70 Years of Reckhaus & 14 Years of Reckhaus

On September 1, 1956, Klaus Reckhaus founded his own insect control brand, recozit (short for Reckhaus & Co. Insecticides), initially with a small production operation in his own basement. With him from the very beginning was his future wife, Ruth, who played an active role in shaping the company. What began modestly grew rapidly. The aerosol can was a completely new product at the time, and Reckhaus was among the first companies in Germany to manufacture them. Numerous new products followed, including the anteater as an advertising icon and even a sunscreen that served as the official supplier to the German Olympic team for over twelve years. In the mid-1990s, Klaus Reckhaus handed the company over to his sons Arne and Hans-Dietrich, who refocused it on pest control. In 2012, two artists challenged the status quo. Frank and Patrik Riklin from the Atelier für Sonderaufgaben were tasked with developing a concept for launching a new fly trap onto the market. Instead of simply fulfilling the assignment, they posed a simple question to Dr. Hans-Dietrich Reckhaus: How much is a fly worth? Their answer: Save instead of kill. On September 1, 2012, the joint campaign “Save the Flies in Deppendorf” mobilized an entire village and laid the foundation for INSECT-RESPECT. On September 1, 2026, we celebrated our anniversary with our entire team in Bielefeld. We look forward to our future together. Click here for more about the history of Reckhaus GmbH & Co. KG Click here for more stories from INSECT-RESPECT Pictured: Klaus Reckhaus