Changes to the registration of piperonyl butoxide pesticides (non-agricultural uses)

Organization: Health Canada

ISBN: 978-0-660-71984-9

Date published: 2024-07-26

All pesticides used in Canada must be registered under the Pest Control Products Act. Pesticides are re-evaluated to ensure that they continue to meet health and environmental requirements. Re-evaluation may result in the revocation of a product or product uses. Health Canada may also request changes to a product's label, including mitigation measures, use sites and application methods.

Piperonyl butoxide is a product that is always combined with an insecticide to improve its effectiveness. These insecticides are used in a wide range of locations. The highlights of the re-evaluation decision concerning the non-agricultural uses of the active ingredient piperonyl butoxide, published on March 2, 2023, are summarized below.

In this factsheet, non-agricultural uses include pest management in structures, mosquito applications, fish eradication and pet treatments.

Cancelled Products

Cancelled product	Last date of sale	Last date of use
Domestic products listed in Appendix 1, Table 2 of the re-evaluation decision	March 2, 2024	September 2, 2024
Products listed in Appendix 1, Table 4 of the re-evaluation decision	March 2, 2025	March 2, 2026

Label changes for piperonyl butoxide pesticides

To find out the deadline for label changes by product, see Appendix 1 of the re-evaluation decision:

• Table 1 products - changes required as of September 2, 2024
• Table 3 products - changes required as of March 2, 2025

Cancelled uses

Stop the following applications:

• For liquid domestic products
  • space spraying
  • residential application using portable or fixed fogging or nebulizing equipment
• Application against lice on mattresses, bedding, furniture and clothing
• Fog application against mosquitoes in pastures
• Space spraying in the presence of livestock, except poultry
• General treatment of interior structures against flies and mosquitoes in livestock buildings
• Direct application to lakes, ponds and reservoirs for fish eradication

Other risk reduction measures

• For commercial products, limit to maximum application rate:
  • for mosquito control
  • by broadcast spraying on surfaces
  • in metered-dose dispensers
• Application rate limit for space spraying in the presence of poultry
• Limit to the number of applications per year for all outdoor uses, such as campgrounds, roadsides and grassy areas
• Reduced application rate for surface treatments
• For domestic products, limit to the application rate for space spraying using pressurized devices
• Restriction on the number of ground or fog applications against mosquitoes
• Application of powder products restricted to empty spaces and non-food areas
• Update to the personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
• Two-hour re-entry interval required after space spraying with a commercial liquid or pressurized product
  • the applicator must notify all persons having access to the treated area of the re-entry interval.
• Updated conditions of use for surface treatments in residential areas where children may be present
• Updated statements for structural treatment products, in accordance with the PMRA guidance document, Structural Pest Control Products: Label Updates *
• Precautionary statements on domestic class products
• Environmental hazard statements to protect bees, beneficial arthropods and aquatic organisms
• For the treatment of pets:
  • updated use directions
  • warnings on possible side effects

Users must follow the instructions on the updated labels.

Using a pesticide contrary with the label directions is a violation of the Pest Control Products Act.

Read the label

All pesticides registered in Canada have a Health Canada-approved label with a registration number. Read the pesticide label carefully, as it contains specific information on how to use it.

To find the most up-to-date label, use our online label search tool, or search for "Health Canada pesticide labels" using your favourite search engine.