Baygon was introduced by the German chemical manufacturer Bayer in 1967. In 2003, Bayer sold the brand to S. C. Johnson & Son. As part of the agreement, the active ingredients used in the pesticides are still manufactured by Bayer and supplied non-exclusively to SC Johnson.[1][2]
Composition
Baygon products contain the pyrethroidscyfluthrin, transfluthrin, cypermethrin, prallethrin and the carbamatepropoxur and organophosphorus chlorpyrifos, as active ingredients.[3][4] In the concentrations used in consumer product insecticides, pyrethroids may also have insect repellent properties and are generally harmless to human beings in low doses but can harm sensitive individuals.[5] If ingested in sufficient quantities, they can lead to a variety of ill effects, including tremors, dyspnea, and paralysis.[6]
The active biocide in Baygon, prallethrin, while considered effective as a mosquito repellent, has been flagged by the WHO and in other studies, as "highly toxic" to honeybees and fish.[7][8]