Investigation of the efficacy of essential oils used in pest control

Abstract

Due to the negative effects of chemicals used on human and environmental health in recent years, alternative methods have been started to be used in the control against pests. At the beginning of these alternative methods is the use of essential oils in the pest management. Essential oils are biodegradable, species-specific, side-effect-free components that do not threaten human, animal and environmental health. Essential oils, as a rule, have a low molecular weight. Essential oils are produced from almost all plant organs, including roots, stems, leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds and tree bark. The purpose of this review is to investigate the effectiveness of essential oils used in the control against pests. In the study, essential oils obtained from species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, the general properties of essential oils with a repellent effect against pests, plant essential oils (EO), which are among the biologically active components, the possibilities of their use in decontaminating pests were discussed. This review will shed light on future studies on the development of alternative products to chemicals used in the pest management.