Pet-Safe Insecticide for Plants

Insecticides can be used on either outdoor or indoor plants to get rid of unwanted insects that may be eating or otherwise harming the plant. Generally, they are toxic to the insect and may also be poisonous or dangerous to ingest for animals kept as pets. For the safety of any small animal kept as a pet, it's important to know which insecticides will and will not harm them.

  1. Pet-Safe Insecticides

    • The most pet-safe insecticides for use on both indoor and outdoor plants are natural ones. One that has been used for centuries is pyrethrum, which is made from the chrysanthemum flower. It is nontoxic to animals and is even safe to use on pets as a flea repellent in shampoo form.

      Another pet-safe insecticide is neem oil, which comes from the neem tree and coats insects with a thick covering of oil, killing them. This oil is non-toxic and won't harm household pets.

      There are other cost-effective and natural methods available for pet owners that are pet-safe, such as live ladybugs released on a plant that is infested with aphids. The ladybugs will eat the aphids and pose no danger to household pets.

      A local pet store or garden center may also have a selection of pet-safe products, which are becoming more popular because they are also safer for the environment. Some of these pet-safe insecticides include ingredients like orange peel extract, essential oils, safe insecticidal soaps and hot pepper extracts.

    Toxic Insecticides

    • According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the most dangerous insecticides to pets are those with the ingredients disyston, disulfoton, metaldehyde and methomyl. These ingredients are most commonly found in insecticides meant to kill flies, plant-eating insects such as aphids and non-insect pests like snails or rats.

    Birds

    • According to Companion Parrot Quarterly Magazine, parrots and other birds are extremely sensitive to chemicals in the air, much more so than other pets. Air fresheners, cleaning supplies, even the fumes from a heated Teflon pan can poison and kill birds. Because of this, toxic insecticides should not be used in a room where a bird lives, even if the bird doesn't come into direct physical contact with the insecticide. The fumes may often be enough to cause harm to the bird, and it should be moved to another room when you're treating affected plants.

    Other Small Pets

    • Small pets, especially insects or invertebrates like snails, tarantulas and stick insects that are kept as pets can be adversely affected by insecticide residue or fumes. Any pets of this nature should be removed to another room while indoor plants are being treated, and if you've been using insecticides, your hands should be washed thoroughly before handling or feeding your pets.

    Warning

    • Even if your pet only lives indoors and you're using toxic insecticides outside, these poisons may be tracked indoors where they could be ingested by pets. Take caution when using any insecticide that is not pet-safe, even if the pet may not come into direct contact with it.