Pyrethrins – Will EPA take your Fly Spray?

Pyrethrin and Permethrin are key ingredients in many commercial fly and tick repellents. As AHC and the larger agriculture industry anxiously await the upcoming EPA proposed interim decisions regulating access to Pyrethrins and Permethrins, we felt it was important to understand how the industry is using these substances and how updated regulations may impact us.

AHC launched a brief survey to horse owners to gain information on their routine fly and tick control practices and  their preferred products. Some key findings from nearly 300 horse owners across the country include:

• 98% of respondents that manage horses use a combination of fly control tactic including topical products, barn misters, fly sheets, masks, and boots, mechanical tools such as fans, and manure management strategies.
• 94% of respondents use topical products, with 90% of those owners using pyrethrin or permethrin-based products.
• 16% use long-acting tick repellent and 14% use barn misters, with all of those respondents using pyrethrin or permethrin-based products.
• The median number of horses managed was 3, but several respondents managed over 100 horses.
• The average spent was $509 (median 300) annually per respondent and $121 annually per horse (med $90)
• Only 3% reported using physical barriers such as fly masks, boots, sheets, etc.
• 92% of those that use topical repellents also use barn misting systems. Average spent per horse of barn misting systems is $133 (median $96), average spent per owner is $1281(median $400)

Of those that use topical pyrethrin/permethrin products, 40% said they do not believe there is an effective alternative should pyrethrins/permethrins be banned from consumer products, while another 40% said they would switch to herbal products despite many of those respondents saying they would switch commenting that “they did not believe they were an equally effective alternative” in an open text box.

Of those that use barn misting systems, 34% said they would stop using the system if pyrethrins/permethrins are banned from consumer products, while 44% said they would switch to an herbal product.

Of the 44 respondents that selected using long term tick repellent, 72% live in states where Lyme disease is now considered endemic where pyrethrin/permethrin is considered a standard tick repellent for humans and animals.

The impact is clear, if horse owners lose access to pyrethrin and permethrin based products, there will be significant downstream effects on the health, welfare, and management of horses in our industry. The AHC will continue to advocate for the needs of horses and owners across the country. We need YOU to let us know how losing fly spray and tick repellent would impact you and your horse.