Articles > Care & Maintenance

Home Vegetable Insecticides

Pesticide Label
Pesticide Label

Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program
Revised:  3/13/2008
Item number:  XHT1097

Recently, several commonly-used insecticides for the control of insects in home vegetable gardens have been taken off the market.  As a result, it’s becoming ever more challenging for home gardeners to find suitable insecticide products at garden centers, discount stores, and hardware stores.  This listing will help identify some of the suitable products that may replace products that are no longer available.  Please be sure to note the product names carefully as several products have similar names, and make sure you check that the active ingredient on the product label is what you’re looking for.

Vegetable insecticides that have lost their registration include diazinon and chlorpyrifos (Dursban).  The following products are still available and effective for the control of the insects listed.

 Asparagus Aphid
  •  Azadirachtin (Safer’s Brand Neem)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Insecticidal soap (Safer’s, Concern)
•   Malathion
•   Pyrethrin (several products)

Asparagus Beetle
 •  Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Malathion
•   Permethrin
•   Pyrethrin (several products)
•   Rotenone

Armyworm
 •  Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)

Bean Aphid
 •  Acephate (Orthene Systemic Insect Control)
•   Azadirachtin (Safer’s Brand Neem)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Insecticidal soap (Safer’s, Concern)
•   Malathion

Cabbage Aphid
 •  Azadirachtin (Safer’s Brand Neem)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Insecticidal soap (Safer’s, Concern)
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)

Cabbage Maggot
 •  NONE

Colorado Potato Beetle
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)

Corn Leaf Aphid
 •  NONE

Corn Borer & Corn Earworm
 •  Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Thruicide, Dipel)
•   Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)

Corn Rootworm Beetles
 •  Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Permethrin (several products)
•   Pyrethrin (several products)

Cutworms
 •  Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Dipel, Thuricide)
•   Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)

Cucumber Beetles
•   Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Malathion
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)
•   Pyrethrin (several products)
•   Rotenone (several products)

Fleabeetles
 •  Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis (Bonide CPB Beater)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)

Green Peach Aphid
•   Acephate
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Insecticidal soap (Safer’s, Concern)
•   Malathion
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)

Leafminers
•  Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)

Leafhoppers (potato & aster)
•   Acephate (Orthene, Isotox)
•   Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Insecticidal Soap (Safer’s, Concern)

Loopers
•   Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Thuricide, Dipel)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Malathion
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)

Melon Aphid
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Insecticidal soap (Safer’s, Concern)
•   Malathion

Onion Maggot
•   NONE

Onion Thrips
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Malathion
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)
•   Rotenone

Potato Aphid
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
•   Esfenvalerate (Ortho Bug-B-Gone Multipurpose Spray)
•   Malathion
•   Permethrin (Eight Garden & Home Insect Control)
•   Insecticidal soap (Safer’s, Concern)

Tomato Hornworm and Fruitworm
•   Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Dipel, Thuricide)
•   Carbaryl (Sevin)
•   Cyfluthrin (Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer)
• Permethrin (several products)

For more information on insecticides:  See University of Wisconsin Garden Facts Home Turf Insecticides, Home Landscape Insecticides, and Home Fruit Insecticides.


Download Article
This page is optimized for printing

Featured Articles by Season

Ask Your Gardening Question

If you’re unable to find the information you need, please submit your gardening question here:

Support Extension