How to Use insecticide in a Sentence

insecticide

noun
  • If that doesn't work, pour straight boric acid on the colony, or use an insecticide spray.
    — Angela Watson, chicagotribune.com, 3 Apr. 2021
  • It was used as an insecticide to preserve the skins on the hides.
    — Allison Keyes, Smithsonian, 8 Mar. 2017
  • One colony got treated with all three insecticides, one at a time.
    — Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 2 July 2019
  • Years after the mass bee deaths, the insecticide was still present.
    — Betsy Hammond, OregonLive.com, 11 Mar. 2018
  • Hang wasp traps or spray insecticide.
    — Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
  • Though using an insecticide means they will be killed.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 1 June 2026
  • Seeing a few holes in the leaves of your plants does not demand the need for an insecticide.
    — Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
  • This can be done by using a systemic insecticide through a soil drench.
    — Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024
  • Here’s what to know about the synthetic insecticide, plus how and when to use it.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 24 June 2025
  • Try using an insecticide rinse to wash away the residue left behind.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2024
  • It's used in insecticide sprays and shampoos and creams that treat lice and scabies.
    — Amy Norton, chicagotribune.com, 30 May 2018
  • The dogs are touted to help spray insecticides in hard-to-reach areas.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2025
  • There are insecticides labeled for control of white grubs in turf.
    — Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 26 Dec. 2019
  • But bed nets need to be replaced every 3 years, as the insecticide wears off and nets tear.
    — Leslie Roberts, Science | AAAS, 17 Aug. 2020
  • The bad news is that there is almost no way to address the problem with insecticides.
    — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Apr. 2018
  • One common medicinal use is as an insecticide on the head and the feet.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
  • The insecticide sprays for yellow jackets are labeled for use as spray to treat the nest.
    — oregonlive, 20 Sep. 2020
  • An insecticide is being used to kill the fleas that are spreading the disease to the prairie dogs.
    — Emily Caron, SI.com, 2 Aug. 2019
  • Concern on use of the insecticide has arisen in previous years in the state.
    — Maureen Murphy, Hartford Courant, 26 Dec. 2024
  • To fight back the swarms, the owner doused the sheep in a wash of the insecticide permethrin.
    — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 8 Aug. 2018
  • Many of these types of products contain oil as the insecticide which can burn the foliage of the plants.
    — Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 22 June 2024
  • The insecticide made its way into the food chain and caused eggshells to become frail and brittle.
    — Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Use insecticides and bug spray when outdoors.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Sep. 2025
  • To control scale, spray all surfaces of the plant with a systemic insecticide such as acephate.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Pick them off with a toothpick or use a systemic insecticide formula to get rid of them.
    — Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 31 Oct. 2022
  • Once absorbed, this insecticide leaks out of the glands slowly, coating strands of your best friend’s fur.
    — Nick Stockton, WIRED, 18 May 2016
  • Carson sounded the alarm over the dire insecticide threat to that abundance.
    — Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2020
  • Now we are faced with the choice of trying to control the damage by using insecticides.
    — Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Sep. 2025
  • It’s used as an insecticide that kills bugs on contact and as a repellent when applied to clothes.
    — Kevin Cortez, Popular Mechanics, 27 June 2023
  • Some gardeners also like to use one of the systemic insecticides for a sure kill.
    — Tom MacCubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, 27 May 2017

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insecticide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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