Substituted pyridinyloxybenzenes of the general formula or salts thereof in which R 1 represents an optionally substituted pyridine or pyrimidine which is optionally substituted by up to 4 substituents independently of one another selected from the group R 5, R 2 independently of the others represents halogen, hydroxy, amino, cyano, nitro, formyl, formamide, (C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4) -haloalkyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkyl, (C 2 -C 4) -alkenyl, (C 2 -C 4)-alkynyl, (C 2 -C 4) -haloalkenyl, (C 2 -C 4)-haloal-kynyl, (C 1 -C 4) -alkoxy- (C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkoxy- (C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylthio-(C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylcarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C 3 -C 6) -cycloalkylcarbonyl, carboxyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C 3 -C 6) -cycloalkoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl-aminocarbonyl, (C 2 -C 6)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl-carbonylamino, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylcarbonylamino, (C 2 -C 6) -cycloalkylcarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 4)-alk-oxycarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylaminocarbonylamino, (C 2 -C 6)-dialkylaminocarbonylamino, carboxy- (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxycarbonyl-(C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkoxycarbonyl-(C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl-(C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4) -alkoxy, (C 1 -C 4) -haloalkoxy, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkoxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkenyloxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkynyloxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylthio, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylthio, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkylthio, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylsulfinyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylsulfonyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkyl-sulfonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylaminosulfonyl, (C 2 -C 6)-dialkylaminosulfonyl or (C 3 -C 6)-trialkylsilyl, n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, R 3 represents hydrogen, halogen, cyano, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl or (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkyl, R 4 represents hydrogen or halogen, and R 5 represents hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, amino, cyano, formyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-halo-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4) -alkoxy, (C 1 -C 4) -haloalkoxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxycarbonyl or (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxythio-carbonyl, except for 2-chloro-4-(2-pyridin-2-yloxyphenyl)-pyridine. R 1 represents an optionally substituted pyridine or pyrimidine which is optionally substituted by up to 4 substituents independently of one another selected from the group R 5, R 2 independently of the others represents halogen, hydroxy, amino, cyano, nitro, formyl, formamide, (C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4) -haloalkyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkyl, (C 2 -C 4) -alkenyl, (C 2 -C 4)-alkynyl, (C 2 -C 4) -haloalkenyl, (C 2 -C 4)-haloal-kynyl, (C 1 -C 4) -alkoxy- (C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkoxy- (C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylthio-(C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylcarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C 3 -C 6) -cycloalkylcarbonyl, carboxyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C 3 -C 6) -cycloalkoxycarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl-aminocarbonyl, (C 2 -C 6)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl-carbonylamino, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylcarbonylamino, (C 2 -C 6) -cycloalkylcarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 4)-alk-oxycarbonylamino, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylaminocarbonylamino, (C 2 -C 6)-dialkylaminocarbonylamino, carboxy- (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxycarbonyl-(C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkoxycarbonyl-(C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl-(C 1 -C 4) -alkyl, (C 1 -C 4) -alkoxy, (C 1 -C 4) -haloalkoxy, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkoxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkenyloxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkynyloxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylthio, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylthio, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkylthio, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylsulfinyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkylsulfinyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylsulfonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkylsulfonyl, (C 3 -C 6)-cycloalkyl-sulfonyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkylaminosulfonyl, (C 2 -C 6)-dialkylaminosulfonyl or (C 3 -C 6)-trialkylsilyl, n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, R 3 represents hydrogen, halogen, cyano, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl or (C 1 -C 4)-haloalkyl, R 4 represents hydrogen or halogen, and R 5 represents hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, amino, cyano, formyl, (C 1 -C 4)-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4)-halo-alkyl, (C 1 -C 4) -alkoxy, (C 1 -C 4) -haloalkoxy, (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxycarbonyl or (C 1 -C 4)-alkoxythio-carbonyl,