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Chemicals withdrawn from sale or use
(updated April 2010)

This is a list of active ingredients that are being or have been withdrawn from sale since 2002. Note that brand names may be retained even though active ingredients in them are changed. Please be careful to use only the current brands.

Insecticides

Active ingredient

Brand name¹

Main use

Last date for use

Bifenthrin Bayer Sprayday Greenfly Killer Plus,
Bayer Multirose 3-in-1,
Bayer Bug-Free Bayer Bug and Disease Killer,
Doff All in One Garden Pest Killer,
Scotts Rose Clear 3,
Scotts Rose Clear 3 Gun,
Scotts Bug Clear Gun
Various insects and red spider mite 31.5.11
Chlorpyriphos  Bio Chlorophos Vegetable root flies 15.6.02
Dimethoate Doff Systemic Insecticide Sap-feeding insects 31.8.02
Lindane
 
Doff Gamma BHC Dust Various soil pests 20.6.02
  Doff Weevil Killer Various soil pests 20.6.02
  Doff Ant Killer Ants 20.6.02
Malathion  Murphy Liquid Malathion Various insects and mites 30.11.02
Permethrin  Homebase All in One Insecticide Various insects 27.6.02
Pirimicarb Rose Clear2 ³ Aphids only 31.12.03
Pirimiphos-methyl Fumite General Purpose Smoke Cone Glasshouse pests 31.7.03
Resmethrin Vitax House Plant pest killer Houseplant insects 31.12.03
Rotenone Bio Liquid Derris Plus, Doff Derris Dust, Vitax Derris Dust Various leaf pests 10.10.09
Tar oils and tar acids Murphy Mortegg 10 Aphid eggs on fruit trees 31.12.04
  Armillatox ² Vine weevil eggs 31.12.03

 
 

Animal repellents

Active ingredient

Brand name¹

Main use

Last date for use

Bone oil Renardine Animal repellent 24.3.05

 

Fungicides

 Active ingredient

 Brand name¹

 Main use

Last date for use 

Carbendazim

 
Doff Plant Disease Control Various diseases 30.6.03
 
 
Spotless Various diseases 30.6.03
Copper sulphate Cheshunt compound Damping off in seedlings 30.11.11
Deadfast Greenhouse Sulphur Candle (Growing Success) A general glasshouse fumigant used to kill fungal spores on exposed surfaces 31.12.11
Green sulphur Vitax For control of powdery mildew on many fruit, ornamentals and vegetables and storage rots of bulbs, corms and tubers. Also useful for treating greenhouse staging, seed trays and boxes where moulds are likely to occur.

 

31.12.11
Mancozeb  Dithane11 Various diseases n/a
Penconazole  Fungus Attack11 Various diseases on roses and ornamentals  n/a
Tar oils and tar acids Armillatox² Honey fungus, clubroot 31.12.03
  Jeyes Fluid² Soil sterilisation 31.12.03
Thiophanate methyl Bio Liquid Club Root Control Clubroot 31.12.05
Triforine and bupirimate Rose Clear 2³ Rose diseases 31.12.03
Yellow sulphur Vitax For control of powdery mildew on many fruit, ornamentals and vegetables and storage rots of bulbs, corms and tubers. Also useful for treating greenhouse staging, seed trays and boxes where moulds are likely to occur.

 

31.12.11

 

Weedkillers/herbicides

 Active ingredient

 Brand name¹

Main use

Last date for use

 Ammonium sulphamate

Deep Root, Root Out, Amcide, Doff Tree Stump & Tough Weedkiller and others (click to view the complete list)

Woody weeds and stumps   22.5.08
 Atrazine  Scotts Pathclear 6 Weeds  10.9.05
  Doff Total Path Weedkiller Weeds   10.9.05
 Dichlobenil Casoron G4 Weed Barrier Unplanted ground and around established trees and shrubs  18.03.10
 Dichloroprop Many brands 4 Lawn weeds  31.12.03
 Diuron Doff Long-lasting Path Weedkiller Weeds on hard surfaces  13.12.08
Glufosinate ammonium FITO Garden Weedkiller and FITO Patio Weedkiller11 Weeds n/a
 Paraquat Scotts Weedol 8 Weeds 30.4.06
 Simazine Scotts Pathclear 6
Doff Total Path Weedkiller 7
Weeds 10.9.05
Sodium chlorate  Doff Sodium Chlorate Weedkiller, Gem Stop Weeds Ready-to-Use, Gem Stop Weeds Sodium Chlorate, DeadFast Sodium Chlorate Weedkiller, Vitax Sodium Chlorate Weedkiller Weeds 10.5.10
Tar oils and tar acids Armillatox² Moss, lichen or liverwort 31.12.03
 TBA  Touchweeder 5 Lawn weeds 31.12.03 

 

Moss Killers

Active ingredient

Brand name¹

Main use

Last date for use

Dichlorophen Bio Kills Moss on Lawns 9 Lawn mosskiller 30.9.06

 

Plant Growth Regulators

Active ingredient

Brand name¹

Main use

Last date for use

Dichlorophen Baby Bio Roota Hormone rooting compound 30.4.06
Dikegulac Cutlass Hedge growth retardant 31.12.03

Notes

¹ In some cases, as indicated in the table, the withdrawn product has been replaced by another with the same or an increased range of uses, but containing a different active ingredient or ingredients.

² Armillatox and Jeyes Fluid remain on the market as disinfectants, but they no longer are permitted to be used for pesticidal purposes.

³ Rose Clear 2 has been replaced by a new product Rose Clear 3 with an increased range of uses and different active ingredients.

4 Many of these have been replaced by other products that contain a different active ingredient but may be used for the same purposes.

5 This has been replaced by another product with the same name that contains a different active ingredient but may be used for the same purposes.

6 Pathclear Gun! is not affected as it does not contain simazine. The replacement product Pathclear Ultra is based on approved active ingredients.

7 The replacement product Doff Improved Total Path Weedkiller is based on approved active ingredients.

8 An alternative product is Weedol 2, which doesn't contains paraquat.

9 The manufacturers have ceased to make dichlorophen because there is no longer sufficient market for it.

10 The only products now available for use as a winter wash are the plant oil-based Growing Success Winter Tree Wash and Vitax Winter Tree Wash..

11 This active ingredient has not been withdrawn but the product/s containing it are no longer being marketed.

 

Disposing of out-of-date chemicals

Out-of-date garden chemicals need to be safely and legally disposed of. They should not be placed in household waste or down the drain. Contact your local council or visit the Pesticide Action Network’s website for your nearest pesticide disposal site.

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Weedkillers for gardeners

Pesticides for gardeners

Fungicides for gardeners

 

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More information

More information

Pesticide Action Network website: for details of local council facilities for disposal of pesticide waste

Chemicals Regulation Directorate website: for details on storing and disposing chemcials

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Gardeners' calendar

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