Why is using an insect growth regulator (IGR), like the Nylar® in Bio Spot Stripe-On Flea Control, so important?
Flea infestations often start from the few fleas that the family cat picks up and brings back home from his wanderings in the neighborhood. Treating such cats with Bio Spot Stripe-On Flea Control for Cats and Ferrets prevents any fleas that they pick up from infesting your house. Cats will normally groom off (kill) the few adult fleas within days, and the Nylar in Bio Spot prevents any eggs those fleas may lay from developing into biting, breeding adults.

How does Bio Spot Stripe-On for Cats and Ferrets differ from other flea control products?
Bio Spot Stripe-On contains a long-lasting insect growth regulator (Nylar) to prevent flea eggs from developing into biting, breeding adults. Flea problems are generally the result of breeding populations in your home, with about 95% or more of the population being immature fleas in the carpet or furniture. The adult fleas you see are hopping onto your pet and you every day as new adults develop. Traditional insecticides only treat the relatively small number of adult fleas (the ones that you see), but do not kill the majority of the population that is left to continue to produce new biting adults. Bio Spot Stripe-On stops the infestation cycle by killing flea eggs so the breeding population dies out, or never begins infestation control of your home!

How does Nylar work?
Nylar mimics an insect hormone involved in egg hatching and maturation of the immature insect to the adult stage. When exposed to Nylar, insect eggs fail to hatch; therefore, they die before becoming biting adults. Nylar does not kill adult insects.

How does Bio Spot Stripe-on break the flea life cycle?
Unlike most other spot-on products which only kill the adult stage of the flea, Bio Spot Stripe-On kills flea eggs, so new adults never develop. Because eggs are killed, biting adult fleas will not develop and the life cycle is broken. With adulticide-only flea products, any adult females that survive can still lay hundreds of eggs, continuing the infestation.

How effective is Bio Spot Stripe-On? How long will it last?
Test results show 100% control (no fleas surviving to adults) for at least 46 days, with control levels remaining high for three months. Bio Spot Stripe-On can be used as often as every three weeks, although this is not necessary unless the pet is shampooed often.

How is Bio Spot Stripe-On applied?
Bio Spot comes in convenient unit-dose packaging. Simply cut or snap the end off of the product tube and while gently holding your pet, apply the product as a narrow stripe down the pet's back between the base of the head and the base of the tail.

How is Bio Spot Stripe-On distributed over the pet's body?
The Nylar in Bio Spot Stripe-On dissolves into the natural oily coating of your pet's coat and skin. It moves around your pet's coat by several processes including diffusion, capillary action, and transfer from hair to hair as your pet moves. Efficacy trials show that Bio Spot spreads quickly enough through a pet's coat to produce 100% control of flea eggs within just four days of application.

Why are Flea Halt!™ Towelettes included free in the package?
In homes with existing flea populations, although production of new flea generations is halted by Using Bio Spot Stripe-On alone, immature fleas from eggs laid by fleas prior to treatment with Bio Spot Stripe-On will continue to mature over about two to four weeks or so. During that time, Flea Halt! Towelettes may be used to help control the last adult fleas as the flea population dies off.

What do the Flea Halt! Towelettes do?
Flea Halt! Towelettes kill and repel adult fleas, ticks, lice, deer ticks, mites, and mosquitoes on cats, ferrets, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs.

If I use Flea Halt! Towelettes with Bio Spot Stripe-on, which should I put on first?
Either product could be applied first; however, it is generally best to apply the Flea Halt! Towelette prior to applying Bio Spot Stripe-On simply because the towelette may tend to remove some of the freshly applied Bio Spot Stripe-on. Once the Bio Spot Stripe-On has dried and started to spread (a few hours after application) this is not a concern.

Why weren't the pyrethrins and the IGR combined similar to the Bio Spot dog product?
Unlike Nylar IGR, pyrethrins break down rapidly when exposed to air and sunlight.

How long do Flea Halt! Towelettes last? How often should they be used?
The active ingredients in Flea Halt! Towelettes break down within a few days of application. Flea Halt! Towelettes may be used weekly if adult fleas are noticed.

What if the cat takes a complete bath after he has been wiped down with Flea Halt! Towelettes?
Bathing will remove most of Flea Halt! Towelette's active ingredients. So, if you need to bathe your cat near the time you wish to apply the flea control, it is best to bathe the cat first, then apply Flea Halt! Towelette and Bio Spot Stripe-On.

How safe are the Towelettes for consumers to handle?
Always follow label instructions when applying insecticides. There are no requirements for using gloves when applying Flea Halt! Towelettes, but you should wash your hands well with soap and water after handling them.

Is Bio Spot Stripe-On a potential hazard to cats or other pets?
Bio Spot Stripe-On is specifically formulated for use on cats and ferrets, in a mild, water-based formulation with no solvent odor. It has very low dermal and oral toxicity (Dermal and Oral LD-50s of less than 5,050 mg kg--less toxic than table salt), and has undergone extensive safety testing including Domestic Animal Safety Studies required by the EPA. No adverse effects were seen during these tests. However, as with any flea control product, drug, or food, an individual pet may be sensitive to one or more of the ingredients. If your pet shows signs of irritation or sensitivity to the product (e.g., redness or itchiness at the application site), discontinue use and bathe the pet with a mild, noninsecticidal shampoo; seek veterinary advice.

Can Bio Spot Stripe-On be used at the same time as other flea control products ?
Nylar is a unique chemical not related to other active ingredients which are used in flea products for use on pets. It is not a cholinesterase inhibitor, so it is not expected to increase the toxicity of cholinesterase inhibiting pesticides; nor is it known to increase the toxicity of other flea control products. But, as with all on-animal insecticides, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian before using this product with any other pesticide or drug. Bio Spot Stripe-On should be used as part of a program aimed at reducing flea populations in the pet's environment (bedding, carpets, yard). Consult your retailer, entomologist, or veterinarian for program recommendations.

How can a few drops of Bio Spot Stripe-On protect my pet from fleas?
Bio Spot's ingredients move through the lipid (oily) coating of your pet's coat and skin surface to kill eggs laid by fleas on your pet. Bio Spot Stripe-On does not kill adult fleas, but prevents adult fleas on treated pets from infesting your home with new generations of fleas. For homes with existing flea infestations, two packs of Flea Halt! Towelettes are provided to help kill adult fleas that mature from eggs laid prior to treatment with Bio Spot Stripe-On.

What if I bathe my pet after treatment with Bio Spot Stripe-On?
Nylar, the active ingredient, has a high affinity for pet hair, and is active against fleas at very low concentrations. Shampooing removes little of the active ingredient, but repeated shampooing may shorten the effectiveness of the product. To help pet owners keep their pets clean without reducing the effectiveness of Bio Spot Stripe-On, Farnam developed Bio Guard® Shampoo. Bio Guard is specially formulated to leave your pet clean and smelling fresh without reducing the effectiveness of Bio Spot Stripe-On.

Should my pet be clean before I apply Bio Spot Stripe-On?
Bathing your pet is not required before applying Bio Spot Stripe-On. However, if you bathe your pet frequently, it is better to bathe it before rather than soon after treatment.

How often should I use Bio Spot Stripe-On?
For optimum protection, Bio Spot Stripe-On should be applied at least every three months. Just four applications per year help protect your home from flea infestations.

Will Bio Spot Stripe-On take care of all my flea problems?
As with all flea control products, Bio Spot Stripe-On should be used as part of a program aimed at reducing flea populations in your cat's environment (bedding, carpets, yard). For dogs in the same household, use Bio Spot Flea & Tick Control for Dogs for optimum flea protection. Consult your retailer for program recommendations. Farnam offers a full-line of Adams™ Flea & Tick Control products to fill these needs.

Can I use Bio Spot Stripe-On on kittens?
Bio Spot Stripe-On can be used on pets 12 weeks of age and older.

Does sunlight affect the efficacy of Bio Spot Stripe-On?
Nylar exhibits good photostability and is only minimally affected by
sunlight.

Can I use Bio Spot Stripe-On instead of a flea collar or dipping my cat?
Yes. Bio Spot provides an easy-to-use alternative or adjunct to collars and dipping.

Can I use Bio Spot Stripe-On on nursing mother cats or ferrets?
As with all on-animal insecticides, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian before using Bio Spot Stripe-On on sick, aged, medicated, pregnant, or nursing pets.

Is there a difference in the way Bio Spot Stripe-On works on long and short-haired cats?
No. Bio Spot Stripe-On moves through the oily coating of the cat's hair and skin surface. Flea eggs contact Nylar as they tumble across your cat's skin and though your cat's coat.

®Nylar is a registered trademark of McLaughlin Gormley King and Co.