The label is the law. Read your product's label before you mix or apply; the rates here come from the labels listed under Sources.
- Active ingredient
- Azadirachtin (CAS 11141-17-6)
- Chemical class
- Botanical limonoid from neem; IRAC Group UN (unknown or uncertain mode of action).[2][1]
- Mode of action
- IRAC Group UN: Compounds of unknown or uncertain mode of action[2]
- Signal words
- SuperNeem 4.5-B (Neemix 4.5, Azatin): Caution[1]
Safer Brand BioNEEM Multi-Purpose Insecticide & Repellent Concentrate (registered as MEEN): Caution[3]
On lawns: grubs and mole crickets
For white grubs, apply soon after adults emerge in summer, 1 to 3 weeks after the first beetles appear, at 0.75 to 9 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft in plenty of water; mow and irrigate first, then don't water again for 24 hours or mow for 3 days.[1]
Where it is used
It kills only immature stages, so spray when pests first appear and are young larvae or nymphs; treated larvae may die as pupae. Repeat every 7 days or as needed.[1]
Spray directly on the pests, in early to mid-morning or late afternoon, when leaves stay wet longer; a spreader-sticker or oil adjuvant improves results.[1]
Keep spray solution between pH 3 and 8 and use it within a few hours; don't store diluted spray.[1]
It can be applied up to the day of harvest (zero preharvest interval). Don't spray wilted, stressed or newly transplanted plants, or Comice and other sensitive pears.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuperNeem 4.5-B (Neemix 4.5, Azatin)[1] | Certis USA LLC | 70051-9 | 4.5% | emulsifiable concentrate | Caution |
| Safer Brand BioNEEM Multi-Purpose Insecticide & Repellent Concentrate (registered as MEEN)[3] | Certis USA, LLC | 70051-6 | 0.09% | liquid concentrate | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| SuperNeem 4.5-B (Neemix 4.5, Azatin) | Fruit and nut trees, grapevines, caneberries and other small fruit (foliar) | Caterpillars and loopers, armyworms, young borers, leaf-feeding beetle larvae, cutworms, aphids, leafhoppers, whiteflies, leafminers | 4–16 fl oz product per 100 gallons of water[1] 4 to 16 fl oz per 100 gallons for most larvae; 10 to 16 fl oz for aphids and leafhoppers. On field crops, 4 to 16 fl oz per acre. Use the low rate preventively and the high rate under heavy pressure. |
| Safer Brand BioNEEM Multi-Purpose Insecticide & Repellent Concentrate (registered as MEEN) | Flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit and vegetables (BioNEEM) | Aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies, thrips, leafminers, Japanese beetles and other listed pests | 3 fl oz product per gallon of water[3] That's 6 tablespoons per gallon. Repeat 2 to 3 times, 7 to 10 days apart, or every 3 to 4 days while an infestation is heavy. |
| Safer Brand BioNEEM Multi-Purpose Insecticide & Repellent Concentrate (registered as MEEN) | Home lawns (BioNEEM) | White grubs, sod webworms, fall armyworms, chinch bugs, billbugs, mole crickets and crane flies | 2 fl oz product per gallon of water[3] Spray 5 gallons of the mix per 2,000 sq ft, 2 to 3 times, 7 to 10 days apart. Not for newly seeded lawns. |
How to apply it, step by step
1. Protective gear
- It carries the CAUTION signal word: harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through skin, and moderately irritating to the eyes. Keep it off your skin, eyes and clothing, and don't breathe the spray mist.[3]
- Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum or using tobacco, and wash contaminated clothing before wearing it again. The concentrate is flammable, so keep it away from heat and open flame.[3]
2. Before you spray
- It works mainly on immature and larval insects, which die before they can molt, and it also discourages pests from feeding and repels them; spray when you first notice them.[3]
- Don't spray wilted, stressed or newly transplanted plants before their roots are established, and try a small test area on plants you aren't sure about. Hibiscus flowers can be damaged.[3]
- Spray early to mid-morning or late afternoon, not on plants in direct sunlight, and go carefully on tender new growth. It isn't for food handling areas.[3]
- Skip newly seeded lawns. For white grubs, the first lawn spray usually comes in early to mid-summer with another in fall; a local extension specialist can tell you when grubs feed in your area.[3]
3. Mixing
- Shake well. For flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit and vegetables, mix 3 fl oz (6 tablespoons) per gallon of water; for lawns, 2 fl oz (4 tablespoons) per gallon; for house plants, 2½ teaspoons per pint. Use soft water if you can.[3]
- Don't add other chemicals to the mix, and make only what you'll use: spray it within 8 hours and don't store leftovers.[3]
4. Applying
- Spray leaves to runoff, coating the undersides where insects hide, and hit the pests directly when you can, without overdoing it.[3]
- On lawns, spray 5 gallons of mix per 2,000 sq ft. Most uses take 2 to 3 applications 7 to 10 days apart; in the yard and vegetable garden repeat every 7 days, or every 3 to 4 days during a heavy infestation until numbers drop.[3]
- From the hose-end bottle, 16 oz covers about 1,000 to 2,000 sq ft of lawn or up to five 10-foot trees.[3]
- To repel Japanese beetles, aphids and armyworms, cover foliage and flowers just before the pests emerge or at the first sign of them, and repeat every 3 to 7 days or right after heavy rain.[3]
5. After you spray
- The label lists vegetables, herbs, fruit and nut crops and sets no waiting period before harvest.[3]
- Rinse the sprayer over the treated area, away from drains and water: the product is hazardous to fish and aquatic invertebrates.[3]
First aid
- If swallowed, call a poison control center or doctor right away, have the person sip a glass of water if able, and don't induce vomiting unless told to. If inhaled, move the person to fresh air; if they aren't breathing, call 911 or an ambulance and give artificial respiration.[3]
- On skin, take off contaminated clothing and rinse for 15 to 20 minutes; in the eyes, rinse slowly and gently for 15 to 20 minutes, removing contact lenses after 5. Then call a poison control center or doctor, with the label in hand.[3]
Storage, spills and disposal
Safety and environmental hazards
People
Signal word CAUTION: harmful if swallowed or inhaled; avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing and avoid breathing spray mist. Handlers wear protective eyewear and chemical-resistant gloves.[1]
Pets
In non-agricultural sites such as golf courses, the label says not to enter treated areas without protective clothing until sprays have dried.[1]
Bees and pollinators
The label says it has been compatible with most beneficial insects but recommends a small trial before large-scale use.[1]
Fish and water
May be hazardous to fish and aquatic invertebrates; use care near streams and ponds and don't apply when drift or runoff is likely.[1]
Common questions
- Is azadirachtin the same as neem oil?
- Both come from neem, but this product is a concentrate of azadirachtin labeled as an insect growth regulator that disrupts molting.[1]
- Does azadirachtin kill adult insects?
- The label says it kills only immature stages, larvae and nymphs, though it repels and deters feeding by all stages.[1]
- How long after spraying can I harvest?
- SuperNeem 4.5-B's label allows spraying up to and including the day of harvest (a zero-day interval), though individual states may differ. The BioNEEM label lists vegetables, herbs, fruit and nuts and sets no waiting period before harvest.[1][3]
- How much BioNEEM per gallon?
- 3 fl oz (6 tablespoons) per gallon of water for flowers, shrubs, trees, fruit and vegetables, and 2 fl oz (4 tablespoons) per gallon for lawns, sprayed at 5 gallons per 2,000 sq ft. For house plants it's 2½ teaspoons per pint.[3]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “SuperNeem 4.5-B (Neemix 4.5, Azatin) label, EPA Reg. No. 70051-9 (EPA-stamped, Sept. 26, 2022).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/070051-00009-20220926.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, “IRAC Mode of Action Classification Scheme, Version 11.5 (Feb. 2026).” irac-online.org/documents/moa-classification/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “MEEN (Safer Brand BioNEEM Multi-Purpose Concentrate) label, EPA Reg. No. 70051-6 (EPA-stamped, Sept. 27, 2018).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/070051-00006-20180927.pdf (accessed 2026-11-08)