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A curious dog and cat at home near a kitchen cabinet where pest-control products are used
Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664
Reviewed by Daniel Brady

Is CB-80 Aerosol Insecticide Safe for Pets?

Use with caution
CB-80 Aerosol Insecticide is a synergized pyrethrin product — pyrethrins 0.50% combined with piperonyl butoxide (PBO) 4.00%, a synergist that isn't itself an insecticide but makes the pyrethrins more potent by blocking detoxifying enzymes.That same mechanism affects mammals: PBO potentiates pyrethrin toxicity, which matters most for cats, who already can't clear pyrethrins efficiently. Dogs generally tolerate labeled use once the aerosol has settled and surfaces are dry. Birds and fish should be kept away entirely, since this is used as a space or flushing spray with meaningful airborne exposure. If your pet contacts wet product or shows drooling or tremors, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control.

At a Glance

  • Product: CB-80 Aerosol Insecticide by FMC · FMC
  • Active ingredient: Pyrethrins 0.50%, Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO) 4.00%
  • Re-entry: No long residual — the product breaks down in light and air — but the acute airborne exposure during and shortly after spraying is the main pet-safety window; ventilate before pets return.
  • Cat owners: Cats differ — read the cat card below
The verdict for pet owners

The short, honest answer

Pet-safety score
48out of 100
Use with caution

The score rolls up every per-species verdict below, weighted by the honest exposure that matters — a chewed-open tube, not a hidden dab — and is checked against the EPA label and veterinary toxicology.

The verdict
Use with caution

Natural pyrethrins alone are low-toxicity — but the PBO synergist in this can specifically amplifies toxicity in mammals.

CB-80 (EPA Reg. No. 279-3393) is a synergized pyrethrin flushing and contact aerosol — pyrethrins 0.50% at an 8:1 ratio with piperonyl butoxide (PBO) 4.00%. Natural pyrethrins have a lower mammalian-toxicity profile than synthetic pyrethroids and leave no meaningful residue once aerosol settles. The important nuance: PBO is added specifically to block the liver enzymes that detoxify pyrethrins in both insects and mammals, which the Merck Veterinary Manual describes as potentiating toxicity in mammals — a direct reason cats especially should stay away from wet or airborne product.

General information, not veterinary advice. For a suspected exposure, contact your veterinarian or a pet-poison hotline. Verdict checked 2026-07-13 against the EPA label and veterinary toxicology.

Safety by pet

It's not one answer — it's one per animal

Cats, birds, and fish routinely differ sharply from dogs. That contrast is the whole point of this scorecard, and no manufacturer page draws it.

Scorecard at a glance
  • DogsCaution
  • CatsAvoid
  • Small mammalsCaution
  • BirdsAvoid
  • FishAvoid
DogsCaution

Low-toxicity active, but the synergist raises the stakes

Pyrethrins alone are low-toxicity to dogs, but the PBO synergist in this formula increases the pyrethrins' potency and effect. Keep dogs off treated surfaces until the aerosol has settled and everything is dry.

Merck Veterinary Manual — Pesticide Potentiating Agent Toxicosis in Animals

CatsAvoid
Cats differ — added blood-disorder risk

The PBO synergist is a specific reason to keep cats away

Cats already can't efficiently metabolize pyrethrins due to limited liver glucuronidation. Per the Merck Veterinary Manual, synergists like PBO 'potentiate toxicity in mammals' by inhibiting the very detoxifying enzymes cats rely on most. Keep cats out of the room during use and off surfaces until fully dry.

Merck Veterinary Manual — Pesticide Potentiating Agent Toxicosis in Animals

Small mammalsCaution

Remove during application — space-spray use means airborne exposure

CB-80 is used as a space or flushing spray with meaningful airborne particle exposure, and small mammals have a high respiratory rate relative to body size. Remove enclosures during use and until the space is ventilated.

NPIC general aerosol-exposure guidance

BirdsAvoid

Remove birds before use — this is a space/flushing aerosol

Used as a space spray for flushing flying insects out of hiding, this product creates more airborne exposure than a targeted spot spray. Birds' respiratory systems are exceptionally sensitive to inhaled aerosol; remove them entirely before use.

NPIC; veterinary avian-toxicology guidance

FishAvoid

Cover aquariums — pyrethrins are toxic to fish

Pyrethrins, even the natural form, are toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. Cover aquariums and turn off air pumps during and after application.

NPIC pyrethrins/pyrethroids fact sheet

The chemistry, in plain terms

What's in it — and what it does to pets

Pyrethrins
0.50% · Pyrethrin (botanical)Fast knockdown, flushing action against flying and crawling insects
Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO)
4.00% · Synergist (not itself an insecticide)Blocks insect detoxification enzymes to make the pyrethrins more effective
Pyrethrins

A botanical (chrysanthemum-derived) insecticide with a lower baseline mammalian-toxicity profile than synthetic pyrethroids and no meaningful residual buildup. In sensitive pets, especially cats, it can still cause drooling, tremors, twitching, and hyperexcitability.

Most at riskCatsFishBirds

NPIC pyrethrins/pyrethroids fact sheet

Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO)

A synergist, not an insecticide on its own, added to make pyrethrins more effective by inhibiting the mixed-function oxidase enzymes that break them down. The Merck Veterinary Manual is explicit that this same mechanism potentiates pyrethrin toxicity in mammals — the pyrethrins in this can are effectively stronger against pets than pyrethrins alone would be.

Most at riskCatsDogs

Merck Veterinary Manual — Pesticide Potentiating Agent Toxicosis in Animals

The actionable core

How to use it safely around pets

CB-80 is used as a space or crack-and-crevice spray with no meaningful residual — it breaks down in light and air. Ventilating fully and keeping pets out during and immediately after use matters more here than with a residual product.

Remove pets and cover aquariums

Take all pets — including caged birds, small mammals, and fish tanks that can't be covered — out of the treatment area before you start.

Watch out
Birds and fish should leave the room entirely; this is a space-spray product with real airborne exposure.

Apply as a space or crack-and-crevice spray per label

Use for flushing insects from hiding places or as a targeted crack-and-crevice treatment, following label directions for the specific use.

Watch out
Do not apply to food or food-prep surfaces unless the label specifically permits it for that setting.

Ventilate and let the aerosol settle before pets return

Because PBO amplifies the pyrethrins' effect, give the room extra ventilation time beyond just visible dryness before letting pets — especially cats — back in.

Watch out
There's no long residual to worry about, but the acute airborne exposure window matters.

Store sealed and out of reach

Store the can upright, sealed, and out of pets' and children's reach, away from heat.

Watch out
A punctured or heated aerosol can is a separate hazard.
The re-entry rule

Keep pets out during application and until the aerosol has fully settled and surfaces are dry.

No long residual — the product breaks down in light and air — but the acute airborne exposure during and shortly after spraying is the main pet-safety window; ventilate before pets return.

Because PBO potentiates pyrethrin toxicity in mammals, give cats extra time and ventilation beyond the minimum.

This is a professional flushing spray — let a professional place it

Anchor's licensed NH technicians use calibrated ventilation and pet-removal protocols.

Get a Free Pet-Safe Inspection(603) 785-0118
If something's off

Symptoms to watch for

A sign, its urgency, and what to do — never a diagnosis. When in doubt, the emergency panel below is one tap away.

  • Drooling or hypersalivation

    Often the earliest sign in cats; may be amplified by the PBO synergist

    Moderate

  • Paw flicking, ear or skin twitching

    Moderate

  • Vomiting

    Moderate

  • Tremors

    Serious

  • Hyperexcitability or agitation

    Serious

  • Seizures

    Most likely in cats with significant exposure — seek emergency care

    Emergency
If your pet was exposed

Act now — call a vet or a pet-poison line

Do not induce vomiting unless told to

If your pet ate, licked, or was in the room during spraying, act now — bring the can or a photo of the label when you call. This page is general information, not veterinary advice — for a suspected exposure, contact your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) right away.

What each situation calls for

  • Your pet was in the room during or shortly after spraying

    Move your pet to fresh air immediately and ventilate the treated space. Call your vet or a pet poison hotline if you notice drooling, twitching, or tremors.

  • Your cat is drooling, twitching, or tremoring

    Treat as urgent — cats can't efficiently clear pyrethrins, and the PBO in this product specifically amplifies that effect. Call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control immediately and bring the can or a photo of the label.

  • A bird was in the room during spraying

    Move the bird to fresh air at once and contact an avian vet or a pet poison hotline — this is a space-spray product with real inhalation exposure.

In the next 60 seconds

  1. Get your pet away from the treated area and any wet product.
  2. Ventilate the space and move your pet to fresh air.
  3. Do NOT induce vomiting unless a veterinarian or poison expert tells you to.
  4. Have the product name and EPA registration number (279-3393) ready.
  5. Call your veterinarian or one of the hotlines below.
Lower-risk options

Safer pet-friendly alternatives

Honest options that reduce or remove pet-toxicity — no affiliate hype, real caveats included.

Enclosed/tamper-resistant bait stations

Safer

Enclosed bait (kept out of pet reach)

The active is sealed inside a station instead of dispersed as an aerosol, cutting airborne and grooming exposure.

Still contains an insecticide — place where pets and children can't pry them open.

Mechanical exclusion + sanitation

Safer

Non-chemical

Caulking entry points, fixing moisture, and removing food removes the reason insects come in — zero pet-toxicity.

Slower than a spray and needs consistency.

Un-synergized, low-concentration botanical sprays

Safer

Botanical / minimum-risk

A pyrethrin product without a PBO-style synergist avoids the toxicity-amplification effect this product's synergist adds.

Confirm the label — many consumer 'natural' sprays still include a synergist.

Professional pet-conscious treatment (Anchor Pest Services)

Safer

Licensed professional service

This is a professional-grade flushing/space-spray product; licensed applicators use it with calibrated ventilation and pet-removal protocols.

A service, not a product — request a pet-safety-focused plan.

Local to New Hampshire

Pet-safe professional pest control in New Hampshire

CB-80 is a professional pyrethrin flushing aerosol meant for calibrated, ventilated use, not casual homeowner spraying around pets. In New Hampshire, applying insecticides for hire requires an applicator licensed and certified by the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food (NHDAMF) Division of Pesticide Control under RSA 430 — the kind of training that dictates where and how a flushing agent is used indoors. Anchor Pest Services holds that NH license (#782664) and provides pet-conscious treatment across Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and the surrounding towns.

Anchor Pest Services

NH-licensed applicator #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430) · NEPMA member · family-owned since 2017.

Service Area Map

Southern New Hampshire

BristolPop. 3,200LoudonPop. 5,500ConcordPop. 43,900HooksettPop. 14,800GoffstownPop. 18,000AuburnPop. 5,700ManchesterPop. 115,600BedfordPop. 23,300LitchfieldPop. 8,500AmherstPop. 11,300DerryPop. 34,500MilfordPop. 15,700HudsonPop. 25,600NashuaPop. 91,100SalemPop. 30,000HQCityHover for info
Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Sources(4)
  1. [1]
    FMC — CB-80 for Insect Control EPA Label (Reg. No. 279-3393)

    Verified actives (pyrethrins 0.50%, PBO 4.00%), use directions

    epa_labelverified 2026-07-13
  2. [2]
    Merck Veterinary Manual — Pesticide Potentiating Agent Toxicosis in Animals

    PBO mechanism and mammalian-toxicity potentiation

    veterinaryverified 2026-07-13
  3. [3]
    NPIC — Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids Fact Sheet

    Class-level mode of action and pet risk

    npicverified 2026-07-13
  4. [4]
    Merck Veterinary Manual — Pyrethrin and Pyrethroid Toxicosis

    Cat glucuronidation deficiency; clinical signs

    veterinaryverified 2026-07-13

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

Verify license

Last updated 2026-07-13

Pet-Safe Professional Pest Control

A Synergized Space Spray Deserves Professional Handling

DIY use of a PBO-synergized aerosol puts the ventilation and pet-removal burden on you. Anchor Pest Services treats flying and crawling pests with targeted, pet-aware methods across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Get a Free Pet-Safe Inspection(603) 785-0118
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