Insecticides and rodenticides form the basis of integrated pest management systems worldwide. As pest resistance continues to increase and entire groups of chemical active ingredients are restricted or banned, manufacturers are looking for new options for more effective formulations and safer application methods for the remaining pesticide ingredients. In addition to new technological adaptations of mainstream formulations in the form of sprays, fumigants, and dusts, the use of gel formulations is becoming increasingly explored and employed. This article summarizes information on the current and potential use of gel (including hydrogel) and paste formulations against harmful arthropods or rodents in specific branches of pest management in the agricultural, food, stored product, structural wood, urban, medical, and public health areas. Due to the worldwide high interest in natural substances, part of the review was devoted to the use of gels for the formulation of pesticide substances of botanical origin, such as essential or edible oils. Gels as emerging formulation of so called "smart insecticides" based on molecular iRNA disruptors are discussed.

• Keywords
• essential oils, formulations, hydrogels, insecticides, integrated pest management, nanotechnology, plant extracts, polymers, rodenticides, vector control,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

The selective application of insecticides is one of the cornerstones of integrated pest management (IPM) and management strategies for pest resistance to insecticides. The present work provides a comprehensive overview of the traditional and new methods for the application of gas, liquid, gel, and solid physical insecticide formulations to control stored-product and food industry urban pests from the taxa Acarina, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Psocoptera, and Zygentoma. Various definitions and concepts historically and currently used for various pesticide application formulations and methods are also described. This review demonstrates that new technological advances have sparked renewed research interest in the optimization of conventional methods such as insecticide aerosols, sprays, fumigants, and inert gases. Insect growth regulators/disruptors (IGRs/IGDs) are increasingly employed in baits, aerosols, residual treatments, and as spray-residual protectants for long-term stored-grain protection. Insecticide-impregnated hypoxic multilayer bags have been proven to be one of the most promising low-cost and safe methods for hermetic grain storage in developing countries. Insecticide-impregnated netting and food baits were originally developed for the control of urban/medical pests and have been recognized as an innovative technology for the protection of stored commodities. New biodegradable acaricide gel coatings and nets have been suggested for the protection of ham meat. Tablets and satchels represent a new approach for the application of botanicals. Many emerging technologies can be found in the form of impregnated protective packaging (insect growth regulators/disruptors (IGRs/IGDs), natural repellents), pheromone-based attracticides, electrostatic dust or sprays, nanoparticles, edible artificial sweeteners, hydrogels, inert baits with synthetic attractants, biodegradable encapsulations of active ingredients, and cyanogenic protective grain coatings. Smart pest control technologies based on RNA-based gene silencing compounds incorporated into food baits stand at the forefront of current strategic research. Inert gases and dust (diatomaceous earth) are positive examples of alternatives to synthetic pesticide products, for which methods of application and their integration with other methods have been proposed and implemented in practice. Although many promising laboratory studies have been conducted on the biological activity of natural botanical insecticides, published studies demonstrating their effective industrial field usage in grain stores and food production facilities are scarce. This review shows that the current problems associated with the application of some natural botanical insecticides (e.g., sorption, stability, field efficacy, and smell) to some extent echo problems that were frequently encountered and addressed almost 100 years ago during the transition from ancient to modern classical chemical pest control methods.

• Keywords
• IPM, aerosol, baits, diatomaceous earth, essential oils, fumigation, impregnated nets, insecticides, nanoparticles, spray,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Tyrophagus putrescentiae is inhabited by bacteria that differ among mite populations (strains) and diets. Here, we investigated how the microbiome and fitness of Tputrescentiae are altered by dietary perturbations and mite populations. Four T. putrescentiae populations, referred to as dog, Koppert, laboratory, and Phillips, underwent a perturbation, i.e., a dietary switch from a rearing diet to two experimental diets. The microbiome was investigated by sequencing the V1-V3 portion of the 16S rRNA gene, and selected bacterial taxa were quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR) using group/taxon-specific primers. The parameters observed were the changes in mite population growth and nutritional status, i.e., the total glycogen, lipid, saccharide, and protein contents in mites. The effect of diet perturbation on the variability of the microbiome composition and population growth was lower than the effect induced by mite population. In contrast, the diet perturbation showed a greater effect on nutritional status of mites than the mite population. The endosymbionts exhibited high variations among T. putrescentiae populations, including Cardinium in the laboratory population, Blattabacterium-like bacteria in the dog population, and Wolbachia in the dog and Phillips populations. Solitalea-like and Bartonella-like bacteria were present in the dog, Koppert, and Phillips populations in different proportions. The T. putrescentiae microbiome is dynamic and varies based on both the mite population and perturbation; however, the mites remain characterized by robust bacterial communities. Bacterial endosymbionts were found in all populations but represented a dominant portion of the microbiome in only some populations.IMPORTANCE We addressed the question of whether population origin or perturbation exerts a more significant influence on the bacterial community of the stored product mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae The microbiomes of four populations of T. putrescentiae insects subjected to diet perturbation were compared. Based on our results, the bacterial community was more affected by the mite population than by diet perturbation. This result can be interpreted as indicating high stability of the putative intracellular symbionts in response to dietary perturbation. The changes in the absolute and relative numbers of Wolbachia, Blattabacterium-like, Solitalea-like, and Cardinium bacteria in the T. putrescentiae populations can also be caused by neutral processes other than perturbation. When nutritional status is considered, the effect of population appeared less important than the perturbation. We hypothesize that differences in the proportions of the endosymbiotic bacteria result in changes in mite population growth.

• Keywords
• 16S rRNA, Bartonella, Blattabacterium, Cardinium, Solitalea, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Wolbachia, bacteria, feeding, fitness, symbiont,
• MeSH
• Acaridae microbiology   MeSH
• Bacteria classification   genetics   MeSH
• Diet methods   MeSH
• DNA, Bacterial chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics   MeSH
• Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
• Cluster Analysis MeSH
• Feeding Behavior MeSH
• Gastrointestinal Microbiome * MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Bacterial MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MeSH