Best ant and roach spray

Sometimes, pest control requires a different approach than just placing traps and hoping for the best. For example, ants and roaches are the most common pests for household infestations, so it stands to reason that folks will gravitate toward the best possible ant and roach spray. Our best overall ant and roach spray is made by Ortho, a well-known brand for effective pest control. Pro exterminators use it, but so can you; it's formulated to provide a barrier of protection. Apply it to your home's foundation, entrances, and walls, for treatment capable of lasting up to three months. You'll find a few more options below, including a fogger and naturally-based sprays—see which ant and roach spray is right for you.

Ortho's spray is focused on keeping pests out of your home long-term rather than spot-treating infestations. It contains two pesticides—bifenthrin and zeta-cypermethrin. These compounds kill spiders, ants, and roaches on contact and repel over 130 additional insects. Better yet, you can use it to establish barriers lasting up to one year around internal and external entrances to your home, including basements, garages, and foundation perimeters. A 4-inch wide barrier is sufficient for kitchens, windows and doors, basements, and bathrooms. Still, you'll want to widen that band to about 1 foot for outdoor areas, including your patio, garage, and foundation's perimeter. 

Raid's well known for their extermination prowess, when it comes to creepy crawlies of all sorts. They've ditched the heavy pesticides this time around though, with their aerosol ant and roach spray infused with essential oils. Lemongrass essential oil is commonly used in natural bug repellents, as is geraniol to create effective protection with minimal chemical exposure (e.g. sprays with DEET or permethrin). A downside to this particular Raid product is its spray nozzle. It emits a thin stream that's tough to aim, rather than a more generalized mist. You'll also want to avoid using this spray on hardwood floors and house plants because the mineral oil in its formula makes it slippery, and can cause phytotoxicity.

Why spray down every inch of your home by hand when you can use a can of Hot Shot's fogger mist? Also called "bug bombs," foggers exterminate by releasing a fine mist capable of sinking into every nook and cranny it settles upon. The formula's aimed at more than ants and roaches, but it's powerful enough to wipe out wasps, murder pantry moths, and finish off every last flea. Fire ants, as usual, will probably persist past treatment, despite formulation with powerful tetramethrin and cypermethrin. Unfortunately, there are quite a few non-negotiable safety measures to take before fogging your home. All residents, including pets (especially birds), must be vacated for a few hours at a bare minimum. Furthermore, you can't let it contaminate your food or stick to your floors (so you'll have to remove or cover it). 

Rosemary, cedarwood, lemongrass, and peppermint are at the forefront of Wondercide's quartet of botanically-scented sprays. The benefits of aromatherapy and effective, plant-based biopesticide join forces to eradicate and prevent all sorts of unwanted insectile interlopers. Cedar oil is a primary ingredient of the Wondercide formula. It works by blocking a neurotransmitter in insects that control their breathing, heart rate, and movement. Wondercide also acts as a biphasic flea treatment for stain-free eradication in carpeting, bedding, flooring, and furniture. Using it is simple, too: within a seven to ten-day period, apply the spray everywhere you see signs of infestation. Then, for maintenance, repeat monthly and enjoy your bug-free, nicely scented home. 

Dr. Killigan's bug-killing spray is a genuinely pet-safe and non-toxic option, with a humorously dark aesthetic and subtly spicy smell. Clove, cottonseed, and cinnamon oils come together to make a surprisingly efficient insecticide spray capable of eliminating more than just ants and roaches from your abode. Conveniently, wily fruit flies, mosquitoes, and silverfish will fall victim to this spray, too. It can even be used directly on your pets' fur to kill fleas and ticks at all stages of life—safely and naturally. There are no toxic fumes here, either; the formula smells like a snickerdoodle rather than stifling gases. 

Bottom line

So, there you have it—a selection of the best ant and roach sprays I could find. This list does skew toward the all-natural and bio-degradable formulas; that's because they're a significant percentage of your options these days. Ortho's ant and roach spray, our staff pick, is formulated with pesticides instead. When used correctly, it's safe to use inside and outside your home. It's aimed at infestation prevention and control via barrier-making and killing insects on contact.

Suppose you'd rather err on the plant-derived, bio-degradable side when buying bug sprays. Wondercide's ant and roach spray is a great example; it kills more than just those two species, and its active ingredient is all-natural. Cedar oil damages insects at the neurological level while smelling like a forest and is non-toxic to humans and pets when used correctly. You can choose between four bold, botanical scents as well. 

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