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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Fipronil

Fipronil is a broad-spectrum insecticide in the phenylpyrazole chemical group. It acts on the nervous system by blocking the tiny gates on the nerve cell that control the sending of the nerve's signal. This causes the nerve to keep firing and eventually the nervous system stops working. Fipronil is used in agricultural and residential settings, including pet flea products.

General Questions about Fipronil

What is fipronil? What are some products that contain fipronil? How does fipronil work? How might I be exposed to fipronil What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to fipronil? What happens to fipronil when it enter the body? Is fipronil likely to contribute to the development of cancer? Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to fipronil? Are children more sensitive to fipronil than adults? What happens to fipronil in the environment? Can fipronil affect birds, fish, and other wildlife?

General Fact Sheet

Precautions for Using Spot-on Flea and Tick Products Podcast (2:38 min., 4.95MB)

If you have questions about fipronil, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

Please read our disclaimer | Contact us | About NPIC | En español

NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.