Advantix
I am NOT a tree hugger, but when I started reading about this stuff, I though that I might make an article called HOW TO DESTROY A LOCAL POND AND ITS NEARBY ENVIRONMENT USING ONE SMALL TUBE OF DOG MEDICINE, but that sounded a bit extreme even for me. Then I started thinking about all the idiots out there using this stuff on their dogs and then flushing the half empty containers down the toilet--and what that will be doing for the next ten thousand years. Finally, I decided to just us the blanket brand name for the most popular product in this class:
Advantix is a brand name used by the Bayer corporation for its line of topical creams for dogs. These creams are a "once per month" application (usually placed on the back of the neck) that kills or repels fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. They should only be used as directed as they are quite toxic. Advantix line of products should never be used on cats as it is fatal to them. In fact, it is so lethal to other smaller animals, it is suggested that you do not use Advantix if you have them in your house during application and absorption on your dog.
Want To Kill A Pond?
This pesticide is extremely toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish and invertebrates. Do not add directly to water. Do not contaminate water when disposing of product or packaging.[1] Because of just how toxic it is to fish and invertebrates, its dangers are not widely reported to the general public. The EPA does report that it is extremely toxic, but the note is buried deep in some government .pdf file and still does not report just how damaging this stuff is to aquatic life.
This product is extremely toxic to fish. Do not add directly to water. Do not contaminate water when disposing of product or packaging.[2] 
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation does mention that this stuff is particularly dangerous around ground water as it dissipates rapidly in the water and likes to stay there for a very long time.[3]
Ingredients
The Advantix line of products use three main ingredients: Imidacloprid, Permethrin, and Pyriproxyfen. All three of which are insecticides.
Imidacloprid
From 1999 through at least 2018, imidacloprid was the most widely used insecticide in the world. It can be used in about a billion ways from injecting it into the soil to spraying it on plant leaves. It kills insects by fucking with their central nervous system; causing paralysis that leads to death.
Advantix has about 8.8% imidacloprid and here is what that stuff does to animals:
Mammals
In mammals, the primary effects following acute high-dose oral exposure to imidacloprid are mortality, transient cholinergic effects (dizziness, apathy, locomotor effects, labored breathing) and transient growth retardation. Exposure to high doses may be associated with degenerative changes in the testes, thymus, bone marrow and pancreas. Cardiovascular and hematological effects have also been observed at higher doses.
Bees
Bees get their own section all to themselves because of just how nasty this shit is to them. The toxicity of imidacloprid to bees differs from most insecticides in that it is more toxic orally than by contact. In other words, people spray imidacloprid on their flowers, the bees come and collect the flower's pollen, take the toxin home to the hive, and then everybody everybee dies.[4]
Birds
Want to kill a bunch of birds? This stuff is the toxin for you! Imidacloprid is considered acutely toxic to birds, and to cause avian reproductive toxicity.[5]
Aquatic Life
Just don't.
Permethrin
Permethrin was discovered in 1973. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In 2017, it was the 410th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 150 thousand prescriptions, which is kind of high for a medicine used to treat lice and scabies. Oh yeah, and the EPA lists it as a Likely Carcinogen.
Advantix has about 44% Permethrin and is basically a death sentence to cats and aquatic life.
Pyriproxyfen
Advantix uses .44% Pyriproxyfen.
Pyriproxyfen is a juvenile hormone analog and an insect growth regulator. It prevents larvae from developing into adulthood and thus rendering them unable to reproduce.
In an act of unequaled genius, Brazil began adding this shit to it's drinking water supply in 2014.[6] They thought it would be a good idea because it would get rid of mosquitos. That's right, they put a growth inhibitor in their drinking water. Oh yeah, Pyriproxyfen is suspected of causing Microcephaly as well. When Microcephaly was discovered, it was shrugged off as a conspiracy theory and quietly swept under the rug.
Incidentally, the World Health Organization has scrubbed its information concerning Pyriproxyfen in drinking water.[7]
Product Reviews
I live in California and I've used K9 Advantix for the entire life of my 6 year old Schnauzer, except for a very short period where we switched to the Kirkland brand. After fleas and many ticks were found, we returned it and stuck with this because worked so well. I've even bought it for the past 4 years from Amazon and same seller, but having started this new box, he suddenly has fleas and ticks again! I washed him with Dawn and tried it a couple more times,[8] in case we had made an application mistake- still had fleas![9]
DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT IF YOU LOVE YOUR PET. A couple months back I bought the 2 pack. As soon as it came in we did the1st dose. Within hours my dog threw up, her hips stiffened up to the point she couldn't walk for well into a week and became extremely lethargic (she is only 2 years old). We thought she had just probably over eaten and injured herself playing outside and didnt think twice that she could have been POISENED by Advantix.[10]
External Links
References
- ↑ https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/011556-00143-20170113.pdf?msclkid=ca0c0cb9be5411ec9c77b540f5cff2c9
- ↑ https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/011556-00143-20170113.pdf?msclkid=ca0c0cb9be5411ec9c77b540f5cff2c9
- ↑ https://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/risk/rcd/imidacloprid.pdf
- ↑ https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4524
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130319081337/http://www.ccme.ca/assets/pdf/imidacloprid_ssd_1388.pdf
- ↑ http://www.epsjv.fiocruz.br/upload/WHO%20-%20Pyriproxyfen%20in%20Drinking-water.pdf
- ↑ https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/pyriproxyfensum.pdf
- ↑ More Advantix in the water table!
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Advantix-Mosquito-Prevention-XLarge/dp/B004QRJJ0K/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=advantix+2&msclkid=015766f5be6111ecb4a194b0942082eb&qid=1650208442&rdc=1&sr=8-5
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R2HU49Q04I5Q66/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00I0BWNUG
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R244D4TZSRPA50/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00I0BWNUG
