Put “cide” at the end of any word and you’ve just killed the subject of that word. Cide means to kill. We’ve all heard of homicide, that’s the killing of a man or any other person. Did you know you can break the category of killing down to very specific or targeted meaning? Fraticide for instance means to kill ones brother, sorocide and it’s your poor sister who gets it. Prenticide = killing an apprentice, might be a notice to watch for the next time you fill out a job application. Ambicide is to take out a freind, senicide is the killing of old men, philosophcide means to kill a philosopher, while hosticide means to kill a guest or host. Now that’s a party invitation to die for. 😉
We also use the ‘cide’ ending to include animals. Ursicide is killing bears, tauricide bulls, canicide dogs, bovicide oxen and gallincide is chickens or turkeys. But I don’t think come Thanksgiving you’d want to accuse the host of being a ‘gallincider’ –there just might be a hosticide !!! (see above)
There are all kinds of ‘cides’ out there but we’ve either never heard of them or taken the time to think other than the broad meaning or the overall term. Cide, for most of us simply means TO KILL.
Ok, so how bout some insect and pest related cides?
I’m glad you asked and these are some you as a pest professional can use in your everyday work life. Caution, some of these will make you sound pretty smart so be ready to back up your words. I’ve looked pretty foolish before when my mouth and ego collided and I became famicided. (ruiner of ones reputation)
On your next service see if you can stop using the term ‘insecticide’ and replace it with some of these.
Imagicide means your target is adult insects. (also adulticide and imagocide)- Larvacide or 
ovicide anyone? You gotta get the eggs and larvae too right? The next time you ring the bell for an ant call say, “ I’m here for the formicide job.” A flea call? Simply move your sprayer to your other hand and say,”You call for a pulicide work?” (saw it in an Orkin commercial–classic!)
Of course all the rage in the cimicide options. You have heat, freezing, tenting, all out tearing the place apart or simply moving out for 18 months or so. Guess what ‘cide’ that one refers to. Anophelicide is a fancy way to say mosquito or gnat work. The use of the word arachnicide might calm down your spider and scorpion clients who can’t even bring themselves to say the word out loud. Those are the ones that want you to do an onmicide treatment. (destruction of everything) Or you might sound brilliant with the next apicide nest you kill (killing bees) or even more so when you explain the problem needs a vespacide because little Johnny was stung by a wasp not a bee. Muricide is mice and of course you know raticide. These may be good alternatives to rodenticide for a change once in awhile. Talpicide is mole work and what’s getting big around here is apricide or the killing of boars. You could even put “muscacide” service available on your brochure for your commercial clients. Nobody likes flies in their soup.
Speaking of soup, cide words can help you sometimes get out of trouble. Did you spray a lawn and a few flowers died mysteriously? No worries, simply state that you in no wise used a floricide. (killing of flowers) Somebody want you to crawl under their house to remove a dead carcass but not willing to pay? “Hey, you exclaim, putricide is expensive.” (killing of putrid things) Someone doesn’t want silverfish eating their books?–easy, just break out your anti tomecide kit. (tomecide is destruction of books) How bout those who want your greenest possible service? You simply tell them you have no ecocides (destruction of the natural world) in your Prius and you’re not like that other mundicide (destruction of the entire world) company across town, You know–The Bug Doctor. Of course, you being the “pro”, wouldn’t want to be guilty of facticide would you. (killing facts or distorting truth) 😉
Well I hope these new words will be of help to you and your career in pest control and not logocidal or verbacide by any means. (destroying words) The last thing I’d want is to be a chronocide to your day. (killing or waisting of time)
