Cypermethrin Information and Products | How Cypermethrin Works (2024)

Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid used to eliminate a wide range of common household bugs. It is a popular insecticide active ingredient.

Cypermethrin was initially formulated to control bugs' infestations on commercial agricultural lands where various types of ectoparasites (i.e., lice, fleas, and mites) are notorious for infesting cattle, sheep, and poultry. This active ingredient has since been made available for general pest control. Read on to learn more fascinating facts about Cypermethrin.

What is Cypermethrin?

Cypermethrin, first synthesized in 1974 and first registered by the US EPA in 1984, is a pyrethroid insecticide used to control many insect pests in households, commercial properties, and agriculture. Pyrethroids are a synthetic insecticide class that mimics the pyrethrins found in chrysanthemum flowers. Many popular pesticides use cypermethrin as an active ingredient. Cypermethrin can be formulated as wettable powders, liquid concentrates, dust, aerosols, and granules.

These insecticides are used indoors and outdoors to control many pests, such as spiders, wasps, ants (including carpenter and fire ants), fleas, boxelder bugs, co*ckroaches, termites, ladybugs, scorpions, and yellow jackets.

Cypermethrin is low-toxicity to humans and safe to use around pets when applied as directed. Because it is a synthetic pyrethroid, it lasts longer than natural pyrethrum and provides long-lasting control and prevention.

How Does Cypermethrin Work?

Mode of Action

Cypermethrin is a pyrethroid, so its mode of action is by contact or ingestion. This ingredient interferes with the pest's central nervous system, causing muscle spasms and inflicting paralysis. This creates an inability to function or eat, eventually leading to the pest's death. Depending on the formulation, a pest can take minutes to several hours to die.

Depending on the formulation, cypermethrin leaves a long-lasting residual that can continue to control pests for up to 90 days.

Benefits of Cypermethrin

Cypermethrin products are commonly used by pest control professionals when tasked with treatment jobs for their clients. Cypermethrin products can be used outdoors in parks, athletic fields, and agricultural sites. Cypermethrin can fight pests in food granaries, greenhouses, and pet kennels. Cypermethrin also works well on ornamental trees and shrubs, eliminating pests and preventing further invasions from occurring on them.

Drawbacks of Cypermethrin

After diluting Cypermethrin-based products, you should use them immediately and not store them away, as the acids in water can start to degrade the active ingredient and make it more ineffective as time passes.

Cypermethrin is not a non-repellent product, so there can be cases where insects will simply avoid the product and find another way to invade or continue their activities. Do not use Cyclohexrin on edible plants like fruits and vegetables.

Is Cypermethrin Safe?

Cypermethrin insecticides are safe when applied according to their product label instructions. While insects are vulnerable to the effects of cypermethrin, these products are much less toxic to humans and animals. Cats, however, are very sensitive to pyrethroids, so they should be kept away from treatment areas during and after application. Cypermethrin may still cause harm if ingested.

Though cypermethrin products are safe when used properly, always wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when applying insecticides and keep them out of the reach of children or pets. Wear as much coverage as you need to avoid direct skin contact and a respirator or other facial covering to avoid inhalation.

How to Use Sylo Insecticide

If you are looking for a long-lasting insecticide with broad-spectrum use, we recommend Sylo Insecticide. Sylo is an insecticide concentrate made with 25.4% cypermethrin.

Sylo Insecticide is used outdoors to create insecticide barriers that protect structures against pest invasions. This product is an emulsifiable concentrate, so it must be mixed with water before application. We recommend you mix and apply this product in a handheld pump sprayer for most applications. Depending on the pest you are treating, the labeled mix rate is between 0.52 to 5.1 fluid ounces of product per 1 gallon of water to treat 1,000 square feet.

Once your solution is mixed, you can broadcast it over lawns and apply it to outdoor surfaces like walls, doorframes, under eaves, and around cracks and crevices. In all applications, allow the product to dry completely before allowing people or pets around treated areas.

Pests that contact the spray or its residual will have their nervous systems impacted and die within minutes. Sylo also has a repelling effect that will keep labeled insects away from treated areas for up to 90 days.

What To Expect

Cypermethrin-based products do not guarantee an instant kill. It can take up to 24 hours to kill the target pest, but it does have a long-term residual that can last up to 90 days, meaning you don't have to reapply as often unless you have a very large infestation.

Whenever you use any of our products here at Solutions Pest & Lawn, we always recommend keeping children and pets away from the area being treated until the application product has completely dried, which usually takes a half-hour to an hour. Once dried, children and pets can be brought back into the area and return to normal behaviors.

Featured Products

Sylo Insecticide - Sylo Insecticide is produced and sold by Solutions Pest & Lawn and is labeled to control many insects, including termites. This product is an oil-based concentrate that provides a residual barrier that continues killing insects for up to 90 days. Sylo Insecticide is comparable to the popular Demon Max (Demon EC) insecticide. It can be applied using different types of sprayers to ensure all areas around building structures can be treated.