All insecticides are pesticides however, not all pesticides are insecticides. Pesticide is a general term for any substance or product used to kill living organisms; insecticides contain ingredients specifically designed to eliminate certain insects (i.e. termites, cockroaches or ants). Though traditionally, pesticides have contained toxic chemicals, advances in technology are leading to the development of more and more natural and non-toxic pesticides, insecticides and allied products. Here is a look at some of the chemical and non-chemical products on the market.

Common types of pesticides include; rodentcides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and molluscides. Each of these pesticides contains ingredients that target particular animal or plant populations. Herbicides and insecticides are probably the two most recognised types of pesticides; nearly everyone has used one or the other at some point in time. Careful, responsible use of these chemicals is essential as the potential for severe environmental damage and health problems related to pesticides is high.

The fairly recent revelation that many of these pesticides, insecticides and allied products are not good (can be very dangerous, actually) for humans and can cause unintended fallout to organisms other than those that had been targeted has led to an increased push for environmentally friendly pesticides. After all, people had been using natural insecticides for thousands of years before these chemical products were developed; nicotine, for example, is a highly toxic insecticide. There are many reliable online guides to these types of products; even some that include recipes for making your own organic pesticides or insecticides.