Imidacloprid

How it works

Imidacloprid disrupts the way insect nerves send signals; it binds far more strongly to insect nerve receptors than to those of mammals and birds, which is why it is much more toxic to insects.^[1]

It is systemic: roots take it up and carry it into stems, leaves, fruit and flowers, so insects that chew or suck on the plant swallow it.^[1]

The label says full distribution through the plant can take from one week to three months for very large trees, and that rain and irrigation cannot wash off that internal protection.^[3]

Before you treat a vegetable garden

Each crop on the label has its own pre-harvest interval; if none is listed for a plant, the label allows application up to and including the day of harvest.^[3]

People can be exposed by eating the fruit, leaves or roots of plants grown in soil treated with imidacloprid, because the insecticide is inside the plant.^[1]

Do not apply to water-logged soil, and in a long dry spell soak the soil around the plants the night before treating.^[3]

In soil and water

Imidacloprid can last months or years in soil and may leach to groundwater under some conditions, although water and sunlight break it down quickly.^[1]

Green lacewings that fed on nectar from plants grown in treated soil, and lady beetles that ate aphids from those plants, had lower survival.^[1]

Where it is used

The fruit, citrus and vegetable concentrate is a once-a-year soil drench for listed vegetables, berries, grapes, citrus and fruit and nut trees, for outdoor residential use only and not on lawns.^[3]

The grub product is a lawn treatment for white grubs, mole crickets and European crane fly larvae, applied once per year and never to fruits or vegetables grown for food.^[4]

Both labels cap use at 0.4 lb of imidacloprid per acre per year, and the vegetable concentrate must never be applied to linden, basswood or other Tilia trees.^[3][4]

In California, since January 1, 2025, outdoor non-agricultural neonicotinoid products are sold only by licensed dealers and may be used only by certified commercial applicators; indoor ant and cockroach products, pet flea products and backyard fruit and vegetable gardens are exempt, but ornamentals, lawns and fruit trees are not.^[2]

Products and registrations

Label rates

How to apply it, step by step

Steps for BioAdvanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control Concentrate (0.235% imidacloprid), EPA Reg. No. 92564-46; the lawn grub product has its own label, taken from its label^[3]. Other products with this active ingredient have their own labels; follow yours.

1. Protective gear

• The label lists no special clothing, but avoid contact with skin, eyes and clothing, and wash with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking or using the toilet.^[3]
• Don't reuse the bucket or measuring cup for food or drinking water afterward.^[3]

2. Before you spray

• It's for outdoor residential use only and not for lawns, and it must never be applied to linden, basswood or other Tilia trees.^[3]
• Don't use it near fish pools, ponds or streams, or on waterlogged soil; in a long dry spell, soak the soil around the plants the night before you apply.^[3]
• Apply it only once a year, and check the plant-specific directions for any days to wait before harvest.^[3]

3. Mixing

• For vegetables, strawberries, bushberries, caneberries and grapes, add 0.5 oz of product to 1 quart of water for every 10 sq ft of row.^[3]
• For fruit and nut trees, measure from the trunk to the drip line (the outer edge of the leaves), round down to the nearest foot, and look up the ounces for that radius in the label's tree chart; add that amount to 1 gallon of water.^[3]

4. Applying

• Pour the vegetable mix evenly at the base of every plant in the 10 sq ft, not just one plant; apply at transplant or soon after seedlings come up.^[3]
• For a tree, pour the gallon of mix at the base of the trunk, then pour another gallon of plain water after it.^[3]
• It works through the roots, so protection takes from about a week to three months to spread through the plant, depending on its size, and rain won't wash it off.^[3]

5. After you spray

• Keep children and pets out of the treated area until it has dried.^[3]
• Because it is highly toxic to bees, don't let it reach blooming plants or weeds while bees are visiting.^[3]

First aid

• If swallowed, call a poison control center or doctor right away, have the person sip a glass of water if able, and don't induce vomiting unless told to.^[3]
• In the eyes, rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes, removing contact lenses after the first 5 minutes; the label lists 877-229-3763 for medical emergency information.^[3]

Storage, spills and disposal

• Store it in the original container in a cool, dry place out of children's reach, ideally a locked cabinet.^[3]
• Put an empty bottle in the trash or recycle it; for a partly full one, call your local solid waste agency, and never pour leftovers down any drain.^[3]

Need the amount for your sprayer? Use the mixing calculator, which works from the same label rates.

Safety and environmental hazards

People

The label signal word is CAUTION: harmful if swallowed and causes moderate eye irritation. EPA found no evidence that imidacloprid causes cancer, based on animal studies.^[3][1]

Pets

Keep children and pets off the treated area until it has dried. Animals that swallow imidacloprid have vomited or drooled heavily, and larger doses can cause trouble walking, tremors and unusual tiredness.^[3][1]

Bees and pollinators

The label says it is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds, and that it must not be applied or allowed to drift onto blooming plants when bees are visiting. Because it is systemic, residues can turn up in the nectar and pollen of plants grown in treated soil.^[3][1]

Fish and water

The label states it is toxic to fish and highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates, and carries a groundwater advisory for permeable soils with a shallow water table.^[3]

Common questions

Can I use imidacloprid on vegetables I plan to eat?

Yes, with a product labeled for edibles such as the BioAdvanced fruit, citrus and vegetable concentrate, following the crop-by-crop pre-harvest intervals on that label.^[3]

Is imidacloprid harmful to bees?

Yes. The label calls it highly toxic to bees and forbids applying it, or letting it drift, onto blooming crops or weeds while bees are visiting.^[3]

Can I still buy imidacloprid in California?

Not for outdoor lawn, ornamental or fruit-tree use; since 2025 those products are sold only by licensed dealers to certified applicators. Indoor ant and roach baits, pet flea products and backyard vegetable garden uses remain available.^[2]

Does imidacloprid cause cancer?

EPA concluded there is no evidence that imidacloprid causes cancer, based on animal studies.^[1]

Sources

1. National Pesticide Information Center, “Imidacloprid General Fact Sheet.” npic.orst.edu/factsheets/imidagen.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Home and Landscape Pesticide Active Ingredients Database: imidacloprid.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pesticide-active-ingredients-database/active-ingredient-details/?uaiKey=22 (accessed 2026-10-06)
3. U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Imidacloprid 0.235% FT&V Concentrate (BioAdvanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control Concentrate) label, EPA Reg. No. 92564-46 (EPA-stamped, Mar. 20, 2019).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/092564-00046-20190320.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
4. U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Imidacloprid Concentrate Insecticide II (BioAdvanced Season Long Grub Control Ready-to-Spray) label, EPA Reg. No. 92564-20 (EPA-stamped, Mar. 12, 2019).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/092564-00020-20190312.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
5. Insecticide Resistance Action Committee, “IRAC Mode of Action Classification Scheme, Version 11.5 (Feb. 2026).” irac-online.org/documents/moa-classification/ (accessed 2026-10-06)