The Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has decided to cancel certain uses of the pyrethroid insecticide, tetramethrin, to address potential risks of concern to human health.

Tetramethrin is registered for use on a broad spectrum of insect pests on a variety of sites including: structural sites (indoors and outdoors), indoor house plants, outdoor wasp and hornet nests, outdoor ornamentals and outdoor residential sites. 

Registered pesticide product labels include specific direction for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment and must be followed by law.

Human Health

• Cancellation of garden broadcast treatments, indoor broadcast treatments and indoor perimeter treatments is required to protect homeowners and those entering treated residential areas.

• Updated label statements are required to meet current label standards and minimize unnecessary exposure.

Environment

• Advisory label statements are required to protect bees and aquatic organisms.

To comply with this decision, the required mitigation measures must be implemented on all products labels sold by registrants no later than 24 months after 23 February 2018.

Source: Health Canada