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Selected Mammal and Bird Repellents: 9,10-Anthraquinone (122701), 1-Butanethiol (1-Butylmercaptan) (125001), Fish Oil (122401), Meat Meal (100628), Methyl Anthranilate (128725), Red Pepper (Chile Pepper) (070703) Fact Sheet

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Issued: 3/01

On This Page

  1. Description of the Active Ingredient
  2. Use Sites, Target Pests, and Application Methods
  3. Assessing Risks to Human Health
  4. Assessing Risks to the Environment
  5. Regulatory Information
  6. Producer Information
  7. Additional Contact Information

Summary

These active ingredients help keep animals and birds away from green plants and other places where they are not wanted. Butanethiol, fish oil, meat meal, and red (chile) pepper repel mammals. Anthraquinone and methyl anthranilate are used as bird repellents at various sites, such as on golf courses and at airports. Methyl anthranilate, fish oil, and red pepper are regularly eaten by humans and animals with no known harmful effects. No adverse effects to humans, the environment, pets, or wildlife are expected from proper use of these six substances.

  1. Description of the Active Ingredient

    2. Active Ingredient Name: 9,10-Anthraquinone
    OPP Chemical Code 122701; (CAS # 84-65-1)

    Active Ingredient Name: 1-Butanethiol (1-Butylmercaptan)
    OPP Chemical Code 125001; (CAS # 109-79-5)

    Active Ingredient Name: Fish Oil
    OPP Chemical Code: 122401; (CAS # 8016-13-5)

    Active Ingredient Name: Meat Meal
    OPP Chemical Code: 100628

    Active Ingredient Name: Methyl Anthranilate
    OPP Chemical Code: 128725; (CAS # 134-20-3)

    Active Ingredient Name: Red Pepper (Chile Pepper)
    OPP Chemical Code: 070703

    Except for meat meal, the other five active ingredients are found in the environment (See table). Red pepper and meat meal are registered for use in the same two products, although they have different roles in the product; the meat meal repels browsers, such as deer, and the red (chile) pepper keeps animals such as dogs and coyotes away from the bag containing the meat meal. Butanethiol is the chemical that gives skunk spray its characteristic odor.

  2. Use Sites, Target Pests, and Application Methods

    3. See Table.

  3. Assessing Risks to Human Health

    4. No harmful effects to humans are expected from using products containing these active ingredients as specified on the label. Three of the active ingredients are common in the food supply. Meat meal is sterilized and considered safe for its intended use, which does not involve direct contact with food. Meat meal is often used in animal feed and in fertilizer.

  4. Assessing Risks to the Environment

    5. No risks to the environment are expected when these repellents are used according to the label instructions because 1) they are not toxic to animals or birds when ingested; 2) they are used as repellents, so there is little or no contact between animals and the active ingredients; 3) except for meat meal, which is manufactured, they are found in the environment and degrade quickly. Butanethiol and methyl anthranilate are toxic to some aquatic organisms, and labels generally tell users not to contaminate bodies of water.

  5. Regulatory Information

    6. See Table.

  6. Producer Information

    7. See Table.

  7. Additional Contact Information

    8. Ombudsman, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511P)
    Office of Pesticide Programs
    Environmental Protection Agency
    1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
    Washington, D.C. 20460

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more

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Selected mammal and bird repellents registered by EPA as active ingredients
Active ingredient
(# of products) Year first product registered		 Uses Use sites and application method Registrant Other
Anthraquinone (1)
1998		 Repels geese Spray on dry terrestrial sites such as: at and near airports; golf courses; urban sites (outdoors); landfills Environmental Biocontrol, Intl., Wilmington, DE Found in many plants.

Has medicinal uses.

To be applied only by professional applicators.

See also: Anthraquinone fact sheet
1-Butanethiol (1)
1988		 Repels deer Ornamentals, trees, shrubs. Not for use on food. Cleaning Solutions, Pest Solutions, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI Irritant in concentrated form

Produced by skunks to repel enemies.
Fish oil (1)
1998		 Repels rabbits and deer Spray on twigs and foliage of various ornamentals Themac, Inc.,

Valdosta, GA		 Considered a food by FDA, and therefore considered safe
Meat meal (2)

[used with red chile pepper]

1996		 Repels rabbits, raccoons, deer Use for agricultural crops and ornamentals. Product is in a bag that is hung on plants or stakes and releases repellent odors Envirodyne, Inc., Manistee, MI This is a sterilized food by-product consisting primarily of proteins from livestock. It is available to the public and considered safe.
Methyl anthranilate (6)
1994		 Repels many kinds of birds, including geese, gulls, blackbirds, crows, starlings Apply by spraying. Sites include turf, standing water, airports, garbage dumps, certain berries. 1) Becker Underwood, Inc. Ames, IA

2) Dolphin Trust/Bird Shield Repellent Corp., Pullman,WA		 Found in several varieties of grapes.

FDA considers this chemical GRAS, or safe for use in foods. It is used as a flavoring and in perfumes.
Red (chile) pepper (2)

[used with meat meal]

1996 		Used with meat meal to repel animals (e.g., coyotes, dogs) that might be attracted to the meat meal. Use for agricultural crops and ornamentals.

Product is in a bag that is hung on plants or stakes and releases repellent odors over weeks or months.		 Envirodyne, Inc., Manistee, MI Eaten by people worldwide

Prepared as a powder by drying and grinding red chile pepper pods (Capsicum spp).

FDA classifies red pepper as GRAS. Click here for information on Capsaicin (070701)
RED Fact Sheet (PDF) (5 pp, 37 k), RED (PDF) (148 pp, 57 mb)

For additional mammalian repellents, see REDs for:

Putrescent whole egg solids (105101)    --  RED Fact Sheet (PDF) (3 pp, 28 k), RED (PDF) (124 pp,4.9 MB)
Dried blood (000611)    --   RED Fact Sheet (PDF) (4 pp,30k), RED (PDF) (28 pp,144k)
plant oils, and floral extracts.

See also the following two PEFs: plant oils; floral extracts

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