If you’ve gardened for a while, chances are that you’ve heard the term systemic insecticide. When applied to pesticides, the term systemic means that the chemical is soluble enough in water that it can be absorbed by a plant and moved around in its tissues.

How does systemic insect control work?

Systemic insecticides kill insects when they ingest a lethal concentration during feeding. Systemic fungicides form a barrier on and within the plant, killing fungal spores and fungal roots, called hyphae, as they germinate and begin to grow.

What does systemic insecticide mean?

Unlike typical contact insecticides, that are usually taken up through the arthropod’s cuticle or skin of animals, systemic insecticides get into the organisms mainly through feeding on the treated plants or contaminated soil.