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
- Mineral oil (paraffinic horticultural oil)
- Chemical class
- Petroleum-derived paraffinic spray oil; the label's oil is a superior type with at least 92% unsulfonated residue.[1]
- Mode of action
- IRAC Group UNM: Non-specific mechanical and physical disruptors[2]
- Signal word
- Bonide All Seasons Horticultural and Dormant Spray Oil: Caution[1]
How it works
The oil envelops, wets and smothers insect eggs and soft-bodied pests on contact.[1]
It is IRAC group UNM, a non-specific physical mode of action, different from every nerve-acting insecticide group.[2]
Getting full coverage
Mix the oil into water thoroughly and use enough spray to wet the whole surface of branches, main limbs and trunk, paying special attention to the undersides of limbs.[1]
In a hobby greenhouse, spray weekly at first and then every 2 to 3 weeks as the pest comes under control.[1]
Where it is used
It can be sprayed at the dormant stage, at green tip, at the delayed-dormant stage and through the growing season, but only when the temperature is between 40°F and 90°F.[1]
Never spray it with sulfur or where sulfur is still on the foliage, and never on drought-stressed plants, because either can cause leaf injury and leaf drop.[1]
It strips the blue bloom from Colorado blue spruce and Koster spruce, and the label says to use the weakest rate or test first on cryptomeria, smoke tree, chamaecyparis, juniper, Japanese holly and spruce.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonide All Seasons Horticultural and Dormant Spray Oil[1] | Bonide Products, LLC | 4-80 | 98.0% | emulsifiable oil concentrate | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonide All Seasons Horticultural and Dormant Spray Oil | Shade and ornamental trees and shrubs, winter dormant period | Scales, adelgids, mite eggs, aphids and other overwintering pests | 5–7.5 tbsp per gal of water[1] For fall dormant sprays, drop to 5 tbsp per gallon and use only on the species the label lists, such as crabapple, dogwood, Norway maple and red oak. |
| Bonide All Seasons Horticultural and Dormant Spray Oil | Shade and ornamental trees and shrubs, summer foliar spray | Mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, young scales, lace bugs, psyllids, blackspot and powdery mildew | 2–5 tbsp per gal of water[1] Wet both sides of every leaf and the stems without heavy runoff. Never above 5 tbsp per gallon for summer disease control. |
How to apply it, step by step
1. Protective gear
- Keep it out of your eyes and off your clothing; it causes moderate eye irritation. Wash with soap and water after handling.[1]
2. Before you spray
- Don't spray when it's above 90°F or below 40°F.[1]
- Check the label's list of sensitive plants and varieties first; oil injury depends on the amount used, the plant's vigor and the temperature when you spray.[1]
3. Mixing
- For dormant sprays on trees and shrubs in winter, the label uses 5 to 7.5 tablespoons per gallon of water; for summer foliar sprays, 2 to 5 tablespoons per gallon, never more.[1]
4. Applying
- Wet both sides of every leaf and the stems thoroughly, without heavy runoff.[1]
5. After you spray
- Keep people out of the treated area until the spray has dried.[1]
First aid
- In the eyes, hold them open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes, removing contact lenses after the first 5 minutes. The product contains petroleum distillates, which the label warns can cause aspiration pneumonia if swallowed, so call a poison control center or doctor.[1]
Storage, spills and disposal
- Store unused oil only in its original container in a cool, dry place out of reach of children and animals.[1]
- Leftover product goes to an approved disposal site; call your local solid waste agency.[1]
From the safety data sheet
- The SDS lists the refined mineral oil concentrate as not classified under the workplace (GHS) rules; the pesticide label hazard it reproduces is Caution: causes moderate eye irritation.[3]
- If it gets in the eyes, rinse right away with plenty of water and get medical attention if pain, blinking or redness continues; on skin, take off affected clothing and wash with mild soap and water, then rinse with warm water.[3]
- If someone swallows it, have them rinse their mouth, don't make them vomit, and get emergency medical help; if someone breathes in spray mist, move them to fresh air and let them rest.[3]
- Soak up spills right away with clay, diatomaceous earth or another inert absorbent, collect it, and keep it out of drains and waterways.[3]
- Keep it only in the original, closed container in a cool, well-ventilated place away from children and away from sources of ignition, strong acids and strong bases.[3]
Safety and environmental hazards
People
The label signal word is CAUTION: it causes moderate eye irritation, and because it contains petroleum distillates it carries a physician's note about aspiration pneumonia if swallowed. Wear long sleeves, long pants and waterproof gloves.[1]
Pets
Do not spray in a way that contacts people or pets, and keep them out of the treated area until sprays have dried.[1]
Bees and pollinators
The residential label carries no bee statement; for greenhouse plants it says safety during bloom must be checked species by species with a small test.[1]
Fish and water
The label states it is toxic to fish; keep spray and rinse water out of storm drains, ditches, gutters and surface water.[1]
Common questions
- How much dormant oil per gallon?
- On shade and ornamental trees and shrubs during winter dormancy, 5 to 7.5 tablespoons per gallon of water; for summer foliar sprays, 2 to 5 tablespoons.[1]
- Can I spray horticultural oil in summer?
- Yes, at the lower summer rates, but never above 90°F, never on drought-stressed plants and never with or after sulfur.[1]
- Will horticultural oil hurt my blue spruce?
- It removes the blue bloom from Colorado blue spruce and Koster spruce, so the label restricts it on those trees.[1]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Bonide All Seasons Horticultural and Dormant Spray Oil label, EPA Reg. No. 4-80 (EPA-stamped, Mar. 19, 2024).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/000004-00080-20240319.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)
- Bonide Products, LLC, “Bonide All Seasons Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil Concentrate Safety Data Sheet (Bonide Products, revised January 30, 2020; the SDS prints no EPA number, but this is a registered brand name of EPA Reg. No. 4-80, the page's product).” cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0533/3847/2647/files/BND212_MSDS.pdf (accessed 2026-10-19)