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Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil (Salvia rosmarinus, CAS 8000-25-7) is a permitted FIFRA 25(b) active rich in 1,8-cineole, camphor and alpha-pinene. It has contact and fumigant activity against mites and insects and is used in commercial botanical insecticides. In Spider Mite Control it is a trace co-active at 0.01%.

Composition

Rosemary oil is steam-distilled from leaves and flowering tops. Its main constituents are 1,8-cineole, camphor and alpha-pinene, with borneol, camphene and bornyl acetate. Chemotypes differ: cineole-dominant oils (often Moroccan or Tunisian origin) and camphor or pinene-dominant oils (often Spanish) behave differently, so the source and specification must be fixed for a formulation. The plant was reclassified from Rosmarinus officinalis to Salvia rosmarinus in 2017. Oxidation during storage shifts composition further, so oils should be stored cool and sealed.

Action on arthropods

1,8-cineole and camphor have fumigant and contact toxicity to a range of stored-product insects and mites, and alpha-pinene adds repellency. Rosemary oil is used with other oils in botanical insecticides because combinations can be more active than single oils, although interactions vary and some are antagonistic. It is volatile, and its residual on open surfaces is short. Most published activity data comes from laboratory fumigation assays against stored-product insects, and field data on premise use is limited.

Use limits

Rosemary oil is lower-profile for animal toxicity than some oils, but that is not grounds for on-animal use in this range. Treat it with the same rules as other essential oils: premise, housing, bedding and perimeter only, ventilate before animals return, and keep out of waterways. At 0.01% in Spider Mite Control its role is minor and supporting. Minimum-risk products using rosemary oil must still meet 25(b) label conditions, including no public-health claims.

Key facts

Rosemary oil (CAS 8000-25-7) is a permitted FIFRA 25(b) minimum-risk active (40 CFR 152.25(f)(1)).
Rosemary was transferred to the genus Salvia as Salvia rosmarinus (Drew et al. 2017, Taxon 66:133).
1,8-cineole and camphor are principal components of rosemary oil, with composition varying by chemotype (European Pharmacopoeia, Rosemary oil monograph).
Botanical insecticides based on rosemary and other essential oils are reviewed as having short environmental persistence (Isman 2006, Annu Rev Entomol 51:45).

How our delivery technology applies

1,8-cineole and alpha-pinene are among the most volatile monoterpenes, which gives rosemary oil fast knockdown and almost no residual. Encapsulating it within the same multi-layer shells as geraniol keeps the minor co-actives present for as long as the main active, rather than losing them in the first hours after application.

Formulators: ask about our rosemary oil specification and chemotype choice.