Propoxur

Bed bugs, fleas, and ticks are terribly frustrating pests when they invade your home due to their itchy bites. However, these biting insects may have met their match in the form of professional products that contain the active ingredient Propoxur, a fast-acting insecticide that can deliver a quick knockdown of fleas and ticks on pets, ants, and more.

On this page, you can learn more about propoxur and why it effectively kills even the most stubborn pest invasions.

What is Propoxur?

Propoxur is a popular pesticide active ingredient in the carbamate family of chemicals. It is used to control a wide range of insects and parasites on pets and animals. Propoxur was first introduced in 1959, manufactured by Bayer, and registered for use in the United States by the EPA.

Propoxur is a contact insecticide available in various formulations, such as wettable powders, dust, granules, liquid concentrates, ready-to-use aerosols, and baits.

How Does Propoxur Work?

Propoxur comes from an insecticide family known as carbamates. Propoxur and other carbamate products' mode of action inhibits an essential insect enzyme known as acetylcholinesterase. As a result, Propoxur quickly disrupts the nervous systems of insects, which produces a rapid "knockdown" effect and paralysis of the insect. 

Benefits of Propoxur

Propoxur has proven effective against a wide variety of pests, such as ants, cockroaches, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. It has also proven lethal against bed bug infestations. It is also safe to apply to pets that are bothered by fleas and ticks.

Drawbacks of Propoxur

Propoxur is non-systemic, meaning that it won't be absorbed by plants and only kills target insects on contact. It is also not an instant-kill insecticide. Insects that come into contact with the product succumb to the chemical effect and may take as long as 10 minutes to an hour to die. 

Is Propoxur Safe?

Propoxur is safe to use when applied carefully according to label directions. We recommend wearing personal protective equipment such as goggles, a breathing mask, and long-sleeved clothing when using Propoxur products.  

What To Expect

Depending on the insect being treated and the Propoxur product being used, you should expect insects to be knocked down quickly by the product and die within an hour. Propoxur has a residual effect of up to 4 weeks but can be applied every 7 to 10 days to control sizable infestations.

Featured Products

We do not currently have any products with Propoxur. In the meantime, we suggest using Pyrid Aerosol, which delivers similar results to Propoxur products. Pyrid also quickly knocks down pests and is safe to apply indoors to treat bed bugs, flying pests, fleas, and other common indoor pests.