DPR Seeks Public Input on Options to Reduce Risks from Fipronil Flea and Tick Products
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: DPR is advancing its work to reduce health and environmental risks from fipronil in pet flea and tick products. The department is accepting public feedback on the feasibility of potential options and alternatives for controlling these risks.
SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) took another step in its risk assessment and mitigation process for fipronil, an insecticide used in spot-on and spray flea and tick products for dogs and cats.
- The Draft Fipronil Mitigation Options Memo summarizes identified aquatic and human health risks associated with pet products containing fipronil and the preliminary mitigation options DPR has evaluated to address these risks.
“Our work doesn’t end when a product hits the shelf,” said DPR Director Karen Morrison. “We continually evaluate pesticides used in California and take action when new risks appear. With fipronil, we’ve identified ways to reduce exposure for people, pets, and waterways, and we’re asking for public feedback on feasible and effective strategies to reduce these risks.”
In July 2026, DPR published a memo detailing its evaluation of how fipronil from spot-on pet products can reach wastewater and pose potential risks to aquatic life. DPR’s 2023 Risk Characterization Document identified health concerns for pet groomers, people who apply fipronil products to pets at home, and children who have close contact with treated pets.
DPR’s mitigation options memo released today evaluates several approaches to reducing these risks, including annual limits on applications, lower application rates, waiting periods before bathing a treated pet, restrictions on occupational use by pet groomers, and designating fipronil as a restricted material requiring additional permitting for use. The memo also discusses the benefits of a voluntary stewardship and consumer education program to help retailers, professionals, and consumers understand the potential risks of fipronil pet products and how to prevent or minimize exposure.
California pet owners have a wide range of options that do not contain fipronil, including 89 alternative spot-on products along with medicated collars, sprays, shampoos, and oral medications. DPR has also identified multiple sustainable pest management approaches, which reduce fleas and ticks through non-chemical practices such as vacuuming, laundering pet bedding, regular flea combing, and maintaining clean indoor and outdoor spaces.
DPR invites public feedback on possible use restrictions, the proposed restricted material designation, other mitigation options, as well as the alternatives analysis for fipronil pet products.
Comments can be submitted through DPR’s public comment portal(external link), SmartComment, through November 16, 2026.
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