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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Permethrin

Permethrin is a pyrethroid insecticide. Pyrethroids are synthetic compounds made to mimic the pyrethrins that are isolated from chrysanthemum flowers. It is a broad-spectrum insecticide that works by interfering with a nerve cell's ability to send a normal signal by jamming open tiny gates on the cell that need to open and close rapidly to carry the message. Permethrin is used in agriculture, in public health mosquito control, and in residential settings. Products containing permethrin are also used on pets and on clothing.

General Questions about Permethrin

What is permethrin? What are some products that contain permethrin? How does permethrin work? How might I be exposed to permethrin What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to permethrin? What happens to permethrin when it enter the body? Is permethrin likely to contribute to the development of cancer? Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to permethrin? Are children more sensitive to permethrin than adults? What happens to permethrin in the environment? Can permethrin affect birds, fish, and other wildlife?

General Fact Sheet	Precautions for Using Spot-on Flea and Tick Products Podcast (2:38 min., 4.95MB)	Synthetic Pyrethroids and Paresthesias Medical Case Profile
What should I do during mosquito spraying? Q & A	What should I do during mosquito spraying? Podcast (1:39 min., 1.50MB)

If you have questions about permethrin, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

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NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.