Chemical substances that render organisms unable to reproduce, sometimes used as a non-lethal way to control pest populations.
From 'chemo-' (chemical) and 'sterilant' (sterilizing agent). This term emerged in the 1960s-70s as ecologists sought alternatives to pesticides for controlling invasive species and pests.
Scientists have experimented with chemosterilants to control populations of mosquitoes and rodents without poisoning entire ecosystems—it's like a birth-control pill for nature's pests, though it's deeply controversial.
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