Using these plant essential oils in conjunction with a variety of insect repellents and insecticides can dramatically improve their efficacy in controlling insects, such as mosquitoes. Mosquitoes and other insects can transmit diseases and are becoming resistant to some commonly used insecticides. As the need for effective insect control grows, the global insecticides market should reach $17.7 million by 2026 . The lack of new chemical classes of insecticides has led researchers to investigate synergists to improve the performance of available insecticides. Additionally, due to concerns for human and animal health and off-target effects for some insecticides, a need to reduce dosage and exposure demonstrates the demand for safer formulations. Researchers at the University of Florida have discovered natural plant essential oils that greatly improve the repellent activity of a variety of insecticides.
Plant essential oils to enhance repellency and toxicity of insect repellents and insecticides
These plant essential oils have a synergistic effect, enhance contact toxicity, and increase mortality rates of insecticides. Examples of such essential oils include Piper sarmentosum extract and fir needle oil. When applied at appropriate concentrations, these plant extracts increase the repellent and knockdown activity of insecticides.