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Plant- and Mineral-Based Active Ingredients

Naturally-Occurring Plant OilsMaggie's Farm Naturally-Occurring Plant Oils

Plants have evolved over time to produce compounds to protect themselves from insects, mites and diseases. Some plants produce particularly high amounts and/or particularly potent compounds. These essential oils are obtained by grinding the plants and steam-distilling or cold-pressing them to extract the oil. The oil may then be further processed for purification. Certain essential oils kill insects fast and/or act as “true repellents” (insects are repelled by the vapors).

We use combinations of these plant oils as the active ingredients in our Maggie Farm plant oil-based products, including cinnamon oil, citronella oil, clove oil, corn oil, geraniol, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, soybean oil and thyme oil.

Our Maggie’s Farm plant oil-based products include aerosol, trigger spray, hose-end, dust, pourable and space repellent products:

These products contain only ingredients classified by the U.S. EPA as “minimum-risk”, so they are exempt from EPA registration. Click on link for more information: https://www.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides
     

    Naturally-Occurring Borax

    Borax (also known as sodium tetraborate decahydrate) is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the ground. It is a component in many household products including laundry and cleaning products, hand soap and cosmetics. It will also kill insects such as ants, cockroaches, mites, spiders and other insects if they ingest it. As an ant bait, to get the ants to find and eat the bait, a small amount of borax is mixed with some food ingredients.  Foraging ants are attracted to the bait, eat it and take it back to their colony where they share it among other ants, ultimately killing the colony. The amount of time it takes to eliminate a colony depends on its size, but typically will be a few days to a couple of weeks (for very large colonies).

    Our Maggie’s Farm Ant Bait and Maggie’s Farm No Spill Ant Kill™ are both very effective borax ant baits.

    Naturally-Derived Silicon Dioxide (Amorphous Silica)Naturally-Derived Silicon Dioxide (Amorphous Silica)

    Silicon dioxide, in the form of amorphous (non-crystalline) silica, is a food-grade ingredient derived from natural quartz sand. When pests walk through the dust, the product clings to their bodies and absorbs their protective waxy coating, causing a quick death by dehydration. It provides fast kill and long-lasting control against bed bugs and many other crawling insects including ants, cockroaches, fleas, and spiders.

    Silicon dioxide (amorphous silica) is the active ingredient in our Maggie’s Farm Bed Bug Killer Dust™ (which is also labeled for use to control a variety of crawling insects too).

    Derived From Soil Microbes - AbamectinAbamectin: Derived From Soil Microbes

    Abamectin is a natural fermentation product of the soil bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis. Abamectin is slow-acting (not a quick kill), which makes it a great bait since it allows the target insects (i.e. ants, cockroaches and silverfish) to carry the active ingredient back to other members of their colony, eliminating the entire colony.

    Abamectin is the active ingredient in our Maggie’s Farm Roach Killer Gel Bait™, which can also be used to control ants and silverfish.

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