General note on chemicals: I do not endorse or advise on chemical treatments, as I am not qualified to do so and there may be dangers beyond my control. New products may be introduced or existing ones withdrawn, so it is difficult to keep up with current information on a website such as this. As many of the chemical pages were generated by Dave Cushman, I am leaving the content mainly as left by Dave for historical purposes only, which may mean information is out of date and unreliable. The user should seek guidance from other sources and satisfy themselves regarding safety and legality. Roger Patterson.
Physical Properties
Appearance... White or yellowish crystalline solid. Or yellowish to orange liquid
Melting point... 86 - 87°C.
Solubility... Slightly soluble in water. Soluble in common organic solvents.
pH value... 9.0 - 10.5
Purity... This can vary widely ( 98% to 20% )
Chemical Properties
Formula... C19H23N3
Molecular Weight... 293.33
Composition... N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-N-[[(2,4-dimethylphenyl)imino]methyl]-N-methylmethanimidamide; N-methylbis(2,4-xylyliminomethyl)amine.
Uses
Amitraz is used as an acaricide to control varroa infestations in honey bees.
As an insecticide on fruit trees and other horticultural crops, where it controls...
pear psylla on pears, whitefly on cotton, tetranychid and eriophyid mites on fruit, citrus, ornamental, and other crops, and it controls both eggs and neonate larvae of cotton bollworm as well as tobacco budworm.
It is also used against pests in mammalian domestic pets where it controls ticks and mange mites. Similarly it controls lice on cattle and pigs.
It is used as a synergist to other insecticides.
Hazards
Amitraz is an alpha-2 agonist.
Clinical symptoms
30 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion...
GI disturbance: nausea, vomiting
Respiratory and CNS depression (drowsiness, coma)
Bradycardia, hypotension, hypothermia
Hyperglycaemia
Rise in liver enzyme activity (transaminases)
Recovery
CNS depression resolves within 18 hours, other signs and symptoms subside within 24 to 48 hours.
Treatment
Stomach washing may be considered.
Supportive care
Intubation and assisted ventilation may be required.
Dobutamine hydrochloride may be considered to counteract hypotension and slightly raise heart rate.
Environmental Hazards
Fish... LD50 0.74 ppm (rainbow trout), 0.5 ppm (bluegill).
Bee... Nontoxic.
Bird... Oral LD50 788 mg/kg (bobwhite). Dietary LD50 7000 ppm (mallard).
Toxicity
Rat... Oral LD50 650 mg/kg. Dermal LD50 >1600 mg/kg.
Rabbit... Dermal LD50 >200 mg/kg.
Recommended Protective Clothing
Tightly woven long sleeved shirt and long trousers, nitrile rubber gloves, boots, face shield. Wear clean clothing every day, launder before re-using. Remove contaminated clothing immediately. Wash eyes with water. Wash other affected parts of body with soap and water. If the extent of contamination is unknown, bathe entire body
thoroughly, change clothing.
Handling & Storage
Do not store at temperatures below 0°C. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing. Do not breathe mist, keep the container closed. Wash thoroughly after handling. Do not eat or smoke while handling, do not store with food or animal feeds.
Emergency Guidelines
Fire Extinguishing Media... Water, foam, dry powder, CO2.
Dave Cushman.
Originally written by Dave Cushman. Edited and additions by Roger Patterson.
Page created pre-2011
Page updated 12/12/2022