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IPM Home > Home, Gardens,
Landscapes, and Turf > Pesticides > Pyrethrins
How to Manage Pests
Pesticide Information
Pyrethrins; pyrethrum
Type:
Insecticide -- botanical.
Plant uses:
Ornamentals, fruit trees, vegetables.
Pests controlled:
Most insects are affected by pyrethrins but will never recover if
the product does not also contain a synergist. Flying or rapidly moving
insects such as flies, flea beetles, leafhoppers, fleas, and
cockroaches
can be quickly knocked
down
with
an application.
Most
products
combine
pyrethrins with another active ingredient such as the synergist piperonyl
butoxide, which greatly increases the effectiveness of pyrethrins. Other
products are combined with insecticidal soap to increase efficacy.
 Hazards
to people
Low to moderate; harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or deposited
on skin or in eyes. A few individuals have reported asthma-like reactions. |
Hazards to wildlife
Low to moderate; very toxic to fish, crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates. However
they break down in the environment rapidly. |
Hazards to beneficials
Low
to moderate. |
Potential period of activity after treatment:
One day or less.
Precautions and safety equipment:
Minimize your exposure by wearing clothing that covers your body, including a long-sleeved shirt,
long pants, eye protection, a hat that can be washed after each use, and rubber gloves. Be especially careful to
keep this pesticide out of ponds, rivers, or other bodies of water where fish and other aquatic organisms reside.
Active ingredient:
Pyrethrins are extracted from the flowers of the pyrethrum daisy. Unlike pyrethrin-only or soap
and pyrethrin formulations, products formulated with piperonyl butoxide are not organically acceptable.
Application tips:
Pyrethrins rapidly break down after application. They must be applied when target pests are present.
Pyrethrins are fast acting and cause rapid knockdown of flying insects or temporary paralysis of other insects.
They are used to flush out cockroaches, for instance, from hiding places in homes. Insects may recover from application
of pyrethrins alone and to be most effective, they need to be combined with the synergist piperonyl butoxide. Formulations
that include insecticidal soap or other insecticides may increase effectiveness.
Always check the label before purchasing or applying a pesticide product for a specific pest on a specific plant
to be sure it can be applied. Follow label directions precisely.
WARNING ON THE USE OF CHEMICALS
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