The following table presents a list of insecticides and acaricides (and a few fungicides for which data is available) currently registered by EPA, with an accompanying assessment of their potential toxicity to beneficials, bees and birds. These materials are for use on landscape ornamentals, woody ornamentals in nurseries, forest nurseries and/or field-grown plants.
Please note that the pesticides listed may lose their registration and become illegal to use at anytime. Furthermore, other chemicals (particularly those off patent and marketed by small formulator companies) not on the list and unknown to the authors may also be available. Listing here does not constitute an endorsement or advocation of any products to the exclusion of other chemicals or other control methods. Only a few of the fungicides are included, as little data on them is available.
These data were gleaned from pesticide labels, published literature (Mizell and Schiffhauer 1989, Mizell and Schiffhauer 1991, Ripper 1951) and unpublished research (Mizell 1989-1991). It is very difficult to make a general assessment for specific species of beneficials and individual pesticides without testing. Therefore, these data should be used as a guide only. Growers should be able to recognize the life stages of beneficial species as well as pest species. (Slides and fact sheets with pictures of the most common predatory and pest arthropods are available from the University of Florida, IFAS).
When in doubt about a pesticide's impact on the beneficials present, test the pesticide first in small plots before spraying large blocks. Read the pesticide label! THE LABEL IS THE LAW! Pesticide labels and literature will usually contain at least some information concerning the toxicity of the pesticide to nontarget organisms.
Other predators include ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae), lacewings (Chrysopidae), parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera) and other miscellaneous but important insect predators.
| Pesticides | Predatory Mites |
Other Predators |
Birds | Bees | Comments |
| Acetamiprid 70WP(TriStar) | ? | ? | L | L | Aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs |
| Adept (see Dimilin) | Fungus gnats,greenhouse and nursery | ||||
| Affirm | L | L | L | L | Fireant bait (abamectin) |
| Akari (fenproproxifen) | M | L | L | L | mites |
| Ambush 25W, 2EC | H | L-H | L | H | Caterpillars, aphids, sawflies, R.U. |
| Amdro | L | L | L | L | Fireant bait, growth regulator |
| Asana 1.9EC | H | L-H | L | H | Caterpillars, aphids, sawflies, R.U. |
| Ascend (acephate) | |||||
| Astro (see Pounce) | |||||
| Attain TR (bifenthrin) | |||||
| Avid 0.15EC | L-H | L | M | L | Mites, leafminers |
| Award | Fireants | ||||
| Bacillus thuringiensis | L | L | L | L | B.T., caterpillar disease, Brands: Able, Dipel, Javelin, Steward, Xentari, M-Press, Agree, Attack |
| Bendiocarb | H | H | H | H | Dycarb, Turcam, broad spectrum (gone by end of year) |
| Bioneem -see Neem products | |||||
| Carbamate WDG | M-H | L | L | L | Ferbam, fungicide |
| Carbaryl (see Sevin) | |||||
| Chipco 60818 | Imported fire ants, thrips, fungus gnats | ||||
| Cinnamite | L | L | L | L | Mites |
| Citation | L | M | L | L | Leafminers, thrips, fungus gnats |
| Confirm | L | L | L | L | IGR mimic |
| Conserve SC | L | L | L | L | Thrips, whiteflies, caterpillars |
| Crop Oil | L-H | L | L | L | Omni, Volck, Target, Sunspray, scales, aphids, mites |
| Decathlon | H | L-H | L | H | Broad spectrum pyrethroid |
| Demand CS | H | L-H | L | H | Broad spectrum |
| Di-Syston 15G | L | L | H | H | Granular systemic, broad spectrum, R.U. |
| Diazinon 4E, 50W | H | H | H | H | Broad spectrum |
| Diazinon AG500, D2N6000 | H | H | H | H | Broad spectrum |
| Dibrom 8 | ? | L-H | L | H | Naled, broad spectrum |
| Dimethoate 2EC | H | L-M | L | H | systemic, broad spectrum |
| Dimilin 25 WP | L | L-M | L | L | Growth regulator, caterpillars, R.U. |
| Discus 5%G | L | L | L | L | Ants and grubs, soil |
| Distance | L | L | L | L | IGR, whiteflies, fungus gnats, leafminers, scales, fireants |
| Dithane DF, F-45 | L-M | L | L | L | Fungicide, mancozeb |
| Dursban Pro, 50W | H | H | M | L | Borers, grubs, broad spectrum |
| Duraguard PT1325ME | H | H | M | L | chlorpyrifos, Same as Dursban |
| Dycarb, Turcam* | H | H | L | L | Bendiocarb, broad spectrum |
| Dylox 80SP | H | H | H | H | Broad spectrum |
| Endeavor | L | L | L | L | Aphids, whiteflies; translaminar |
| Enstar II (5E) | L | L | L | L | Growth regulator, whiteflies, aphids, scales |
| Extinguish | Fireant bait | ||||
| Flagship (Meridian) | |||||
| Floramite WP | L | L | L | H | Mites |
| Flomite | ? | ? | ? | ? | Mites |
| Furadan 4F | H | H | H | H | Root weevils only, R.U. |
| Gemstar | L | L | L | L | Corn earworms, tobacco budworms |
| Gnatrol | Fungus gnats, (B.T) | ||||
| Guthion 2S, 2L 30, 50WP | H | H | H | H | Broad spectrum, R.U. nursery stock only |
| Hexygon | L | L | L | L | mite eggs only |
| ICON | |||||
| Imidan 70WSP | H | H | L | H | Caterpillars, weevils |
| Karathane WD | L-M | L | L | L | Roses, Gardenia, Euonymus, powdery mildew, mites, limited label |
| Kelthane 50 WS | H | L | L | L | Mites |
| Ketch DF (Bt) | |||||
| Knack | L | L | L | L | Immature fungus gnats, whiteflies and scales |
| Knoxout 2FM, PT1500R | H | H | H | H | Encapsulated diazinon |
| Kryocide | L | L | L | L | Fluorine family, caterpillars, katydids |
| Award Fire Ant Bait | L | L | L | L | Fenoxycarb, growth regulator |
| Mach II | Allofenzidwe, white grubs | ||||
| Malathion 4EC, 25WP | H | H | H | H | Broad spectrum |
| Marathon 1G, 60WSP, II | L | M | L | L | Whiteflies, thrips, aphids, imidacloprid |
| Mavrik AF | H | M | L | L | Mites, aphids, whiteflies |
| Merit 75WP, 75WSP, 2.5% & 0.62% gran., 2EC | M | M | L | L | Imidacloprid, systemic, whiteflies, aphids, thrip, broad spectrum |
| Mesurol 2E, 75W | L | L | L | L | Thrips, slugs, snails, aphids, mites |
| Naturalis O | L | L | L | L | Fungus for whiteflies, thrips, scale, aphids, mites |
| Neem products | L | L | L | L | Azidiractin: mites, scales, whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs, NeemGuard, Ornazin |
| Nematodes (entomopathogens) | BioVector, Scanmask,Guardian, Cruiser, Grubstake | ||||
| Ornamite | L | L | L | L | Spider mites |
| Orthene TTO, PT1300TR | H | H | M | H | Turf, tree & ornamental spray |
| Ovation | Greenhouse, mites, mite eggs | ||||
| Pestroy, Sumithrin | ? | M-H | ? | ? | Sumithion, broad spectrum |
| Pentac | L | L | L | L | Mites |
| PFR-97 (fungus) | ? | L | L | L | Fungus, whiteflies, aphids, mites, scale |
| Pounce 3.2EC, 25WP | H | L-H | L | H | Aphids, beetles, caterpillars, whiteflies, R.U. |
| Pramex 13.3% | H | L-H | L | H | Permethrin, aphids, scales |
| Precision | L | L | L | L | IGR, whiteflies, fungus gnats, scales, shoreflies |
| Preclude PT2100TR | L | L | L | L | Fenoxycarb, whiteflies, thrips, scale, aphids |
| Pylon | Mites, thrips | ||||
| Pyrenone CS | H | H | L | H | Broad spectrum, quick knockdown |
| Pyrellin E.C. | H | L-H | L | H | Broad spectrum, pyrethrin + rotenone |
| Pyrellin Space & Crop | H | L-H | L | H | Broad spectrum, allethrin |
| PT 1100 Pyrethrum | H | L-H | L | H | Broad spectrum, natural pyrethrum |
| Resmethrin EC, PT1200TR | H | L-H | L | H | Caterpillars, aphids, beetles |
| Rotenone | L | L-H | L | H | Botanical, aphids, beetles, caterpillars |
| Sanmite 75WP | M | L | L | L | Mites, whiteflies, mealybugs |
| Secure | ? | ? | L | L | Mites & insects |
| Scimitar | H | L-H | L | H | Broad spectrum pyrethroid |
| Sevin 4F, 80S | H | H | L | H | Broad spectrum |
| Sevin SL, XLR | H | H | L | H | Broad spectrum |
| Soap, insecticidal | L-M | L | L | L | Mites, aphids, scales, Brands: M-pede, Ringer, Murphy |
| Talstar T&O 10WP, GC, N, GH | H | L-H | L | H | Mites, aphids, whiteflies, fire ants |
| Talstar T&OG, Lawn&Tree | L | L | L | L | Fireants and above |
| Tame 2.4EC | H | L-H | L | H | Mites, mealybugs, broad spectrum |
| Tempo 2, 20W | H | L-H | L | H | Aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies |
| Terraclor 75WP | L | L | L | L | Fungicide |
| Terrazole 25E | L | L | L | L | Fungicide |
| Terrazole 35WP | L | L | L | L | Fungicide |
| Tetrasan | ? | ? | L | L | Acaricide |
| Thiodan 3EC, 50WP | L | L | H | H | Borers, broad spectrum, not for greenhouse use |
| Triact 90EC - see neem products | |||||
| Tobacco dust, Nic.sulfate | L | L | L | L | Nicotine, broad spectrum |
| Topsin M | ? | ? | L | L | Fungicide |
| Turficide 2E | ? | ? | L | L | Fungicide |
| X-clude | H | M | L | L | Pyrethrins + piperonyl butoxide |
| Velocity | L | L | L | L | Fire ant granular |
| Vendex | L | L | L | L | Mites, 48h REI |
| Vision | H | H | L | M | Combination of cyfluthrin with imidacloprid |
| Ziram F-4, W-76 | ? | ? | L | L | Fungicide |
The University of Florida offers two computer-verified training tutorials on pesticide use. Core2:Pesticide Labeling trains users how to read a pesticide label, while Core6:Emergency Response to Harmful Pesticide Effects, Heat Stress and Heat Stroke trains users in how to respond to these dangerous situations. Information on these tutorials is available on the Buggy Software Web site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/pests/software/.