About Cockroach Foggers and Bombs
A Quick Breakdown of Roach Bombs and Foggers
Total release foggers, also called roach bombs, are devices that contain insecticides and aerosol propellants. After you set them in the center of a room and activate them, they spray all of their contents up into the air and the droplets settle around the room killing anything that comes into contact with them.
Unlike roach bait gels, they do not poison roaches and let them remain alive long enough to contaminate the rest of the nest. Instead, much like cockroach sprays, they simply kill anything they come in contact with instantly. However, unlike sprays, foggers require that you leave your home for hours at a time. When you return, you’ll need to air out the house and thoroughly clean all the surfaces in the room where you set off the roach bomb. It can end up being a long process and a lot of work.
What this means is that roach bombs are not really a good tool for frequent use or to act as a preventive measure. They don’t reach into many cracks and crevices where roaches hide. They can have residual effects if you don’t clean them up, but fogger residues are dangerous for human and animal health. So, if you want to make sure that your house or apartment will remain bug-free in the future, you will need some other preventive tools such as roach baits or gels.
Still, roach foggers do have their use. They will kill any cockroaches that happen to be outside of their hiding places when the bomb goes off. This is useful in severe infestations when hiding places have been filled up.
Ingredients of roach bombs
Roach bombs and foggers can have a lot of different ingredients. Generally, these ingredients are different types of pesticides, since their goal is to kill every living roach, bug, egg, or larvae in the area. There are dozens of different pesticides out there. That is why we will not even try to go over them all in a simple article like this. Suffice it to say that the reason why there are so many different types of active ingredients is that different bugs are resistant to different types of chemicals.
In fact, even among cockroaches, different types of roaches can live and breathe in areas that have been heavily fogged with pesticides. The most obvious examples are German roaches which seem to be able to survive anything. Well, not quite. Even German cockroaches have met their match in certain products.
Roach Bomb and Fogger Buying Guide
Are you dealing with fliers or crawlers?
Most bug bombs and foggers say that they work on all kinds of common household insects. That is usually true – they do. Most are still better suited for fliers, though, and are rarely lethal for crawlers.
The main active ingredient in most foggers is pyrethrin, which is less effective against insects such as ants, cockroaches, and bed bugs than it is against flying pests. Look for non-pyrethrin insecticides but keep in mind that cockroaches can and do develop resistance to multiple types of insecticides simultaneously.
Which type of bug is the bomb intended for?
Similar to the above consideration, different active ingredients will make them better suited for different pests and insects.
What are the dimensions of the target area?
Always read the label. Manufacturers of bug bombs and foggers know the amount of space their products will fill and they put it on the label. Never use more devices than the label specifies. Improper use of total release foggers is the main cause of illness, injuries, and death resulting from their application.
How much does it cost?
This may be redundant but as with almost all other products, price matters here as well. Even if you are not on a budget, bug bombs and foggers may need to be purchased multiple times or in larger quantities (if you are treating a very large area). So, while you should not compromise on quality, it is good to not overspend either.
Looking at the price alone is not a good way to measure things. Consider the volume in cubic feet (or meters) that the fogger covers. Calculate the ratio of volume against price to get a clear picture of how much this fogger is really going to cost.
Who makes it?
As with pretty much every other product out there, branding matters here, too. Some brands are famous for their high-quality bombs and foggers while others are notorious for their sub-par products. Some of the best brands to consider are Raid, Black Flag, Hot Shot, Durvet, TAT, Spectracide, Bengal, and PCO.
Useful Information About Cockroach Bombs and Foggers
One additional reason is that foggers and bug bombs can simply be tricky to use. They take a lot of work, effort, and are not really fool-proof. Furthermore, they are often ineffective against cockroaches. While we will go over how to use roach bombs and foggers below, the conclusion that many people reach is that there are other products out there that are simpler and safer to use.
Of course, all this does not mean that roach bombs and foggers do not have their uses. They can be used as part of an integrated pest management plan in conjunction with other tools. We understand that if you have a really bad infestation, you may even consider using a flamethrower or an actual bomb. Fortunately, most of us never have to face that level of infestation. Even more fortunately, there are some great foggers (and other treatments) on the market that can come to the rescue. So, leave that flamethrower in storage and try one of the foggers in this article instead.
Usage Tips for Roach Bombs and Foggers
Using a roach fogger is not easy or pleasant. Pesticides are toxic. They should not be inhaled by mammals or birds and should not be allowed to settle on fish tanks. To that end, it is very important to follow the instructions on your roach bomb or fogger to the letter.
But, to give you an idea of what you are in for, here are some quick points to follow.
Before
- Pack up and remove all food, plants, children’s toys, pet toys, and pet beds/cat towers from the area before fogging. Put all of the dishes away.
- Rearrange the furniture so that there are as few obstacles for the smoke as possible, if necessary.
- Cover all upholstered furniture or other pieces that are difficult to wipe down.
- If there’s a chance that there are insect eggs or larvae inside your upholstery, let the furniture get fogged. If you can’t easily clean them after fogging, cover them with a sheet or blanket for at least a month to give the pesticide a chance to dissipate.
- Wear breathing masks and protective clothing. A mask, goggles, rubber gloves, and a nylon protective coat should be in your arsenal before you even think of releasing a bug bomb in your home.
- Keep foggers and bug bombs at least 6 feet away from ignition sources, turn off pilot lights, and unplug any device that can spark. A fiery accident is the last thing you want in your home or storage space.
- Make sure all pets and family members are out of the house.
During
- Leave the area while fogging.
- Do not re-enter until the fogging is complete. The label will specify the amount of time you need to stay away.
After
- Air out everything after the fogging has ended. You should let the space air out for at least one hour.
- Thoroughly clean surfaces.
Clean everything!
Every hard or soft surface should be properly cleaned after the fogging. This is still true if you used a dry bug bomb which leaves no oily, moist residue behind.
Conclusion
Remember, roach bombs and foggers are a final measure and should be used as part of an integrated pest management approach. They are not something to be used after seeing just one or two roaches in your bathroom at night and not as the only method. They are also not preventives. Sanitation and exclusion are critical.
Depending on the severity of your infestation and the number of obstacles, even the best foggers may need a repeat performance. Keep in mind that it will only work on roaches that are out in the open. Despite claims of “deep reach”, the aerosols just don’t penetrate into cracks and crevices. You will need to complement your fogging with gel baits, traps, and/or sprays.
The Top Three
So, to wrap things up, here are the top 3 best roach foggers and bombs on the market right now:
- The Hot Shot Indoor Fogger comes in a four-pack. It is effective against all types of common household bugs. If the necessary precautions have been taken, it can be used in an enclosed area, residential or commercial. It is a rather pricey product, but that comes with its quality.
- The Raid Concentrated Deep Reach Fogger specializes in exactly what its name suggests. It reaches as deep into your home’s cracks and crevices as needed to exterminate every last larvae and egg that may be hiding there. It does not do as well with fliers, so keep that in mind. But that is not what this product specializes in, after all.
- The PCO Products Pyrethrin Fogger can eradicate all manner of insect pests from virtually any enclosed area of the appropriate size. This wide-range, multi-purpose bug bomb has an impressively deep reach. This allows it to go into the deepest cracks and crevices while still having a strong effect on flying insects.
2 Comments
Wendy Miller
Do you know what is the MOST penetrating fogger is? I remember using some around 12-15 years ago and there was dead bugs about 50 feet out in the parking lot. My house is drafty but I’ve never had any bug bomb work as good since. I deal with alot of hobo spiders and black widows where I live. Thank you
InsectCop
You should read this article. It has reviews you might be interested in.