Methoprene (Met)

Methoprene is a juvenile hormone (JH) analog which can be used as an insecticide that acts as a growth regulator. Methoprene is an amber-colored liquid with a faint fruity odor which is essentially nontoxic to humans when ingested or inhaled. It is used in drinking water cisterns to control mosquitoes which spread dengue fever and malaria. Methoprene does not kill adult insects. Instead, it acts as a growth regulator, mimicking natural juvenile hormone of insects. Juvenile hormone must be absent for a pupa to molt to an adult, so methoprene treated larvae will be unable to successfully change from a pupa to the adult insect. This breaks the biological life cycle of the insect preventing recurring infestation. "Methoprene is used in the production of a number of foods including meat, milk, mushrooms, peanuts, rice and cereals. It also has several uses on domestic animals (pets) for controlling fleas.