Pet Safety / Compounds / Bifenthrin

Is Bifenthrin safe for dogs and cats?

Low risk for pets

Bifenthrin is widely used as a residential turf and perimeter insecticide (Talstar, Ortho Home Defense); dogs are generally tolerant at typical consumer-use concentrations; re-entry after treated turf dries minimizes exposure. Oral ingestion of granular or liquid formulations directly from product containers warrants Poison Control consultation but systemic toxicity at typical consumer product concentrations is low.

What is bifenthrin?

The IUPAC name is trans-(2-methyl-3-phenylphenyl)methyl (1R,3R)-3-[(Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate.

Also known as: trans-(2-methyl-3-phenylphenyl)methyl (1R,3R)-3-[(Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate, Biphenthrin, Capture, Biphentrin.

IUPAC name
trans-(2-methyl-3-phenylphenyl)methyl (1R,3R)-3-[(Z)-2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate
CAS number
82657-04-3
Molecular formula
C23H22ClF3O2
Molecular weight
422.9 g/mol
SMILES
CC1=C(C=CC=C1C2=CC=CC=C2)COC(=O)C3C(C3(C)C)C=C(C(F)(F)F)Cl
PubChem CID
6442842

Risk for dogs

Low risk

Bifenthrin is widely used as a residential turf and perimeter insecticide (Talstar, Ortho Home Defense); dogs are generally tolerant at typical consumer-use concentrations; re-entry after treated turf dries minimizes exposure. Oral ingestion of granular or liquid formulations directly from product containers warrants Poison Control consultation but systemic toxicity at typical consumer product concentrations is low.

Risk for cats

High risk

Bifenthrin is a type I pyrethroid (lacks alpha-cyano group) — cats are sensitive but the T-syndrome (tremor-type) toxicity is generally somewhat less severe than type II alpha-cyano pyrethroids; nonetheless, cats exposed to bifenthrin from recently treated turf, indoor perimeter sprays, or termite treatments can develop significant tremors, hypersalivation, and ataxia. Bifenthrin's extreme persistence in soil and the environment creates prolonged contact hazard for cats that walk on treated turf and then groom themselves. Treatment: bathing, methocarbamol, supportive care.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Bifenthrin. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / EPA OPP—Group C Possible Human Carcinogen
US_EPA2024registered_restrictedEPA restricted-use pyrethroid.
PROP_652010carcinogenProp 65 listed

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter bifenthrin

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Bifenthrin:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Spinosad
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Beneficial nematodes
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Physical barriers
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is bifenthrin safe for pets?

Bifenthrin is widely used as a residential turf and perimeter insecticide (Talstar, Ortho Home Defense); dogs are generally tolerant at typical consumer-use concentrations; re-entry after treated turf dries minimizes exposure. Oral ingestion of granular or liquid formulations directly from product containers warrants Poison Control consultation but systemic toxicity at typical consumer product concentrations is low.

What products contain bifenthrin?

Bifenthrin appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about bifenthrin?

Bifenthrin has been classified by 3 agencies including EPA CTX / EPA OPP, US_EPA, PROP_65, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Bifenthrin in the pets app

Look up products containing bifenthrin, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (2)
  1. US EPA Pyrethroid Reregistration Eligibility Decision — cypermethrin/deltamethrin/lambda-cyhalothrin/bifenthrin/cyfluthrin/fenvalerate/tau-fluvalinate/fenpropathrin; type I/II classification; aquatic toxicity; cat sensitivity; sodium channel mechanism; human paresthesia; buffer zones (2011) (2011) — regulatory
  2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Pyrethroid Toxicosis in Cats and Dogs — type I vs type II CS/T syndromes; extreme cat sensitivity (sodium channel/UGT deficiency); bathing decontamination; methocarbamol tremor control; cyproheptadine; lipid emulsion severe cases (2023) (2023) — veterinary

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →