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Regulatory Changes Proposed on Insecticide Pest Strip and Other DDVP Products
As a result of EPA’s ongoing evaluation of pesticides, the manufacturer of insect pest strips containing the organophosphate pesticide DDVP (or dichlorvos) has asked EPA to remove certain uses and further restrict where the pest strips can be used in homes. As part of the standard regulatory process, EPA will publish the proposed changes and its revised risk assessment for public comment before issuing a final decision.
On this page:
The request from the manufacturer would remove the largest pest strip use (100 grams) from the registration, and for the remaining sizes (both “large” and “small”), new restrictions would be added to product labels. Specifically, the larger strips cannot be used in homes except in garages, attics, crawl spaces, and sheds that are occupied for less than four hours per day. For the smaller pest strips, use in the home is limited to closets, wardrobes, and cupboards. During the transition to the more restrictive labeling, existing products can continue to be used until the phase-out is complete. EPA reminds consumers of the importance of reading and following all label directions to ensure pesticide products are used correctly.
Additionally, the manufacturer is voluntarily deleting other uses of DDVP including: mushroom house, greenhouse, and warehouse handheld fogger uses; total release fogger, as well as lawn, turf/ornamental and crack/crevice uses.
Trade Names of the Pest Strips
The pest strips are sold as:
- Alco® No-Pest Strip,
- AMVAC Insect Strip,
- Alco® Pest Strip,
- AMVAC No-Pest Strip, and
- Swat Pest Strip.
Pest Strips Sizes
“large”
- 100-gram (size will no longer be available- see timeline below)
- 80-gram
- 65-gram
“small”
- 21-gram (size will no longer be available - see timeline below)
- 16-gram new (size to be available)
- 10.5-gram
- 5.25-gram
Major Provisions
New Restrictions on Pest Strips in Residential Settings
The new label language for the larger strips will state that those strips cannot be used in homes, except in garages, attics, crawl spaces and sheds occupied for less than 4 hours per day. The only pest strip use allowed in the home will be the smaller strips for closets, wardrobes, and cupboards (16, 10.5, and 5.25 g). In addition, the manufacturer will stop making the 21-gram closet strip and replace it with a 16-gram strip reformulated with less active ingredient.
Other restrictions that are currently on the label, such as not to use in hospital rooms or closets of rooms where infants, children, and the sick or aged are or will be present for any extended period of confinement, will remain on the label.
Consistent with label directions, the large pest strips can continue to be used in boathouses, museum collections, animal buildings, milk rooms or enclosed areas occupied by people for less than four hours per day. They can also be used in unoccupied structures provided they are unoccupied for more than four months immediately following placement of a pest strip.
Timeline for Pest Strips
- April 15, 2007 (or 4 months after EPA approves new labels, whichever is later) – Registrant must stop sale of products with old labels to distributors and end use registrants.
- December 31, 2007 – Last daydistributors can sell pest strips with old labels.
- January 1, 2008 – Registrant and distributors may sell pest strips with new labels only.
- January 1, 2008 – Registrant begins reclaiming from distributors pest strip products with old labels. Retailers may sell pest strips until stock is exhausted.
Other Uses That Will No Longer Be Available
- Mushroom house handheld fogger
- Greenhouse handheld fogger
- Warehouse handheld fogger
- Total release fogger
- Lawn, Turf and Ornamentals
- Crack and Crevice
The registrant will stop distributing or selling DDVP as a source for the products listed above within 14 days of written notification from EPA that its label amendments have been approved.
Occupational Exposure Amendments
- Coveralls required for Mushroom house hose end spray
- Post-application reentry interval requirements
- 18 hours for mushroom houses
- 12 hours for greenhouses
Next Steps
Publication of Notice of Voluntary Cancellation
EPA will publish a notice in the Federal Register describing the proposed changes to the registrations of these products. This notice will include a comment period. Following the comment period and EPA’s review of any comments received, the Agency will publish a final cancellation order and notice of amendment of labels for those products whose uses are changing. This notice will spell out the requirements for the registrant, distributors, retailers, and consumers regarding use of remaining stocks of the old products.
Reregistration and Tolerance Reassessment Process
DDVP is going through a public participation review process that the Agency uses to involve the public in developing pesticide reregistration and tolerance reassessment decisions. The next steps of the process include issuing a revised human health risk assessment for public comment. DDVP will also be included in the organophosphate cumulative risk assessment, which will be issued in the summer of 2006.
Special Review to be Concluded Separately
After these steps, EPA will turn its attention to resolving any outstanding issues regarding the DDVP Special Review.