Determining the key urban pests and top-selling pesticides from the perspective of pesticide sellers in Northeast Iran: A cross-sectional study

Background The application of pesticides for pest control and eradication in agriculture and public health has a long history both globally and in Iran. As urbanization and agri-culture expand, the use of pesticides is steadily increasing. Since urban pest control is a primary reason for using these chemicals, this study investigated and identified the best-selling pesticides and the most significant urban pests from the perspective of pes-ticide sellers. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in the cities of Sabzevar and Ney-shabur, located in the northeast of Iran. The primary data collection tool was a question-naire that was designed to evaluate demographic variables, available and best-selling pesticides, pesticide producing countries, and awareness of the most important urban pests. This questionnaire was distributed among 300 pesticide sellers in the study areas. Data collection was carried out by two trained entomologists, and data analysis was per-formed utilizing SPSS version 19 software. ANOVA and Chi-Square tests were employed to analyze the types of variables and assess the percentage of best-selling pesticides and significant urban pests. A significance level of 0.05 was applied in all tests. Results The results indicate that the majority of pesticide sellers in northeastern Iran are men (76%) with upper-middle education (56%). Also, based on the collected information, organophosphorus and Pyrethroids pesticides are the best-selling pesticides, and German cockroach, American cockroach and head lice are the most important urban pests in the studied areas, respectively. Conclusions The expertise of pesticide sellers, along with the production and import of pesticides tailored to the key urban pests in each district, will significantly influence pest control.