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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Pyrethrins

Pyrethrins are a mixture of six chemicals that are toxic to insects. They are found naturally in some chrysanthemum flowers. They are commonly used in the home and garden to control mosquitoes, fleas, flies, moths, ants, and other pests. Pyrethrins have been registered since the 1950’s. They have since been modified to produce longer lasting chemicals called pyrethroids, which are man-made.

General Questions about Pyrethrins

What are pyrethrins? What are some products that contain pyrethrins? How do pyrethrins work? How might I be exposed to pyrethrins? What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to pyrethrins? What happens to pyrethrins when it enters the body? Are pyrethrins likely to contribute to the development of cancer? Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to pyrethrins? Are children more sensitive to pyrethrins than adults? What happens to pyrethrins in the environment? Can pyrethrins affect birds, fish, and other wildlife?

General Fact Sheet	"Natural or Green?" What does it mean? PestiByte PODCast	Precautions for Using Spot-on Flea and Tick Products PestiByte PODCast
One or three? Too many foggers can hurt me!	My home is being sprayed, should I go or stay? PestiByte PODCast	Time to pick the veggies! What about the residue?

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Pyrethroids:

Pyrethrins can be confused with pyrethroids, the man-made versions of the natural insecticide. They are similar to one another, but there are some differences.

1. Bifenthrin - NPIC
2. Deltamethrin - NPIC
3. Permethrin - NPIC
4. Resmethrin - NPIC

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

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NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.