Neonicotinoid

Neonicotinoids (sometimes shortened to neonics /ˈniːoʊnɪks/) are a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically similar to nicotine, developed by scientists at Shell and Bayer in the 1980s. Neonicotinoids became among the widest-used insecticides in crop protection because of their efficacy against a broad spectrum of sucking and chewing pests, together with their high specificity to insects, relatively low risk for nontarget organisms and the environment, and versatility of application. They are also widely employed for veterinary purposes including tick and flea control.