Toxic substances used in flea and tick treatments pet owners give to their dogs and cats have been detected in birds' nests, according to new UK research published in Science of The Total Environment.

The eggs are laid in the host nest, where the larvae develop as scavengers, feeding on detritus and flea faeces. The resulting pupae can remain dormant for some time, emerging as adults in response to ...

The study found that the fur used by birds to line their nests contained insecticides from pet flea treatments, such as fipronil. The researchers collected 103 nests from blue and great tits ...