OMRI Pyrethrum Insecticides

About Pyrethrum Insecticides

Pyrethrum is a botanical insecticide produced primarily in the flowers of Tanacetum cinerariaefolium, a species of the chrysanthemum plant family.

The insecticide properties of Pyrethrum were documented in the early 1800s, but it is suspected that the flowers were used to kill insects a considerable time earlier. The first commercially available products were powders made from ground flowers and later crude oil extractions. Today, the refining of crude pyrethrum extract to remove the plant material, waxes, and more. is a highly complex process resulting in a very pure product from which most other plant properties have been removed.

Pyrethrum has been used effectively to control insects for decades and is non-persistent, decomposing rapidly in the environment. This rapid degradation of pyrethrum has resulted in few known cases of insect resistance, making it an excellent choice for the control of insects in a wide variety of settings.

Is Pyrethrum Safe?

From a toxicological viewpoint, pyrethrum has been extensively studied. It is low in acute toxicity to man and other vertebrate animals.

Are Pyrethrum Insecticides Organic?

Pyrethrum is compliant with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (NOP) requirements for an organic input. Pyrethrum is also listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and is an approved material under Washington State Department of Agriculture’s organic food program.