Bed Bug Sprays

This gives contact killing sprays a window of a few hours up to an entire day to work. The effective window changes depending on the weather and the ingredients in the spray.

For the safety of your pets, do not use sprays near uncovered fish tanks, birds cages, or any other pet enclosures.

They wipe out bed bugs that you can find but don’t help if you’re having trouble finding bed bugs in the first place.

Residual sprays and powders are good choices for most other infestations. They kill bugs on contact and indirectly.

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	Steri-Fab	JT Eaton Pro	JT Eaton II	Bed Bug Patrol	Bedlam Aerosol	Ecoraider
Active Ingredient(s)	Pyrethroid, Isopropyl Alcohol	Pyrethrin, Piperonyl Butoxide	Deltamethrin	Euginia Carophylla, Mentha Piperita, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate	Pyrethroid, N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide	Geraniol, Cedar Extract, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Natural	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes
Lifetime	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2 Weeks	2 Weeks
Rating	84 / 100	70 / 100	62 / 100	84 / 100	70 / 100	96 / 100
Relative Cost	$$	$	$	$$	$$	$$$
Current Price	View	View	View	View	View	View

Price ratings were calculated based on price per fluid ounce.

Some sprays can are useful as both contact and long-term residuals. You can find them listed on both charts

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Active Ingredients:

• Synthetic Pyrethroid (0.22%)
• Isopropyl Alcohol (60.39%)

Steri-Fab comes ready-to-use and dries without leaving any residue in as little as 15 to 20 minutes. Many sprays leave noticeable residue.

Steri-Fab is perfect for treating your bed before encasing it since it is residue-free.

A single 16-ounce bottle of Steri-Fab will treat an entire mattress, box spring set, and then some.

Steri-Fab uses a synthetic version of pyrethroid based on the natural compound. They regularly “update” their version before bed bugs can become resistant to it.

While it is primarily made up of isopropyl alcohol, the pyrethroid is what makes it work. The alcohol dries the bug’s waxy coat so that the pyrethroid can penetrate the shell and take effect.

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Active Ingredients:

• Pyrethrin (0.13%)
• Piperonyl Butoxide (1.27%)

The JT Eaton brand advertises that they use natural pyrethrins from chrysanthemum flowers.

This is the opposite approach that Stei-Fab takes. Instead of trying to make changes to pyrethroids in a lab, JT Eaton counts on nature to make changes. They harvest flowers and extract pyrethrins from them.

This is an oil-based spray that packs a one-two punch of pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide. This makes for a spray that works on the most resistant bed bugs.

Some residue will remain unlike with Steri-Fab. Do not use this product on mattresses.

You can buy JT Eaton in quarts or by the gallon.

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Active Ingredients:

• Deltamethrin (0.03%)

Also known as JT Eaton Blue, this water-based alternative to JT Eaton Pro is based on Deltamethrin. Deltamethrin is a popular synthetic pyrethroid.

For those on a budget, it is usable and much better than nothing. It will do a passable job and is the cheapest option on this entire page as of today.

Things like a steamer, natural bed bug powder, and good encasements will more than make up for a weak spray.

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Active Ingredients:

Natural Plant Extracts of

• Euginia Carophylla
• Mentha Piperita
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate from Coconut Extract

Bed Bug Patrol relies on essential oils to kill on contact. The company that produces it claims that it kills at a rate as high as 97.4% under lab settings.

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) only certifies sprays with a rate of kill of 90% or higher. Seeing as the ESA has certified Bed Bug Patrol, their claims of 97.4% are believable.

97.4% is amazing, especially considering that they achieved it without pesticides.

The notes of peppermint and clove left behind by Bed Bug Patrol are a nice bonus.

It’s a simple task that involves spraying places where bed bugs are known to travel and hide. To help show you where that is, we’ve covered exactly where to look for bed bugs.

You’ll read more about important treatment windows later in this article.

Click any product name or picture to go to the corresponding review on this page:

	Ecoraider	Temprid FX	Temprid Ready	Bedlam Aerosol	Bedlam Plus	JT Eaton 217	Phantom II
Active Ingredient(s)	Geraniol, Cedar Extract, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate	Imidacloprid, Beta-Cyfluthrin	Imidacloprid, Beta-Cyfluthrin	Pyrethroid, N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide	Pyrethroid, N-Octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide, Imidacloprid	Pyrethrin, Pyrethroid, Pipronyl Butoxide	Chlorfenapyr
Natural	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Lifetime	2 Weeks	6 Months	6 Months	2 Weeks	2 Weeks	12 Weeks	4 Weeks
Rating	96 / 100	100 / 100	76 / 100	70 / 100	80 / 100	72 / 100	84 / 100
Relative Cost	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$	$$$	$	$$
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Reapply: Every 6 months

Active Ingredients:

• Imidacloprid (21.0%)
• Beta-Cyfluthrin (10.5%)

Even pyrethroid-resistant bed bugs stand no chance when imidacloprid is in the mix. Imidacloprid is a bit slower to kill, but it has the added perk of being able to transfer from one bug to another. This is a huge benefit since bed bugs are relatively social creatures.

This is the spray that professionals reach for.

The link above is to a page where you can buy several doses that dilute into a gallon of spray each. Once mixed, a single dose should allow you to treat a single room. You will need a pesticide sprayer to apply FX.

You can also buy Temprid by the dose.

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A couple of doses will get most people through their entire infestation.

Be careful not to apply Temprid FX on areas that human skin directly contacts. Let it dry completely before reintroducing pets and people. Once applied, it will keep working for six months.

Note: Temprid Ultra SC is different from Temprid FX. Shipping to certain states is restricted. Some sellers do ship to places that others won’t. If you don’t have luck with Amazon, try bed bug supply.

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Reapply: Every 6 Months

Active Ingredients:

• Imidacloprid (21.0%)
• Beta-Cyfluthrin (10.5%)

Reviews are somewhat mixed. People have less consistent results compared to the concentrated Temprid FX.

I would recommend mixing your own Temprid FX and purchasing what you need by the dose.

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Reapply: Every 2 weeks

Active Ingredients:

• Synthetic Pyrethroid (0.4%)
• N-Octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide (1.6%)

As one of the most popular brands on the market, Bedlam products have proven themselves in the lab and on the field. This spray is water-based and effective for several weeks after application.

N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide is Bedlam’s secret weapon. It makes the spray deadly even against resistant bed bugs.

It’s not the cheapest option. It is one of the cheaper dual-action residual/contact killing sprays though.

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Reapply: Every 2 Weeks

Active Ingredients:

• Synthetic Pyrethroid (0.4%)
• N-Octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide (1.0%)
• Imidacloprid (0.05%)

Bedlam took a note from Temprid’s success when they added imidacloprid.

Imidacloprid gives the spray staying power and the ability to be transferred from bug to bug. When bundled with N-Octyl bicycloheptene and a synthetic pyrethroid, no bug is safe.

Only apply Bedlam Plus should where direct contact with human skin will not happen.

Like regular Bedlam, Bedlam Plus offers two weeks of residual effectiveness. Plus costs a little more but reviews and reports are much more positive.

If a long-lasting solution is your priority, I would recommend a powder, like CimeXa. It lasts 10 years with a single application.

We recommend springing for this product over the original if you can.

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Reapply: Every 12 Weeks

Active Ingredients:

• Pyrethrin (0.15%)
• Synthetic Pyrethroid (0.30%)
• Pipronyl Butoxide (0.75%)

JT Eaton’s 217 spray is different. It uses both synthetic pyrethroids and natural pyrethrin compounds.

When paired with pipronyl butoxide, 217 is a deadly tool even against resistant bugs. It comes pre-mixed and includes a one-year warranty.

All that said, some reviewers found it didn’t last as long as advertised.

If you choose 217 as a part of your plan, consider using a powder as well.

Try something heavier like Temprid FX if your population seems immune or nonreactive.

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Reapply: 4 Weeks

Active Ingredients:

• Chlorfenapyr 0.5%

That’s a potent dose of revenge.

It leaves no visible residue and lasts for 4 weeks with each application.

Overall, PT Phantom II is a good option at the right price.

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Reapply: 4 Weeks

Active Ingredients:

• Clothianidin 0.40%
• Metofluthrin 0.01%
• Piperonyl Butoxide 1.0%

CrossFire is a new option in the market.

CrossFire is also sold in a concentrated form if you have more space to cover and don’t mind diluting.

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Its two active ingredients are brand new and not found in other sprays. Bed bugs haven’t had time to grow immunity to either.

Metofluthrin is a fast-acting contact killer while clothianidin is a deadly residual killer. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) synergizes with both to make them even more effective.

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Reapply: 2 Weeks

Active Ingredients:

• Natural Geraniol (1.0%)
• Cedar extract (1.0%)
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (2.0%)

Ecoraider is the brand to beat in the world of natural bed bug killing sprays.

The USDA Public Health Pesticide Program trusts Ecoraider – they use it to treat infestations in public housing.

Ecoraider is the perfect choice for sensitive environments where you can’t use pesticides.

Ecoraider deserves your consideration even if natural treatment isn’t your first priority. It works and is low-impact on health.

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Concentrations of rubbing alcohol higher than 90% are reportedly deadly to bed bugs. Practical studies have found that alcohol is about 50% effective.

Alcohol works in two parts. First, it dissolves the bug’s outer shell. Second, it dries out the bug’s insides once the outer layer has been penetrated.

Seeing as bed bugs reproduce quickly, killing half of the bed bugs you can find won’t get rid of an infestation.

We do not recommend spraying alcohol. Use a budget spray instead.
Steri-Fab is an affordable spray that will actually do the job.

If you can afford to wait a day or two, order a spray.

The idea is that the solution could suck the moisture out of bed bugs. In reality, it is even less effective than alcohol.

If you want to keep your treatment natural, you’re much better off using Ecoraider or Bed Bug Patrol.

Unless explicitly stated in the manufacturer instructions, only apply sprays on areas that will not touch human skin.

Since the ban of DDT in 1972, scientists have been in an arms race with increasingly resistant pests. Today, we know that DDT does have harmful side effects, as do many modern sprays.

Careful application is important for your own safety and for the health of your loved ones.

Drying and ventilating a room can take anywhere from hours to an entire day. This depends on the weather, ventilation, and unique environmental factors.

When applied correctly, sprays are completely harmless to people.

As for residual sprays, apply them where you would apply powders for the best results.

The symptoms page includes a section on where to look for bed bugs, and will quickly get you spraying like a pro.

Sprays can be an important part of your fight against bed bugs. A plan is what will help you get rid of an infestation. Following a plan is what the pros do.

Not having a plan often leads to failure.

Pyrethrins: A class of organic compounds naturally extracted from chrysanthemum flowers. They function by overwhelming insect nervous systems and have been used for hundreds of years to repel bugs. They are highly toxic to insects at very low doses.

Pyrethroids: The synthetic/man-made version of pyrethrins. Pyrethroids are more effective and even less toxic to mammals than pyrethrins.

Piperonyl Butoxide: A synergistic organic compound that enhances the potency of some pesticides like pyrethrins and pyrethroids.

N-Octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide: Another synergistic compound that enhances the effectiveness of pyrethrins and pyrethroids.

Imidacloprid: An insect neurotoxin that blocks nerve receptors resulting in paralysis and eventual death.

Some bugs will stay in your foundation and commute to dinner. This complicates the problem.

Contact killers designed without bed bugs specifically in mind are often useless. Bed bugs are infamous for their resistance against many popular pesticides.

This makes the problem worse and more persistent.

Homemade remedies and natural solutions tend to fall into this trap. Using them is a personal choice in the end.

Insect Growth Regulators, or IGRs, are another popular but ineffective solution. Independent studies from labs, academic sources, and first-hand experiences from professionals have found zero evidence that IGRs work on bed bugs.

Sprays like Gentrol are unreliable at the very best.