Improving pest management for wild insect welfare

Abstract

This report lays a foundation for future research into projects to improve wild insect welfare by promoting more humane insect pest management practices. I summarize recent insect sentience literature and estimate the number of insects impacted by agricultural insecticide use in the United States. I then examine the usage and modes of action of a variety of common insecticides and non-insecticidal pest management practices, highlighting knowledge gaps and suggesting directions for future inquiry. As a companion resource to this report, I have compiled a database of insecticidal compounds[1], their modes of action, and their insecticidal mechanisms. This database is under development and may be expanded to include pests targeted, brand names, and chemical fact sheets where available. I have also developed a rough impact estimate table, outlining a method for using a pest control literature review to calculate the minimum number of insects affected by U.S. agricultural insecticide use.