The label is the law. Read your product's label before you mix or apply; the rates here come from the labels listed under Sources.
- Active ingredient
- Alpha-cypermethrin
- Chemical class
- A pyrethroid in IRAC subgroup 3A. The Fendona CS label gives its chemical name as a mixture of (S)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (1R,3R)- and (R)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (1S,3S)-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate.[1][2]
- Mode of action
- IRAC Group 3A: Sodium channel modulators (nerve action)[2]
- Signal word
- Fendona CS (record name TC-305; also sold as Cy-Kick AC): Caution[1]
Outdoor limits on the label
Outdoor sprays are limited to spot or crack-and-crevice treatments, with listed exceptions: soil, lawn, turf and other vegetation; a perimeter band up to 7 feet wide from a building's base onto soil, mulch or lawn; eaves, soffits, doors or windows permanently sheltered from rain; a band no wider than 1 inch around doors, windows and other entry points; and walls up to 2 feet above driveways, sidewalks and other hard surfaces.[1]
It must not go directly onto sidewalks, driveways or patios except as a spot or crack-and-crevice treatment. It is not for outdoor residential misting systems or any irrigation system, and its mosquito sprays may not be made by aircraft or as part of wide-area public mosquito-control programs.[1]
Don't spray during rain, and avoid spraying when rain is expected before the product has had time to dry.[1]
When it is sprayed indoors
The label bars spraying patient rooms or any room while elderly or infirm people are in it, and classrooms while they are in use. It also says not to spray where electrical short circuits could result, such as wall outlets and conduits.[1]
In the maker's testing, surfaces that water doesn't damage weren't damaged by the product, but heavy applications can leave a visible deposit, so the label says to check a new surface first.[1]
Retreatments are allowed as needed, but no more than twice a week and at least 3 days apart.[1]
Rotating with other pyrethroids
Switching between cypermethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, zeta-cypermethrin or another Group 3A pyrethroid is not a change of mode of action. IRAC's resistance advice is to alternate products from different groups and not to treat successive generations of a pest with the same group.[2]
Where it is used
Indoors the label allows crack-and-crevice, void, spot and general surface sprays on baseboards, shelving, storage areas and other places where listed pests hide, travel, breed or get in. In a home, exposed food must be covered or removed first, and food-processing surfaces and utensils covered beforehand or washed before use.[1]
For bed bugs it goes into cracks and crevices of bed frames, box springs, empty dressers and closets, carpet edges, wall moldings and wallpaper edges, never onto mattresses, pillows, bed linens or clothes. The label says it shouldn't be the only protection against bed bugs, and that bed bugs found in or on a mattress call for a product approved for that use.[1]
Outdoors it covers lawns and ornamental plants in residential and non-residential landscapes, treatments around a building's perimeter and entry points, and adult mosquito sprays on shrubs and other vegetation where mosquitoes rest, made with handheld, backpack or truck-mounted sprayers.[1]
Against drywood termites it works on contact only, killing workers or winged reproductives present in treated channels or on surfaces at the time. The label says it is not a substitute for mechanical alteration, soil treatment or foundation treatment.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fendona CS (record name TC-305; also sold as Cy-Kick AC)[1] | BASF Corporation | 499-570 | 3.0% | microencapsulated concentrate (0.25 lb alpha-cypermethrin per gallon) | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fendona CS (record name TC-305; also sold as Cy-Kick AC) | Indoor and outdoor structural sprays (crack and crevice, void, spot or general surface) | Ants, cockroaches, spiders, bed bugs, scorpions and other listed structural pests | 1.0–2.0 fl oz per gal of finished spray[1] 1.0 fl oz per gallon of finished spray makes 0.025%; 2.0 fl oz makes 0.050%. Use the higher rate for clean-outs, longer residual control or heavy infestations, and 0.050% for bed bug eggs and scorpions. Reapply as needed but not more than twice per week, at least 3 days apart. |
Safety and environmental hazards
People
Signal word CAUTION: the label says it causes moderate eye irritation. It calls for a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks and shoes, washing with soap and water after handling, and never applying it to people, their clothing or bedding.[1]
Pets
Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until the spray has dried. The label says not to use it on household pets and to cover fish tanks before applying it.[1]
Bees and pollinators
The label calls it highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or to residues on blooming crops or weeds, and says not to apply it, or let it drift, to blooming crops while bees are foraging in the treatment area.[1]
Fish and water
Extremely toxic to fish, aquatic invertebrates, oysters and shrimp. The label bars spraying when the weather favors drift, letting it enter or run off into storm drains, drainage ditches, gutters or surface waters, and applying it directly to any body of water.[1]
Common questions
- Is alpha-cypermethrin the same as cypermethrin?
- Not exactly. IRAC lists alpha-cypermethrin as a separate active ingredient from cypermethrin, beta-cypermethrin, theta-cypermethrin and zeta-cypermethrin, although all of them sit in Group 3A.[2]
- How long should kids and pets stay off a sprayed surface?
- Until it dries. The label says not to let children or pets touch treated surfaces until the spray has dried, and after bed bug treatments to let every treated area dry thoroughly before use.[1]
- Can Fendona CS be put on a dog or cat?
- No. The label says not to use it on household pets, and not to apply it to people, their clothing or bedding.[1]
- Can it be used against backyard mosquitoes?
- The label allows adult mosquito sprays on shrubs and vegetation where mosquitoes rest, using handheld, backpack or truck-mounted sprayers, but not through outdoor residential misting systems and never directly onto a body of water. It claims 59 days of residual control on leaf surfaces at the 0.050% rate and 30 days at 0.025%.[1]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Fendona CS (TC-305) label, EPA Reg. No. 499-570 (EPA-stamped, February 4, 2022).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/000499-00570-20220204.pdf (accessed 2026-11-08)
- Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, “IRAC Mode of Action Classification Scheme, Version 11.5 (Feb. 2026).” irac-online.org/documents/moa-classification/ (accessed 2026-11-08)