at AmazonGarden Insecticide Ingredients to Avoid
This blog is my quest to find safe garden insecticides which ideally do not cost the earth, and work! Well it is early days. I have that good old dependable insecticide soap in my armoury so far. But, I don't want to be guilty of assuming conventional products are unsafe. So, in a quest for some scientific balance to the whole endeavour I thought it only proper that I check out what the ingredients are in conventional garden insecticides. maybe they are not so bad, maybe they are. There is only one way to find out, check out the ingredient guide below.
Garden Insecticide Ingredients to Avoid
First of all let me point out the invaluable links on the left. The kind people at PAN have provided a database of active ingredients for all pesticides licensed in the United States. It is a fabulous tool. If you have a bottle of something you want to check out, or a manufacturer you are unsure of, use their database. Another really useful tool is the ingredients database. This has a list of many pesticide ingredients. If you have a specific ingredient you want to check out that is the site for you. Be warned, some of it makes particularly scary reading!
I have compiled a list of the key garden insecticide ingredients we should avoid. These are the real nasty compounds with serious health concerns. If your current insecticide is free of all these I would be inclined to continue using it, but if anything in my shed contained any of this lot, I would be disposing of it in favour of a more safe garden insecticide pretty quickly.
Arsenicals
Compounds of arsenic these were once widely used in all sorts of garden insecticide. Although mostly phased out, sodium arsenate is still found in ant bait traps. They are highly toxic to all animals.
Acephate
Probably carcinogenic, an endocrine disruptor, toxic to birds and bees.
Aldicarb
A neurotoxin, endocrine disruptor, toxic to birds and aquatic life.
Bifenthrin
Carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin. Toxic to birds, bees and aquatic life.
Boric Acid
This is an ingredient used in roach and ant dusts. Although relatively environmentally friendly it is extremely toxic if swallowed.
Carbaryl
A neurotoxin, carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. Toxic to bees and aquatic species.
Chlorpyrifos
A residual contact insecticide widely used against roaches. A neurotoxin, endocrine disruptor and causes organ damage. Toxic to bees, birds and aquatic life.
Cypermethrin
A possible carcinogen, this is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to bees and fish.
Deet
This causes skin and respiratory tract irritation and has been linked to developmental defects. Once widely used it is now most commonly found in personal insect repellents. Deet has been found in groundwater already so it would be a good idea to stop using this plastic dissolving toxin.
Diazinon
This is widely used and very toxic to just about everything, bees, birds, fish, us. Linked to birth defects, a neurotoxin found in groundwater.
Dimethoate
A possible carcinogen, this is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to bees, birds and fish.
Endosulfan
This is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to bees, birds and fish.
Fenvalerate
This is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to bees and aquatic life.
Fipronil
This is a suspected carcinogen, endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to birds, bees and aquatic life.
Lamda-cyhalothrin
This is an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin. Toxic to bees and aquatic life.
Lindane
This is a suspected carcinogen, a known endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to birds, bees and aquatic life.
Malathion
Definitely one to avoid. It is suggested this is a human carcinogen as well as being a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor. Linked to birth defects. Toxic to birds, bees and aquatic life too.
Methyl bromide
This is a carcinogen, a suspected endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause developmental problems.
Napthalene
Neurotoxin and carcinogenic.
Permethrin
This is a suspected carcinogen, endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin which can cause organ damage. Toxic to bees and aquatic life.
Pyrethrin
These are synthetic compounds based on the botanical insecticide pyrethrum, which is derived from Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium. Should not be used by asthmatics or hay-fever sufferers. These are likely carcinogens and are toxic to aquatic life.
Resmethrin
Toxic to birds and aquatic life, this has been linked to organ damage and is another endocrine disruptor.
Sumithrin
Toxic to bees and aquatic life, this has been linked to organ damage and is another endocrine disruptor.
What About the Secret Ingredients?
One problem consumers in the United States have is that not all garden insecticide ingredients have to be published. Anything which is not an active ingredient can remain a secret. So you can never be 100% certain what you are buying. Those inert ingredients are being cited as a major cause for concern amongst environmental lobbyists.
Endocrine Disruptor?
Okay, you may be much more savvy than I. But for anyone else who is wondering why endocrine disruptor is such a repeatedly mentioned problem, let me explain VERY briefly...
The endocrine system controls hormones released throughout the body. If chemicals in our environemt mimic these hormones they disrupt our normal function. This can ffect the reproductive systems and cause the mutation of certain species, with males becoming sterile, females developing masculine traits and further complications.
The problem is too little is known (as always) and the problem is massive. Hormone disruptor's have been found in the womb, in breast milk and in the environment of our modern schools and offices. Best to avoid these wherever you can.
For more information about endocrine disruptor's click here.
Safe Garden Insecticides
Well, I am really not liking the sound of all the chemicals listed. Safe garden insecticides are definitely the future as far as I am concerned. Knowing that in the European Union at least, many of these ingredients are likely to be abolished later in the year gives me hope for new effective alternatives. I just hope the United States catches up soon.
I really worried that garden insecticides damaged birds, water life and bees. I did not realise they could also be so damaging for us. Whether you are hoping to save the planet, or just yourself safe garden insecticides are definitely a must for every gardener.