Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85694
chemical care RESISTANCE FIGHT the BY CINDY RATCLIFF Rotating 'mode of action' helps guarantee you're getting the most from insecticides. nce you fi nd a product you like, it's diffi cult to think about switching. It's reliable, it does the job effectively and you're comfortable using it. Marketers call that being brand loyal. However, when it comes to insecticides, using the same product repeatedly can actually provide you with diminishing returns. The best way to guarantee the product on which you've come to rely continues to offer the control you've come to expect is to stop using it — temporarily. Take Action Most traditional insecticides work to control or eliminate insects by interfering with their nervous systems. Depending on chemical class, pesticides affect nervous systems in different ways. "Mode of action" describes how they do this. Cholinesterase inhibitors, for example, interfere with nerve impulses by tying up the molecules required to stop the impulse, resulting in the insect's January 2012 / TOTAL LANDSCAPE CARE 35