Almost nobody reads the label on flea and tick control. It is small, it is folded twice, and it is written for a regulator, not for the person holding the dog.
In 2008, Stephanie Boone had a reason to. Her dog Luna was in liver and kidney failure, and her vet had just told her that the thing she was using to protect Luna might be the thing making her sick.
"When you love someone, you do everything in your power to protect them. I thought I was keeping my dog Luna safe but then she became ill from what my vet suspected was conventional flea-and-tick medication and monthly pest control services. I knew there had to be a better way."
Stephanie Boone, founder, on wondercide.comWhat follows is her account of the eight years between that moment and a national television studio, told in the words Wondercide publishes on its own story page. The parts in between are ours.
Luna
Met my new best friend, my Akita-Husky mix fur baby. Her floppy ear and those wise eyes got me. I named her Luna because she was already my moon and stars. Our story began.
The symptoms nobody connected
It started with teeth chattering (mini seizures), hot spots, liver and kidney failure. Vets suggested I put her down but that was never an option.
My vet suspected Luna had pesticide poisoning from the conventional flea-and-tick control we were using. We weren't alone. An overwhelming number of families were going through the same thing.
A different path, and Luna came back
We put Luna on a more holistic path. She started getting better. I worked with a group to advocate for change so companies selling conventional pesticides have to report adverse reactions.
That last sentence is the part most people skip past. She did not only change what she used. She went after the reporting rules.
So she made one herself
Nothing natural on the market was working and I felt compelled to find a way to protect Luna and families everywhere. So I did! I rolled up my sleeves, voraciously researched, and formulated a plant-powered solution that we proved worked. Vets approved it. Luna was by my side as we built and grew Wondercide.
The research took her somewhere pet owners never look: a federal list. Under section 25(b) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the EPA publishes a short roster of active ingredients considered low enough risk that a product built only from them is exempt from full pesticide registration. Cedarwood oil is on it, broken out by origin, including Cedarwood oil (Texas) and Cedarwood oil (Virginia). So are the other three actives that ended up in the bottle. That list is where the formula starts.
Bluebonnets
Every spring, Luna and I would go to a field filled with bluebonnets and take pics. 2015 was our last time. Hours after we got home, Luna passed away in my arms.
Shark Tank
I got the call to appear on Shark Tank only hours after Luna passed away. I was grieving but I knew this would allow us to reach and help so many more families. We got an offer from three Sharks and accepted one on air. I passed on signing the final deal, trusting my gut and following my intuition instead.
The part that matters
Turn the bottle around.
Everything above is a story. This is the thing you can actually check. Below is the complete active ingredient panel of Wondercide Flea & Tick Spray for Pets + Home, Rosemary scent, as Wondercide publishes it, including where each ingredient physically comes from.
| Active | % | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cedarwood Oil | 4.2 | Texas and Virginiana cedar trees |
| Sodium Lauryl Sulfate | 2.2 | Coconut and/or palm oil |
| Rosemary Oil | 1.5 | Rosmarinus officinalis |
| Sesame Oil | 0.1 | Sesame seeds |
| Total actives | 8.0 | 5.7% of it natural essential oils |
Four actives. Eight inactives. Every one of them named, with its source printed next to it. Wondercide says its products are "registered as 25(b) minimum-risk pesticides under FIFRA", and the EPA's condition for that status is blunt: "All active ingredients must be listed by label display name and percentage (by weight). All inert ingredients must be listed by label display name." The third column, where each one comes from, is Wondercide's own addition.
Now go get whatever is currently in your cabinet and look for the same three columns: what is in it, how much of it, and where it came from.
We are not going to tell you what you will find. That is not our place, and every product is different. We are telling you that you are entitled to read it, and that you should, on a product you put on an animal that then sleeps on your bed.
Mechanism
The receptor a flea runs on, and your dog does not
This is the part Wondercide will not let you skip, because it is the entire argument for the formula. In their words:
- Pests run on octopamine. "Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and other pheromone-driven pests utilize a neurotransmitter called octopamine to regulate vital functions, such as heart rate, movement, and behavior."
- Cedarwood oil blocks the receptor. "Cedarwood oil, the main active ingredient in Wondercide sprays, blocks the octopamine neurotransmitter receptors in pests, causing them to be repelled from the area. When contacted directly, pests suffocate and die."
- Mammals do not run on it the same way. "When used as directed, Wondercide is safe for mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and beneficial insects because they do not utilize octopamine neurotransmitters in the same way that pheromone-driven pests do."
Quoted from the Wondercide help center, "How does Wondercide work?"
Proof
Plant-powered is a claim. These are the numbers.
Wondercide publishes its efficacy studies in full. All testing was performed by third-party, independent US labs in the spirit of Good Laboratory Practice standards, double-blind, with a control and in some cases a leading competitor product. The methods are in vitro, because animal testing is against Wondercide's ethics policy.
Adult fleas, direct spray
300 cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), applied at label rate, mortality observed over 24 hours.
Flea eggs, 14 days after application
625 cat flea eggs, observed daily for 14 days. Lower is better.
In the same mosquito study, a leading insect repellent containing 7% DEET achieved 100%* efficacy, which Wondercide reports as putting its formula on par with conventional repellents. Wondercide states that its percentages are presented as an average of the four scents, and it identifies competitor products by active ingredient rather than by name. *Test results reflect laboratory testing, not field testing. Full study designs, quantities and observation intervals are published on the Wondercide site.
The honest catch, because there is one
This is a topical contact spray, not a monthly systemic. That is the entire point of it, and it is also the cost: Wondercide's own directions say to reapply daily, every 24 hours, for continuous protection, and to apply it before going to an area not protected by Wondercide, such as a dog park or a hike.
If a monthly dose you can forget about is the non-negotiable, this is the wrong product and you should say so. If a daily thirty seconds in exchange for a label you can read is a trade you would make, keep reading.
4.3 out of 5, from 9,145 reviews
Live rating on the Wondercide product page as of August 7, 2026. Over 22 million pets and people protected. As seen on Shark Tank.
What owners actually write
Verified reviews, quoted exactly
"Bought this as my pup is seizure prone and can't use the chemical solutions. Spray in the morning and check him for bugs when he comes in and he's flea and tick free. Pleasant peppermint aroma. Definitely will buy again!"
"I've been using this for a couple years now on my cats and I love it. It's a much better option than the usual flea medication. I know they will lick the medication off of each other and then get sick so this is the safer route and it smells amazing!"
"I have ordered this product before just a smaller bottle. I like it, it does its job & my corgi boy does not have a bad reaction as he does with veterinarian flea & tick products. Thanks!"
"Works soooo well!!! Been using this product for years and I can attest it works wonders! I live in the Northern Illinois - very very rarely do I tweeze ticks from my hunting dogs (and then it's when I realize I was not compliant in remembering to apply it!). I spritz myself as well. 5 stars for sure. I jus love that I can avoid the poison each season. This is so safe and effective."
"Having a big problem with ticks this year & wondercide is helping. Seems to repel ticks & slows them down so they don't make it thru hair to attach. Downsides: dogs don't love it, and must be applied frequently. But still worth it as a less toxic alternative to pharmaceuticals."
The four star review is here on purpose. It is the most common criticism in the review set, it is accurate, and it is the same thing the directions say.
The product
One bottle. Pet, home, and the part of the house the fleas actually live in.
The same formula treats the animal and the room. For an active flea problem, Wondercide's own instructions are a whole-house treatment: carpet, hard floors, furniture, fabrics and pet bedding, with close attention to warm, dark areas that retain moisture. That is the half of the job most flea products leave to you.
Best seller · As seen on Shark Tank
Flea & Tick Spray
for Pets + Home
- Kills flea eggs, larvae and adults.
- Repels fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.
- Safe for dogs and cats of all ages when used as directed.
- 8% plant-based actives, 5.7% of it natural essential oils.
- Made in USA with US and global components.
Four scents, all lab-tested and equally effective. Pick the one you want to smell every day.
Before you switch
The five questions people ask first
Can I use it alongside my current flea medication or spot drops?
"Wondercide is designed to replace conventional flea and tick control products and hasn't been tested for use alongside them. Please consult your veterinarian or consider making the switch fully to Wondercide."
Is it really safe for cats?
"Safe for dogs and cats of all ages when used as directed." Wondercide's own directions point cats to the 4 oz bottle, "since cats can be skittish around large spray bottles": spray into your hands or a cloth and massage it on. One caveat Wondercide prints itself: while puppies and kittens are still nursing, choose one of the other three scents, which have no peppermint oil added.
Which scent works best against bugs?
"All scents are lab-tested and proven equally effective against pests, so make your selection based on personal preference. Each scent contains the same active ingredients with the exception of the essential oils, which vary slightly depending on scent."
How long does a bottle last?
For topical use, the 16 oz bottle typically lasts one to three months, depending on how many pets you have, their size, and how often you spray. For home use, the 32 oz treats up to 400 square feet and the gallon up to 1,500 square feet.
Does it stain, or leave the dog oily?
"Wondercide Flea & Tick Pets + Home should not leave an oily residue or stain pets or household surfaces. While Wondercide sprays contain essential oils, they are water-soluble." Wondercide recommends testing a discrete area first on specialty surfaces like satin, leather and suede. And one caveat it prints itself: the lemongrass scent "can occasionally cause mild discoloration of light-colored fur after extended use", which is not permanent and fades once you stop. The other three scents are completely clear.
Seventeen years later, the label is still the argument.
Wondercide did not become a company because a plant-based spray sounded nice. It became one because a woman in Texas was told to put her dog down, refused, and then spent years building a product whose own ingredient panel could survive being read line by line.
"Luna helped me find my purpose in life. Her legacy of love and protection lives on in all the ways we do good for pets, families, and the environment."
Stephanie Boone, founder, on wondercide.comFree shipping on orders $49+. Live support Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm CST.
Then go read the other one. That is the whole ask.