Animal pest control programs

Putrefied animal matter hcis formed the basis for coyote attractants of possible value in pest control programs. Thus, a putrefied fish formulation has been used as a coyote lure and, more recently, attention has been directed to a fermented aqueous suspension of chicken whole-egg powder, developed initially as an attractant for flies (48). The odor components csf this material have been subjected to detailed chemical analysis ty Bullard et al. (49) and are reported to include volatile fatty acids (77% total 13 acids identified), bases (13% total, mainly trimethylamine, 9 amines identified), and headspace volatiles, including esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, alkyl aromatics, terpenes and sulfur compounds (10% total, 76 compounds identified). Based on these data, a synthetic mixture, "synthetic fermented egg" has been formulated, composed largely of a mixture of ten volatile fatty acids (81%), together with a diverse range of amines and other compounds (50). This mixture was found to be as attractive to coyotes as the fermented preparation itself. The volatile fatty acid component alone was found to exhibit substantial coyote attractancy also (50,51). ... 

The development of malathion in 1950 was an important milestone in the emergence of selective insecticides. Malathion is from one-half to one-twentieth as toxic to insects as parathion but is only about one two-hundredths as toxic to mammals. Its worldwide usage in quantities of thousands of metric tons in the home, garden, field, orchard, woodland, on animals, and in pubHc health programs has demonstrated substantial safety coupled with pest control effectiveness. The biochemical basis for the selectivity of malathion is its rapid detoxication in the mammalian Hver, but not in the insect, through the attack of carboxyesterase enzymes on the aUphatic ester moieties of the molecule. 

For some important insect pests there are still no satisfactory chemical controls. Such problems should be given due consideration in the development program. Many of these problems appeared to be solved with the discovery of DDT, benzene hexachlo-ride (hexachlorocyclohexane), and some of the more recent insecticides. Further studies of the toxicity of some of these products to warm-blooded animals have raised the important question of the advisability of continuing their use where food and feed products are concerned. Considerable attention is being centered on finding safer analogs, such as TDE and methoxychlor, and new and better insecticides. 

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