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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:
Health and Environmental Effects
- Cancer: Possible (, )
- Endocrine Disruption: Likely (, )
- Reproductive Effects: Yes (, , )
- Neurotoxicity: Possible ()
- Kidney/Liver Damage: Possible (, )
- Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
- Birth/Developmental: Likely ()
- Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
- Potential Leacher: Yes ()
- Toxic to Birds: Yes ()
- Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes ()
- Toxic to Bees: Yes ()
Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database
Additional Information
- Regulatory Status:
- Supporting information:
- 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.
- Imidacloprid Promotes High Fat Diet-Induced Adiposity in Female C57BL/6J Mice and Enhances Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes via the AMPKα-Mediated Pathway.. Sun Q, Qi W, Xiao X, Yang SH, et al. 2017. J Agric Food Chem. 65(31):6572-6581
- Pesticide occurrence and persistence entering recreational lakes in watersheds of varying land uses. Satiroff, J.A., Messer, T.L., Mittelstet, A.R. and Snow, D.D. Environmental Pollution, 273, p.116399.
- Past insecticide exposure reduces bee reproduction and population growth rate. Stuligross, C. and Williams, N.M. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(48).
- Carryover effects of pesticide exposure and pond drying on performance, behavior, and sex ratios in a pool breeding amphibian. Thompson, C.M., Sweeney, M.R. and Popescu, V.D., 2022. Journal of Zoology.
- Infantile Internal and External Exposure to Neonicotinoid Insecticides: A Comparison of Levels across Various Sources. Zhang, H., Wang, Y., Zhu, H., Lu, S., Wang, Y., Xue, J., Zhang, T., Kannan, K. and Sun, H., 2023. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(13), pp.5358-5367.
- Comparing the effects of three neonicotinoids on embryogenesis of the South African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. Flach, H. et al. (2024) Comparing the effects of three neonicotinoids on embryogenesis of the South African clawed frog xenopus laevis, Current Research in Toxicology. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666027X24000227?via%3Dihub.
- Major Pesticides Are More Toxic to Human Cells Than Their Declared Active Principles. Mesnage, R. et al. (2014) Major pesticides are more toxic to human cells than their declared active principles, BioMed Research International. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955666/.
- Assessing the ecological impact of pesticides/herbicides on algal communities: A comprehensive review. Narayanan, N. et al. (2024) Assessing the ecological impact of pesticides/herbicides on algal communities: A comprehensive review, Aquatic Toxicology. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166445X24000225?via%3Dihub.
- The molecular determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators. Bass, C. et al (2024) The molecular determinants of pesticide sensitivity in bee pollinators, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724003097.
- Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management. Bogo, G. et al. (2024) Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724042232?via%3Dihub.
- Unveiling bee pollen's contamination with pesticides and mycotoxins: Current analytical procedures, results and regulation. Carrera, M. et al. (2024) Unveiling bee pollen’s contamination with pesticides and mycotoxins: Current analytical procedures, results and regulation, Trends in Analytical Chemistry. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993624004187.
- Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Exposure to Pesticide Residues in Nectar and Pollen in Urban and Suburban Environments from Four Regions of the United States. Démares, F.J. et al. (2022) Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Exposure to Pesticide Residues in Nectar and Pollen in Urban and Suburban Environments from Four Regions of the United States, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Available at: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.5298.
- Estimating the aquatic risk from exposure to up to twenty-two pesticide active ingredients in waterways discharging to the Great Barrier Reef. Warne, M. et al. (2023) Estimating the aquatic risk from exposure to up to twenty-two pesticide active ingredients in waterways discharging to the Great Barrier Reef, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723032552.
- Neonicotinoid pesticides: evidence of developmental neurotoxicity from regulatory rodent studies. Sass, J.B., Donley, N. and Freese, W. (2024) Neonicotinoid pesticides: evidence of developmental neurotoxicity from regulatory rodent studies, Frontiers in Toxicology. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2024.1438890/full.
- Nationwide Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Breast Milk and Health Risk Assessment to Nursing Infants in the Chinese Population. Chen, D. et al. (2020) Nationwide Biomonitoring of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Breast Milk and Health Risk Assessment to Nursing Infants in the Chinese Population, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Available at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.0c05769.
- Interaction between imidacloprid residues in maize rhizospheric soil and soil nematode community. Zhang, J. et al. (2024) Interaction between imidacloprid residues in maize rhizospheric soil and soil nematode community, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048357524004528.
- Assessment of lethal and sublethal effects of imidacloprid, ethion, and glyphosate on aversive conditioning, motility, and lifespan in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Sahar Delkash-Roudsari, Ana M. Chicas-Mosier, Seyed Hossein Goldansaz, Khalil Talebi-Jahromi, Ahmad Ashouri, Charles I. Abramson, Assessment of lethal and sublethal effects of imidacloprid, ethion, and glyphosate on aversive conditioning, motility, and lifespan in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Volume 204, 2020, 111108, ISSN 0147-6513, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111108.
- Brain transcriptome of honey bees (Apis mellifera) exhibiting impaired olfactory learning induced by a sublethal dose of imidacloprid. Zhiguo Li, Tiantian Yu, Yanping Chen, Matthew Heerman, Jingfang He, Jingnan Huang, Hongyi Nie, Songkun Su, Brain transcriptome of honey bees (Apis mellifera) exhibiting impaired olfactory learning induced by a sublethal dose of imidacloprid, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, Volume 156, 2019, Pages 36-43, ISSN 0048-3575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.02.001.
- Imidacloprid slows the development of preference for rewarding food sources in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). Phelps, J.D., Strang, C.G., Gbylik-Sikorska, M. et al. Imidacloprid slows the development of preference for rewarding food sources in bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). Ecotoxicology 27, 175–187 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-017-1883-3
- A neonicotinoid impairs olfactory learning in Asian honey bees (Apis cerana) exposed as larvae or as adults. Tan, K., Chen, W., Dong, S. et al. A neonicotinoid impairs olfactory learning in Asian honey bees (Apis cerana) exposed as larvae or as adults. Sci Rep 5, 10989 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10989
- Imidacloprid toxicity impairs spatial memory of echolocation bats through neural apoptosis in hippocampal CA1 and medial entorhinal cortex areas. Hsiao, Chun-Jen; Lin, Ching-Lung; Lin, Tian-Yu; Wang, Sheue-Er; Wu, Chung-Hsin. Imidacloprid toxicity impairs spatial memory of echolocation bats through neural apoptosis in hippocampal CA1 and medial entorhinal cortex areas. NeuroReport 27(6):p 462-468, April 13, 2016. | DOI: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000562
- Effects of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, on the echolocation system of insectivorous bats. Chung-Hsin Wu, Ching-Lung Lin, Sheue-Er Wang, Chen-Wen Lu, Effects of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, on the echolocation system of insectivorous bats, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, Volume 163, 2020, Pages 94-101, ISSN 0048-3575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.10.010.
- Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Pesticide Use on Obesity: A Systematic Review. Pérez-Bermejo, M. et al. (2024) Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Pesticide Use on Obesity: A Systematic Review, Biomedicines. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/12/2677.
- Widespread Use and Frequent Detection of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Wetlands of Canada's Prairie Pothole Region. Main, A.R. et al. (2014) Widespread Use and Frequent Detection of Neonicotinoid Insecticides in Wetlands of Canada’s Prairie Pothole Region, PLOS ONE. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0092821.
- Immune response of Brazilian farmers exposed to multiple pesticides
. Jacobsen-Pereira, C.H. et al. (2020) ‘Immune response of Brazilian farmers exposed to multiple pesticides’, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 202, p. 110912. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110912.
- A Th2-type immune response and low-grade systemic inflammatory reaction as potential immunotoxic effects in intensive agriculture farmers exposed to pesticides
. Lozano-Paniagua, D. et al. (2024) ‘A th2-type immune response and low-grade systemic inflammatory reaction as potential immunotoxic effects in intensive agriculture farmers exposed to pesticides’, Science of The Total Environment, 938, p. 173545. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173545.
- Pesticide-Induced Inflammation at a Glance. Lopes-Ferreira, M. et al. (2023) ‘Pesticide-induced inflammation at a glance’, Toxics, 11(11), p. 896. doi:10.3390/toxics11110896.
- Neonicotinoids in Connecticut Waters: Surface Water, Groundwater, and Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems . Presley, S.J., Perkins, C.R. and Willig, M.R. (2025) Neonicotinoids in Connecticut Waters: Surface Water, Groundwater, and Threats to Aquatic Ecosystems, Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Available at: https://norwalkriver.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Neonicotinoids-in-Connecticut-Final-Report-1-11-2025-1.pdf.
- Hormetic response to pesticides in diapausing bees. Amsalem, E., Derstine, N. and Murray, C. (2025) Hormetic response to pesticides in diapausing bees, Biology Letters. Available at: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0612.
- Differential responses of Apis mellifera heat shock protein genes to heat shock, flower-thinning formulations, and imidacloprid. Koo, J. et al. (2015) Differential responses of apis mellifera heat shock protein genes to heat shock, flower-thinning formulations, and imidacloprid, Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1226861515000813.
- Pesticide exposure and sleep disorder: A cross-sectional study among Thai farmers. Juntarawijit, C. et al. (2025) Pesticide exposure and sleep disorder: A cross-sectional study among Thai farmers, Heliyon. Available at: https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)17154-X.
- Neonicotinoid exposure causes behavioral impairment and delayed mortality of the federally threatened American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus. Cavallaro, M. et al. (2025) Neonicotinoid exposure causes behavioral impairment and delayed mortality of the federally threatened American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus, PLOS One. Available at: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0314243.
- Lethal and sublethal effects of seven insecticides on three beneficial insects in laboratory assays and field trials. Fernandes, M. et al. (2016) Lethal and sublethal effects of seven insecticides on three beneficial insects in laboratory assays and field trials, Chemosphere. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653516306051.
- Chronic exposure to insecticides impairs honeybee optomotor behaviour. Parkinson, R., Fecher, C. and Gray, J. (2022) Chronic exposure to insecticides impairs honeybee optomotor behaviour, Frontiers in Insect Science. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/insect-science/articles/10.3389/finsc.2022.936826/full.
- High prevalence of veterinary drugs in bird's nests. Tassin de Montaigu, C. et al. (2025) High prevalence of veterinary drugs in bird’s nests, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725000737.
- Field evidence of bird poisonings by imidacloprid-treated seeds: a review of incidents reported by the French SAGIR network from 1995 to 2014. Millot, F., Decors, A., Mastain, O. et al. Field evidence of bird poisonings by imidacloprid-treated seeds: a review of incidents reported by the French SAGIR network from 1995 to 2014. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 5469–5485 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8272-y
- Residues and Bioavailability of Neonicotinoid Pesticide in Shaanxi Agricultural Soil. Hua, L., Zhao, D., Wang, H. et al. Residues and Bioavailability of Neonicotinoid Pesticide in Shaanxi Agricultural Soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 129 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06159-1
- Combined ecotoxicological effects of different-sized polyethylene microplastics and imidacloprid on the earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Fu, H., Zhu, L., Mao, L., Zhang, L., Zhang, Y., Chang, Y., Liu, X., & Jiang, H. (2023). Combined ecotoxicological effects of different-sized polyethylene microplastics and imidacloprid on the earthworms (Eisenia fetida). The Science of the total environment, 870, 161795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161795
- Imidacloprid increases intestinal permeability by disrupting tight junctions. Zhao, G. P., Wang, X. Y., Li, J. W., Wang, R., Ren, F. Z., Pang, G. F., & Li, Y. X. (2021). Imidacloprid increases intestinal permeability by disrupting tight junctions. Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, 222, 112476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112476
- Synergistic effect of ZnO NPs and imidacloprid on liver injury in male ICR mice: Increase the bioavailability of IMI by targeting the gut microbiota. Yan, S., Tian, S., Meng, Z., Sun, W., Xu, N., Jia, M., Huang, S., Wang, Y., Zhou, Z., Diao, J., & Zhu, W. (2022). Synergistic effect of ZnO NPs and imidacloprid on liver injury in male ICR mice: Increase the bioavailability of IMI by targeting the gut microbiota. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987), 294, 118676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118676
- Current-use pesticides in vegetation, topsoil and water reveal contaminated landscapes of the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany. Mauser, K.M., Wolfram, J., Spaak, J.W. et al. Current-use pesticides in vegetation, topsoil and water reveal contaminated landscapes of the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany. Commun Earth Environ 6, 166 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02118-2
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