Methoprene
Methoprene
Chemical compound
Methoprene is a juvenile hormone (JH) analog which acts as a growth regulator when used as an insecticide. It is an amber-colored liquid with a faint fruity odor.
Methoprene does not kill insects. Instead, it interferes with an insect’s life cycle and prevents it from reaching maturity or reproducing.[2] Juvenile growth hormones must be absent for a pupa to molt to an adult, so methoprene-treated larvae will be unable to successfully change from pupae to adults. This breaks the biological life cycle of the insect, preventing recurring infestation.
Methoprene is considered a biological pesticide because rather than controlling target pests through direct toxicity, methoprene interferes with an insect’s lifecycle and prevents it from reaching maturity or reproducing.[3]