Carbamate Insecticides

Carbamate Insecticides were developed and used after insect populations had developed resistance to the chlorinated hydrocarbons and OP insecticides. Similar chemical compounds are used extensively in other areas of agriculture (herbicides, fungicides, etc.) and medicine.  One of the members of this group is carbaryl, commonly sold as Sevin®.  Carbaryl is widely used on many crops and is available to home gardeners and other applicators of non-restricted use insecticides because of its rather low mammalian toxicity. Conversely, methomyl (Lannate®), carbofuran (Furadan®) and aldicarb (Temik®), three carbamate insecticides commonly used in row crop agriculture, are among the most toxic insecticides.  The carbamates act similarly to the organophosphorous insecticides in that they inhibit acetylcholinesterase.