Bifenthrin

Bifenthrin is a chemical insecticide that is mostly used to fight ant infestations. It is poorly dissolved in water and remains in the soil for long periods of time, which means it can take up to 8 months before soil that has been treated with bifenthrin shows signs of active degradation. One reason bifenthrin has such a long residual time is that it isn’t naturally occurring; it is made by humans.

Bifenthrin is a type of pyrethroid insecticide. Namely, it is a chiral compound that comes in different enantiomers that have different effects. Bifenthrin has two major enantiomers, 1S-cis-bifenthrin and 1R-cis-bifenthrin. 1S-Bifenthrin is 3-4 times as toxic to humans, while 1R-Bifenthrin is over 300 times more effective as a pesticide.