Plant essential oils (EOs) exhibit biological
activity against a wide spectrum of plant
pests and may act as fumigants, contact insecticides,
repellents, and antifeedants, or
they can affect the growth rate, reproduction,
and behavior of insect pests (Harwood et al.
1990; Isman 2000; Papachristos and Stamopoulos
2002a, 2004; Petrakis et al. 2005;
Isman et al. 2008). In addition, the low
mammalian toxicity of EOs and their rapid
degradation in the environment make them
attractive alternatives compared to conventional
pesticides (Rebenhorst 1996; Misra
and Pavlostathis 1997; Isman 2000).