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
- Pyrethrins (natural pyrethrum extract) (CAS 8003-34-7)
- Chemical class
- Botanical insecticide from chrysanthemum flowers; often combined with a synergist to boost its effect.[1]
- Mode of action
- IRAC Group 3A: Sodium channel modulators: pyrethrins and pyrethroids[3]
- Signal word
- PyGanic Gardening (PyGanic Crop Protection EC 1.4 II, home garden sub-label): Caution[2]
How it works
Pyrethrins excite the nervous system of insects that touch or eat them, quickly paralyzing and killing them.[1]
They are IRAC Group 3A, the same mode-of-action group as pyrethroids such as bifenthrin and permethrin, so they are not a rotation partner for those.[3]
Why timing and coverage matter
Sunlight breaks pyrethrins down fast: half of pyrethrin I is gone in about 12 hours on soil surfaces, and less than 3% remained on tomato and potato leaves after 5 days.[1]
Because of that, the label says coverage is key, to start spraying when insects first appear rather than waiting until plants are heavily infested.[2]
Where it is used
The home garden label covers vegetables, fruit, herbs and other listed crops outdoors; it must not be used indoors, in outdoor misting systems, or on plants grown for sale.[2]
Do not spray in rain or wind, or wet plants to the point of runoff, and try it on a few plants for 10 days before spraying widely, since some varieties can be injured.[2]
Some pyrethrin products can be used in organic agriculture, and this label is marketed for organic gardening.[1][2]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyGanic Gardening (PyGanic Crop Protection EC 1.4 II, home garden sub-label)[2] | Sumitomo BioRational Company LLC | 1021-1771 | 1.4% | emulsifiable concentrate | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| PyGanic Gardening (PyGanic Crop Protection EC 1.4 II, home garden sub-label) | Home vegetable, fruit and herb gardens | Aphids, beetles, caterpillars, leafhoppers, thrips, whiteflies and other listed insects | 1.0–1.4 fl oz per gal of water, applied per 1,000 sq ft[2] Never more than 1.4 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft. For a 32 oz spray bottle, 1½ to 2 teaspoons of concentrate topped up with water covers 250 sq ft. Mix only what you will use right away. |
How to apply it, step by step
1. Protective gear
- Avoid contact with skin, eyes and clothing, and don't breathe the vapor or spray mist; it is harmful if swallowed or absorbed through skin.[2]
- Wash with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking or smoking, and wash contaminated clothing before reuse.[2]
2. Before you spray
- It's highly toxic to bees on contact, so don't spray blooming plants or weeds while bees are visiting.[2]
- Don't spray when wind is over 10 mph or during a temperature inversion.[2]
3. Mixing
- Mix 1.0 to 1.4 fl oz per gallon of water and apply that gallon to 1,000 sq ft, never more than 1.4 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft; for a 32-oz spray bottle, the label uses 1½ to 2 teaspoons of concentrate topped up with water.[2]
4. Applying
- Spray the pests and the plants they're on evenly, staying within the 1.4 fl oz per 1,000 sq ft maximum.[2]
5. After you spray
- Let the spray dry before adults, children or pets go back on treated areas.[2]
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.[2]
- If inhaled, move the person to fresh air and call 911 if they aren't breathing; call a poison control center or doctor for advice, with the container or label at hand.[2]
Storage, spills and disposal
- Keep it tightly closed in its original container in a cool, dry, preferably locked place, away from food, seed, fertilizer and veterinary supplies.[2]
From the safety data sheet
- The concentrate is a clear, amber liquid with a sweet odor; its flash point is above 200 °F.[4]
- Under the OSHA hazard system the SDS lists it as harmful if inhaled and possibly causing an allergic skin reaction; the pesticide label's signal word is Caution.[4]
- If it gets in the eyes, hold the eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes, removing contact lenses after the first 5 minutes, and call a poison control center or doctor.[4]
- Avoid breathing spray mist, use it outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, wear protective gloves, and wash any skin it touches with plenty of soap and water.[4]
- It is harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects, so keep it out of lakes, streams and ponds and stop a spill from spreading if it is safe to do so.[4]
Safety and environmental hazards
People
The label signal word is CAUTION: harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin, and repeated skin contact may cause allergic reactions in some people. Pyrethrins are generally low in toxicity to people and mammals but can irritate skin and cause tingling or numbness, and EPA classifies them as not likely to cause cancer at doses below a threshold seen in rat studies.[2][1]
Pets
Keep children and pets out of the treated area until sprays have dried. Dogs fed extremely large doses have drooled, trembled, lost coordination and had trouble breathing.[2][1]
Bees and pollinators
The label calls it highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds and says to spray in the early morning or late evening; NPIC notes that its slight repellency and fast breakdown limit some of the risk.[2][1]
Fish and water
Pyrethrins are highly to very highly toxic to fish and very highly toxic to shrimp, oysters, lobster and aquatic insects; the label forbids applying near water, storm drains or ditches.[1][2]
Common questions
- How much PyGanic per gallon in a home garden?
- 1 to 1.4 fluid ounces per gallon of water per 1,000 square feet, never more than 1.4 ounces per 1,000 square feet.[2]
- Are pyrethrins organic?
- Some pyrethrin products are allowed in organic agriculture; PyGanic's home garden label is marketed for organic gardening.[1][2]
- Are pyrethrins safe for bees?
- No. They are highly toxic to bees on direct contact; spray early morning or late evening and never while bees are foraging on blooms.[2]
- How long do pyrethrins last on plants?
- Not long. Sunlight breaks them down within hours to days, which is why coverage at the time of spraying matters.[1][2]
Sources
- National Pesticide Information Center, “Pyrethrins General Fact Sheet.” npic.orst.edu/factsheets/pyrethrins.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “PyGanic Crop Protection EC 1.4 II (PyGanic Gardening) label, EPA Reg. No. 1021-1771 (EPA-stamped, Apr. 27, 2026).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/001021-01771-20260427.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)
- McLaughlin Gormley King Company (MGK), “PyGanic Crop Protection EC 1.4 II Safety Data Sheet (MGK, version 7, revised March 5, 2021; EPA Reg. No. 1021-1771, the label on this page, also sold as PyGanic Gardening; copy hosted on a retailer's Shopify file store).” cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0910/5912/6550/files/Pyganic_EC14_SDS.pdf (accessed 2026-10-17)