Mating as well as sexual communication is disrupted. Larvae and adults of insects are repelled. Adults are sterilised. Larvae and adults are poisoned. Use of neem products does not give immediate results like chemical insecticides.
Some patience is required after application of neem products.
Of special interest are the terpenoids that are unique to neem and some related members of this family. More than a hundred terpenoids are known from different parts of the neem plant. Of its biological constituents, the most active and well studied compound is Azadirachtin. However, in most traditional preparations of neem as pesticide or medicine a mixture of neem chemicals are present and provide the active principles. The neem terpenoids are present in all parts of the plant, in the living tissues.