Fipronil is a type of insecticide that is used worldwide. It is effective against all kinds of insects because it disrupts the insect’s nervous system, but does it in a slow manner, thus making it suitable for social pests like termites, ants and cockroaches. It is used a lot in baiting systems where the insect pests consume the bait and return home to share with their kin.
Despite its usefulness, fipronil, like all other pesticides, affects the environment and many other life forms negatively. Bees, which are already on the decline, cannot tolerate fipronil, and if it gets into streams, it can kill off most of the fishes. But fipronil is still popular because it is used as the basis for Termidor, a well known termite control product, and also as Regent, a pesticide for gardening. Its classification is as a Class 2 moderately toxic pesticide. A redeeming point for fipronil is that it is not easily spread through water or air, unlike many other kinds of pesticides.
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