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
- Clove oil (main component eugenol) (CAS 8000-34-8 (clove oil); 97-53-0 (eugenol))
- Chemical class
- Plant essential oil; clove oil and eugenol are both listed active ingredients for minimum-risk pesticides.[2]
- Mode of action
- Contact action: kills insects that touch or feed on it and desiccates plant tissue it contacts; not assigned an IRAC group[1]
- Registration
- None: exempt from federal registration as a minimum-risk pesticide (40 CFR 152.25(f)); no EPA signal word.[2]
What 'minimum risk' means
EPA does not review exempted minimum-risk products, so a label implying federal approval or a determination of safety is misleading.[3]
The regulation forbids these products from claiming to control insects or rodents that carry specific diseases, such as ticks that carry Lyme disease, or microorganisms that threaten human health.[2]
Some states still require minimum-risk products to be registered before they are sold there.[4]
Using it as a weed killer
Because clove oil kills only the plant tissue it touches and not the roots, established perennial weeds can regrow; it works best on younger weeds.[1]
Where it is used
As a herbicide, clove oil damages the plant surfaces it touches so they dry out and die, but it does not kill roots, and it works best on young weeds.[1]
Products made only from listed ingredients such as clove oil and eugenol are exempt from federal pesticide registration if they meet every condition in 40 CFR 152.25(f).[2]
Safety and environmental hazards
People
Plant oils can be harmful to the eyes and some people are allergic to them; NPIC advises that no matter how natural, all pesticides should be used with care and exposure kept low.[4]
Pets
Because exempt products are not reviewed by EPA, there is no EPA-reviewed pet hazard statement for them; NPIC's general advice is to minimize exposure to animals and follow the label.[3][4]
Bees and pollinators
UC IPM's database does not yet give a published bee rating for clove oil; avoid spraying blooming plants where bees are working.[1]
Fish and water
UC IPM's database does not yet give a water-quality rating for clove oil; keep sprays out of drains and water.[1]
Common questions
- Why doesn't my clove oil spray have an EPA registration number?
- Minimum-risk products made only from ingredients listed in 40 CFR 152.25(f), including clove oil and eugenol, are exempt from federal registration when they meet all its conditions, and EPA does not review them.[2][3]
- Does clove oil kill weeds permanently?
- No. It burns down the leaves and stems it contacts but does not kill roots, so it works best on young weeds.[1]
- Can a clove oil product claim to stop Lyme disease ticks?
- No. Minimum-risk products may not claim to control insects that carry specific diseases, including ticks that carry Lyme disease.[2]
Sources
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Home and Landscape Pesticide Active Ingredients Database: clove oil.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pesticide-active-ingredients-database/active-ingredient-details/?uaiKey=121 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, “40 CFR 152.25(f), Minimum risk pesticides.” www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-I/subchapter-E/part-152/subpart-B/section-152.25 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- U.S. EPA, “Conditions for Minimum Risk Pesticides.” www.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides/conditions-minimum-risk-pesticides (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “Minimum Risk Pesticides.” npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/minrisk.html (accessed 2026-10-06)