Cov tshuaj tua kab yog cov tshuaj siv los tswj cov kab tsuag. Lawv suav nrog cov tshuaj tua kab organic (organochlorine, organophosphate, organosulfur npaj, carbamates, thiab pyrethroids), inorganic insecticides (inorganic arsenic, inorganic fluorine, thiab inorganic sulfur npaj), botanical insecticides, mineral roj insecticides, thiab microbial inorganic. Cov tshuaj tua kab yog cov khoom siv dav dav thiab ntau hom tshuaj tua kab; feem ntau tsuas yog tua kab thiab tsis tiv thaiv kab mob. Cov tshuaj tua kab tau ua lub luag haujlwm tseem ceeb hauv kev ua liaj ua teb thiab daws cov teeb meem ntawm tib neeg cov zaub mov, tab sis lawv kuj yog qhov tseem ceeb tshaj plaws uas ua rau muaj kuab paug rau cov tshuaj tua kab (xws li, organochlorine insecticides yog tshuaj lom neeg ruaj khov, nyuaj rau degrade, thiab yooj yim sib sau hauv av thiab kab mob), thiab muaj feem cuam tshuam nrog kev txo qis thiab txawm tias kev tuag ntawm lwm yam kab mob ntawm cov kab mob.
Cov tshuaj tua kab feem ntau yog siv los tswj cov kab tsuag ua liaj ua teb thiab cov kab tua kab mob hauv nroog, nrog rau keeb kwm ntev ntawm kev siv, kev siv loj, thiab ntau yam. Nyob rau hauv lub xyoo pua 20th, txoj kev loj hlob sai ntawm kev ua liaj ua teb ua rau muaj kev nce ntxiv hauv kev ua liaj ua teb vim yog tshuaj tua kab. Txawm li cas los xij, yuav luag tag nrho cov tshuaj tua kab ua rau muaj kev cuam tshuam loj heev rau cov kab mob, feem ntau yog teeb meem rau tib neeg, thiab lwm tus tau sau rau hauv cov khoom noj. Kev sib npaug yuav tsum raug ntaus ntawm kev txhim kho kev ua liaj ua teb thiab kev saib xyuas ib puag ncig thiab kev noj qab haus huv. Cov tshuaj tua kab tuaj yeem muab faib ua ob hom raws li lawv qhov chaw: biopesticides thiab tshuaj tua kab hluavtaws.