Pests in and around the home, garden, and landscape can often be managed without the use of pesticides. But when pesticides are necessary, it is important to understand how they work and how to apply them.
This database provides information about common active ingredients found in pesticide products. Select the name of the active ingredient from the list below to learn how the ingredient works, application tips, example products, and impacts to aquatic organisms, pollinators, human health, and natural enemies (beneficial insects and mites).
To compare various active ingredients and help you decide the most appropriate material to use for your
situation, use the Compare Risks
link found on the Pest Notes
web pages for individual pests.
For a list of pesticide terms used in this database, see the Pesticide Terms page. For more detailed information on pesticide safety see the Pest Notes: Pesticides: Safe and Effective Use in the Home and Landscape. Visit the National Pesticide Information Center website for more information about individual pesticides.
Insectides & Miticides
- abamectin
- acephate
- acetamiprid
- allethrin
- azadirachtin
- Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. aizawai
- Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis
- Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki
- Beauveria bassiana
- beta-cyfluthrin
- bifenthrin
- Borate
- calcium polysulfide
- canola oil
- carbaryl
- chlorantraniliprole
- clothianidin
- clove oil
- codling moth granulosis virus
- cryolite
- cyfluthrin
- cypermethrin
- d-limonene
- deltamethrin
- diatomaceous earth
- diflubenzuron
- dinotefuran
- disulfoton
- emamectin benzoate
- esfenvalerate
- eugenol
- fipronil
- Heterorhabditis nematodes
- horticultural oil
- hydramethylnon
- imidacloprid
- lambda-cyhalothrin
- malathion
- neem oil
- Nosema locustae
- peppermint oil
- permethrin
- potassium salts of fatty acids
- pyrethrin
- rosemary oil
- s-hydroprene
- sesame oil
- silica gel
- soybean oil
- spinosad
- Steinernema nematodes
- sulfluramid
- sulfur
- tau-fluvalinate
- thiamethoxam
- thyme oil
- zeta-cypermethrin
Herbicides
- 2,4-D
- acetic acid
- ammoniated salt of fatty acids
- benefin
- bensulide
- bentazon
- bromacil
- capric acid
- caprylic acid
- carfentrazone
- chlorsulfuron
- clethodim
- clopyralid
- clove oil
- corn gluten meal
- d-limonene
- DCPA
- dicamba
- dichlobenil
- dimethenamid-p
- diquat
- dithiopyr
- EPTC
- eugenol
- fluazifop
- flumioxazin
- foramsulfuron
- glufosinate-ammonium
- glyphosate
- halosulfuron
- hexazinone
- imazapyr
- indaziflam
- iron-HEDTA
- isoxaben
- maleic hydrazide
- MCPA
- mecoprop
- metolachlor
- MSMA
- napropamide
- oryzalin
- oxadiazon
- oxyfluorfen
- pelargonic acid
- pendimethalin
- penoxsulam
- potassium salts of fatty acids
- prodiamine
- pronamide
- quinclorac
- sethoxydim
- siduron
- simazine
- sulfometuron-methyl
- sulfosulfuron
- tebuthiuron
- triclopyr
- trifloxysulfuron-sodium
- trifluralin
Fungicides & Bactericides
Molluscicides
Rodenticides & Vertebrate Control
Antimicrobials
Nematicides
- 2,4-D
- abamectin
- acephate
- acetamiprid
- acetic acid
- allethrin
- ammoniated salt of fatty acids
- azadirachtin
- Bacillus subtilis
- Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. aizawai
- Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis
- Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki
- Beauveria bassiana
- benefin
- bensulide
- bentazon
- beta-cyfluthrin
- bifenthrin
- Borate
- brodifacoum
- bromacil
- bromadiolone
- bromethalin
- calcium polysulfide
- canola oil
- capric acid
- caprylic acid
- carbaryl
- carfentrazone
- chlorantraniliprole
- chlorophacinone
- chlorothalonil
- chlorsulfuron
- cholecalciferol
- clethodim
- clopyralid
- clothianidin
- clove oil
- codling moth granulosis virus
- copper ammonium complex
- copper hydroxide
- copper octanoate
- copper oxychloride sulfate
- corn gluten meal
- cryolite
- cyfluthrin
- cypermethrin
- d-limonene
- DCPA
- deltamethrin
- diatomaceous earth
- dicamba
- dichlobenil
- difethialone
- diflubenzuron
- dimethenamid-p
- dinotefuran
- diphacinone
- diquat
- disulfoton
- dithiopyr
- emamectin benzoate
- EPTC
- esfenvalerate
- eugenol
- ferric sodium EDTA
- fipronil
- fluazifop
- flumioxazin
- foramsulfuron
- fosetyl-al
- glufosinate-ammonium
- glyphosate
- halosulfuron
- Heterorhabditis nematodes
- hexazinone
- horticultural oil
- hydramethylnon
- imazapyr
- imidacloprid
- indaziflam
- iron phosphate
- iron-HEDTA
- isoxaben
- lambda-cyhalothrin
- malathion
- maleic hydrazide
- mancozeb
- MCPA
- mecoprop
- metaldehyde
- metolachlor
- MSMA
- myclobutanil
- napropamide
- neem oil
- Nosema locustae
- oryzalin
- oxadiazon
- oxyfluorfen
- pelargonic acid
- pendimethalin
- penoxsulam
- peppermint oil
- permethrin
- phosphorous acid
- potassium bicarbonate
- potassium salts of fatty acids
- prodiamine
- pronamide
- pyrethrin
- quinclorac
- rosemary oil
- s-hydroprene
- sesame oil
- sethoxydim
- siduron
- silica gel
- simazine
- sodium hypochlorite
- soybean oil
- spinosad
- Steinernema nematodes
- strychnine
- sulfluramid
- sulfometuron-methyl
- sulfosulfuron
- sulfur
- tau-fluvalinate
- tebuconazole
- tebuthiuron
- thiamethoxam
- thiophanate-methyl
- thyme oil
- Trichoderma harzianum
- triclopyr
- trifloxysulfuron-sodium
- trifluralin
- triforine
- warfarin
- zeta-cypermethrin
- zinc phosphide