Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Imidacloprid

General Information

Fact Sheet: Imidacloprid.pdf
Product Names:
Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Insect Control Concentrate (Bayer)
Grubex Season Long Grub Control (Scotts)
K9 Advantix 10 (Bayer), formulated with permethrin
Quickbayt Fly Bait (Bayer)
Quickbayt Disposable Fly Bait Strip (Bayer)
Chemical Class: Chloro-nicotinyl insecticide
Uses: Agriculture, lawns and landscapes, pet pests, gardening
Alternatives: Organic agriculture, organic lawn care
Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

Cancer: Possible (153, 181)
Endocrine Disruption: Likely (151, 152)
Reproductive Effects: Yes (6, 151, 152)
Neurotoxicity: Possible (154)
Kidney/Liver Damage: Possible (155, 156)
Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
Birth/Developmental: Likely (154)
Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
Potential Leacher: Yes (6)
Toxic to Birds: Yes (4)
Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (4)
Toxic to Bees: Yes (4)

Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database

Additional Information

Regulatory Status:
- Beyond Pesticides' Preliminary Neonicotioid Ecological Assessments (non-pollinator) comments (04/2018)
- Imidacloprid Registration Review (04/2018)
- Beyond Pesticides' EPA Draft Human Health Risk Assessment comments (11/2017)
- Beyond Pesticides' Aquatic Ecological Assessment comments (07/2017)
- EPA Actions on Pollinators (01/2017)
Supporting information:
- EFSA risk assessments of three neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam
- PMRA. 2016. Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2016-20, Imidacloprid. Health Canada. Ottawa, Ontario.
- EU Commission: Neonicotinoids
- EFSA consultation for thiamethoxam (2016)
- Poisoned Waterways (Beyond Pesticides, 2017)
- Net Loss—Economic Efficacy And Costs Of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Used As Seed Coatings: Updates From The United States And Europe (Center for Food Safety, 2016)
- Heavy Costs: Weighing the Value of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Agriculture (Center for Food Safety, 2014)
- The Xerces Society - Neonicotinoids and Bees
- NCAP Imidacloprid Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
- PAN Pesticides Database:Imidacloprid (Pesticide Action Network)
- NPIC Imidacloprid Factsheet (National Pesticide Information Center)
- PAN UK Imidacloprid Factsheet (Pesticide Action Network UK)
Studies:
- Imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos insecticides impair migratory ability in a seed-eating songbird. Eng, M, Stutchbury, BJM, Morrissey, C. 2017. Scientific Reports7: 15176. DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-15446-x
- Effects of neonicotinoid pesticide exposure on human health: a systematic review. Cimino AM, Boyles AL, Thayer KA, Perry MJ. 2017. Environ Health Perspect. 125:155–162
- Neonicotinoid Insecticides Alter the Gene Expression Profile of Neuron-Enriched Cultures from Neonatal Rat Cerebellum. Kimura-Kuroda, J, Nishito, Y, Yanagisawa, H et al. 2016. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 13(10): 987.
- First national-scale reconnaissance of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams across the U.S.A. Hladik, M.L. and Kolpin, D.W., 2016. Environ. Chem., v. 13, pp. 12-20.
- Neonicotinoid contamination of global surface waters and associated risk to aquatic invertebrates: A review. Morrissey, C. A., Mineau, P, Devries, J, et al. 2015. Environment International. 74 (2015) 291–303.
- Assessing Field‐Scale Risks of Foliar Insecticide Applications to Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Larvae. Krishnan, N., Zhang, Y., Bidne, K.G., Hellmich, R.L., Coats, J.R. and Bradbury, S.P., 2020. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 39(4), pp.923-941.
- Autism spectrum disorder, flea and tick medication, and adjustments for exposure misclassification: the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment) case-control study.. Keil AP, Daniels JL, Hertz-Picciotto I. 2014. Environ Health. 13(1):3.
- Early-life chemical exposures and risk of metabolic syndrome.. De Long NE, Holloway AC. 2017. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 10:101-109.