Besides ticks and fleas, flying insects that bite and sting are a third massive health threat to dogs. advantix^® has been proven to protect dogs against mosquitoes, sand flies and stable flies by means of its repellent and insecticidal activity.

Efficacy against mosquitoes

A controlled laboratory study was conducted to examine the insecticidal and repellent efficacy of advantix^® against mosquitoes (Culex pipiens) in comparison with Frontline^® Plus. Dogs were treated at day 0. On days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 30, each dog was exposed to 50 mosquitoes. The number of live or dead mosquitoes and whether they were fed or unfed were counted. advantix^® demonstrated repellent activity against C. pipiens, as determined by the ability to prevent feeding, ranging from 96.5% to 100% at all the time points assessed in this study. In contrast, repellency of Frontline^® Plus ranged from 83.3% on day 1, to a low of 0% on day 3, to 5.5% on day 30.

Efficacy against sand flies

The objective of this blinded study was the evaluation of the repellent and insecticidal efficacy of advantix^® against sand flies (Phlebotomus papatasi) on dogs. The repellent efficacy was evaluated by the sand flies' feeding rate, the insecticidal efficacy was based on the sand flies' survival rate. On day 0, dogs in the treatment group received advantix^® and the others were treated with placebo. Dogs were exposed at weekly intervals to about 200 female sand flies for a period of four weeks.

For the leishmaniosis-transmitting sand fly species P. perniciosus and Lutzomyia longipalpis, a repellent efficacy of more than 90% was obtained up to three weeks after treatment with advantix^®.

Repellency against stable flies

Two controlled efficacy studies were conducted to test the repellent efficacy of advantix^® against the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans. In both studies investigators observed a repellent effect. Blood feeding on dogs was inhibited for four weeks after treatment with advantix^®.