Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Tetramethrin

General Information

• Fact Sheet: Synthetic Pyrethroids.pdf
• Product Names:

  Enforcer Wasp & Yellow Jacket Foam (Enforcer Products), formulated with Sumithrin
  Deep 6 Wasp and Hornet Killer (Speer Products), formulated with Piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin
  Champion Fire Ant Killer (Chase Products), formulated with Piperonyl butoxide, Permethrin
  Hot Shot Indoor Fogger 3 with Odor Neutralizer (Spectrum Brands), formulated with Permethrin 
  Mosquito B Gon Area Repellent (Ortho Group), formulated with Permethrin 
  Raid Flea Killer Plus (SC Johnson), formulated with Piperonyl butoxide, N-Octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide (MGK 264), Pyrethrins, Sodium nitrite, d-Methoprene

• Chemical Class: Synthetic pyrethroid insecticide
• Uses: Targets insects such as wasps, hornets, roaches, ants, fleas, and mosquitoes in residential and industrial settings and rights-of-way
• Alternatives: Least-toxic Rights-of-way managment, Least-toxic mosquito control
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Possible (10)
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Not documented
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (11)
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
• Birth/Developmental: Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (20)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (57)

Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database

• Cockroaches
• Fleas
• Wasps and Yellowjackets
• Chiggers

Additional Information

• Studies:
• Exposure to pesticides, persistent and non − persistent pollutants in French 3.5-year-old children: Findings from comprehensive hair analysis in the ELFE national birth cohort. Macheka, L. et al. (2024) Exposure to pesticides, persistent and non − persistent pollutants in French 3.5-year-old children: Findings from comprehensive hair analysis in the ELFE national birth cohort, Environment International. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004677.
• Subacute oral toxicity of combinations of selected synthetic pyrethroids, piperonyl butoxide, and tetramethrin in rats. Yavuz O, Aksoy A, Das YK, et al. (2013). Subacute oral toxicity of combinations of selected synthetic pyrethroids, piperonyl butoxide, and tetramethrin in rats. Toxicology and Industrial Health. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0748233712469651
• Pesticide contamination in indoor home dust: A pilot study of non-occupational exposure in Argentina. Aparicio, Virginia & Kaseker, Jessica & Scheepers, Paul & Alaoui, Abdallah & Figueiredo, Daniel & Mol, H. & Silva, Vera & Harkes, Paula & dos Santos, Danilo & Geissen, Violette & Costa, José. (2025). Pesticide Contamination in Indoor Home Dust: A Pilot Study of Non-Occupational Exposure in Argentina. Environmental Pollution. 373. 126208. 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126208.