-2-dodecenoate⁴ (MTDD)—in controlling the multiplication of stored grain pests and the preliminary results are reported in this communication.