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Pyrethrum

Pyrethrum is a natural, botanical insecticide extracted from the chrysanthemum flowers. It has been used for more than 20 years in the United States. The solution is EPA-registered, SAFE and EFFECTIVE and made with biodegradable, water-based pyrethrum, which kills mature insects and prevents the laying of their eggs. When used as directed, pyrethrum is considered one of the safest and most effective products to control insects around the home. It has been proven effective on biting mosquitoes, flies, wasps, fleas, spiders, ticks and a large variety of other insects.

Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, Family Asteraceae) is a perennial African plant with a daisy-like appearance and white, pink or red flowers. The same species is also known as Pyrethrum roseum, Chrysanthemum coccineum, Tanacetum coccineum, or simply, the Painted Daisy.The plant is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The flowers are pulverized and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food.

Kenya produced 90% (over 6,000 tonnes) of the world’s pyrethrum in 1998, but production in Tanzania is now increasing.

Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum: an example of one is permethrin. A common formulation of pyrethrin is in preparations containing the synthetic chemical piperonyl butoxide: this has the effect of enhancing the toxicity to insects and speeding the effects when compared with pyrethrins used alone.

Pyrethrum benefits:

  • Safe, effective and biodegradable
  • Clear, non-staining and leaves no residue
  • Fast Knockdown and Kill – Pyrethrum affects the insects central nervous system causing almost immediate knockdown of flying insects
  • Jamming – Small, residual amounts of Pyrethrum cause female mosquitoes stop seeking blood meals
  • Activation – In small amounts, Pyrethrum stimulates the insects to flush them from their hiding places, causing them to come into contact with higher concentrations increasing the knockdown-and-kill effect
  • Avoidance – Even in the smallest amounts, Pyrethrum causes insects to flee the area

More about pyrethrum products

If you would like more information about Pyrethrum, please click on the following link from Botanical Resources Australia, one of the world’s leading producers of Pyrethrum products.