Why Choose a Minimum Risk Insecticide?

Why use an insecticide that can be hazardous when there is another option?  A common ingredient in insecticides is a chemical called permethrin. It impacts the insects’ nervous system causing muscle spasms, paralysis and death. When using a permethrin-based insecticide, people and pets can experience skin exposure as well as breathing it if a spray or fogger is used indoors, leading to adverse effects.

There is an alternative to permethrin-based insecticides and the EPA has created a special class for them: Minimum Risk Pesticides. 

A Minimum Risk Pesticide is comprised of inert ingredients, considered to have very low to no toxicity, formulated with 25(b) active ingredients. These active ingredients include castor oil, cedar oil, cinnamon oil, mint, peppermint oil, garlic, lemongrass oil, citric acid, white pepper, citronella and soybean oil to name a few.

Because the EPA has determined that Minimal Risk Pesticides pose little to no risk to human health or the environment, it has exempted them from the requirement of being registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and are commonly referred to as having EPA Exempt 25(b) status.

These products are quickly becoming the choice of many facilities due to the safer ingredients while still addressing unwanted pests.  They are ideal for use in schools, day care centers, healthcare and food service.