Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 May 2012
Insect control methods are usually aimed directly at the insects. Examples are insect exclusion, poisons, and the more recent methods which upset metabolism, nervous coordination, sensory perception, or fertility. Some methods are indirect and involve manipulation of insect parasites, predators and diseases, habitat destruction, and host management. Only selection and breeding for host resistance are directed at the host of the insect. This is somewhat surprising because the host–insect relationship presents some of the most vulnerable aspects of the life of an insect.