肥皂是人类最早用来防治害虫的杀虫剂之一。本世纪20年代,农民用鯨油皂保护作物。许多人还记得,他们的父母或祖父母把肥皂水喷洒在蔷薇上,偶尔可以杀灭群集的蚜虫。尽管肥皂杀虫只是零星使用,但还是有一些成功的事例,然而当时人们对这种方法是怀疑和未加肯定的。二次世界大战带来的经济和技术变化,迎来合成石油化学杀虫剂的时代。在这些新化学药剂造成环境污染引起争议之前,人们对所有早期虫害防治措施的兴趣暗淡了。到本世纪70年代,对自然 Soap is one of the earliest human pesticides used to control pests. In the 1920s, farmers used whale soap to protect their crops. Many people still remember that their parents or grandparents spray soapy water on roses and occasionally kill the aphids in the cluster. Despite the sporadic use of soap and insecticide, there are still some successful examples, but at that time people were suspicious and unsure of this method. The economic and technological changes brought about by World War II have ushered in the era of synthetic petrochemical pesticides. Interest in all early pest control measures dimmed until there was controversy over environmental pollution caused by these new chemical agents. By the 1970s, to nature