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bean beetle

(Encyclopedia)bean beetle, common name for a destructive beetle, Epilachna varivestis, of the ladybird beetle family. Although nearly all other members of this family are beneficial carnivores, the bean beetle atta...

aerosol dispenser

(Encyclopedia)aerosol dispenser, device designed to produce a fine spray of liquid or solid particles that can be suspended in a gas such as the atmosphere. The dispenser commonly consists of a container that holds...

phenol

(Encyclopedia)phenol fēˈnōl [key], C6H5OH, a colorless, crystalline solid that melts at about 41℃, boils at 182℃, and is soluble in ethanol and ether and somewhat soluble in water. An aromatic alcohol, it ex...

anaplasmosis

(Encyclopedia)anaplasmosis ănˌəplăzmōˈsĭs [key], infectious blood disease in cattle, sheep, and goats, caused by a rickettsia of the genus Anaplasma. The organism parasitizes red blood cells, causing their d...

hydrazine

(Encyclopedia)hydrazine hīˈdrəzēnˌ [key], chemical compound, formula NH2NH2, m.p. 1.4℃, b.p. 113.5℃, specific gravity 1.011 at 15℃. It is very soluble in water and soluble in alcohol. At ordinary tempera...

cupric sulfate

(Encyclopedia)cupric sulfate ko͞oˈprĭk sŭlˈfāt, kyo͞oˈ– [key] or copper (II) sulfate, chemical compound, CuSO4, taking the form of white rhombohedral crystals or amorphous powder. It decomposes at 650℃ ...

cyanide

(Encyclopedia)cyanide sīˈənīdˌ [key], chemical compound containing the cyano group, –CN. Cyanides are salts or esters of hydrogen cyanide (hydrocyanic acid, HCN) formed by replacing the hydrogen with a metal...

bedbug

(Encyclopedia)bedbug, any of the small, blood-sucking bugs of the family Cimicidae, which includes about 30 species distributed throughout the world. Bedbugs are flat-bodied, oval, reddish brown, and about 1⁄4 in...

organic farming

(Encyclopedia)organic farming, the practice of growing plants—especially for fruits and vegetables, but for ornamentals as well—without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, or of raisin...

spraying

(Encyclopedia)spraying, horticultural practice of applying fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides, usually in solution, to plants. It may be accomplished by various means, e.g., the watering can, sprinkler attach...

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