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

Organization: Health Canada

ISBN: 978-0-660-71982-5

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 agricultural uses of the active ingredient piperonyl butoxide, published on March 2, 2023, are summarized below.

In this factsheet, agricultural uses include use in agriculture, horticulture and domestic gardens.

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 of Appendix 1, Table 4 of the re-evaluation decision	March 2, 2025	March 2, 2026

Label changes for piperonyl butoxide pesticides

Cancelled uses

As of March 2, 2025

• Stop post-harvest use on bulked or bagged stored grains

As for March 2, 2026

• Stop the following uses of domestic products:
  • on food crops grown in greenhouses
  • in home gardens

Other risk reduction measures, as of March 2, 2025

• Limit to the number of applications to soil and ornamentals
• Updated restricted-entry intervals (REI)
• Updated personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements
• Limit to the amount of product handled per day
• Limit to the cumulative dose applied per year
• Prohibited use of domestic greenhouse products in commercial greenhouses
• Added warnings about potential damage to plants following foliar applications
• Added statements to protect bees, beneficial arthropods and aquatic organisms

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.