When you’ve got creepy crawly spiders hanging around your house, but you can’t pinpoint where they’re coming from or hiding, what can you do? You could go hunting with a point and spray can of your favorite spider killer and hope to find one of them, or you could take the easier softer way and use a spider bomb or fogger.
Basically, you want gas the nasty little things. You want to fill a whole room (or the whole house) with a cloud of pesticide that spiders can’t run or hide from. A bomb is one of those cans that empties itself in one fell swoop and a fogger is something you control, but either way, it’s death to all spiders.
Top 5 Best Spider Bomb and Foggers
1. HotShot Foggers
The HotShot Fogger is a great choice for getting rid of a large insect population fast. The instructions are brief and easy to follow. The product, once set off, will treat an area of up to 2,000 cubic feet per can, and it doesn’t stain anything in the process.
This fogger also uses ultra-small particles, which allows it to get into cracks and crevices that insects might try to hide in to escape and live another day. Beyond that, once the product has gotten into the cracks and crevices, it will continue to work for up to two months just in case something new attempts to move in.
The Good:
- Treats a large area per can
- This product also gets into cracks and crevices.
- Each treatment lasts for two months.
The Bad:
- You do need to follow the instructions to the letter to get the best results.
Features:
- This product doesn’t stain
- Kills insects on contact
- This product has a built-in deodorizer.
2. Terro Spider Killer Aerosol Spray
Terro is a favorite among pest control professionals. The active ingredients, Pyrethrins and Deltamethrin are well-known for their ability to kill insects of all kinds.
This is a hand-held aerosol spray fogger. Hold the can in one hand and press the button on the top. Continue holding it down to spray the areas where you’ve seen spiders in your house. The fog will spread out and penetrate the cracks and crevices.
Don’t forget to fog the corners of the room up by the ceiling where spiders like to make their webs.
The Good:
- Simple to use
- Highly effective
- Targets specific areas
The Bad:
- Disperses quickly
Features:
- Professional pesticide
- Small area fogger
- Penetrates cracks and crevices
3. Black Flag Spider and Scorpion Killer
This aerosol spray from Black Flag uses Prallethrin and Lambda-Cyhalothrin (both pyrethroids) to kill spiders of all kinds. Contrary to the product description on Amazon, it does not kill anything “on contact.” A pesticide that strong would be dangerous.
This is a small area spider fogger for enclosed spaces like closets, cupboards, and small rooms. Although technically it is a fogger, it should be used like a directed spray.
The active ingredients in it are diluted more than they need to be. The action will be slow compared to other methods that kill spiders.
As with all pesticides, follow the label directions carefully each time you use it.
The Good:
Very simple to use
Aim and press the button
The Bad:
- Active ingredients diluted
Features:
- Brand name fogger
- Directed spray
- Kills household pests
4. Raid Concentrated Fogger
This deep reach fogger from Raid penetrates deep into cracks and crevices where bugs live. It also kills a wide variety of spiders, including harmful recluse spiders and black widows.
It contains cypermethrin, a powerful active ingredient for a quick knockdown of most crawling pests. Its long-lasting residual formula continues killing spiders and insects for up to two months.
Raid Concentrated Fogger is non-staining and leaves behind no wet, messy residue. In addition, this product contains three foggers, treating up to 2,000 square feet.
The Good:
- Penetrating fogger
- Kills both spiders and insects
- Long-lasting residual formula
- Safe for most surfaces
The Bad:
Must vacate the room for at least two hours during use
Features:
- Penetrating fogger
- Kills both spiders and insects
- Long-lasting residual formula
5. OFF! Outdoor Fogger
This Outdoor Fogger from OFF! kills several outdoor bugs, spiders, and insects on contact. It works for up to six hours and has enough killing power to cover up to 900 square feet.
It works for all kinds of crawling pests as well as flying insects, such as:
- Flies
- Gnats
- Mosquitoes
- Moths
- Wasps
OFF! Outdoor Fogger can be used as a pre-treatment to eliminate unwanted pests prior to outdoor gatherings. Or use as a quick knockdown spray of spider webs, bees nests, or crawling insect infestations.
The Good:
- Strong, fast-acting ingredients
- Kills a wide range of insects and bugs
- Covers up to 900 square feet
- Provides up to six hours of pest protection
The Bad:
- Some people may object to the strong odor
- Avoid spraying on windy days to avoid unintentional drift
Features:
- Strong, fast-acting ingredients
- Kills a wide range of insects and bugs
- Covers up to 900 square feet
What Are Spider Bombs and Foggers?
The words “bomb” or “bombs” and “fogger” are often used interchangeably but in fact, they describe somewhat different devices. The intent of both of them is the same; to create a cloud of a visible or invisible gas that will kill insects that are within the cloud. Or in our case today, spiders.
The method of delivery is what makes the difference. A bomb is any device that, once triggered, continues to release the payload of toxic pesticides until it has exhausted its contents and nothing is left. Like a real bomb, once it is triggered there’s no way to stop it.
A fogger is any other device that creates a cloud of pesticide. The difference being that the action of a fogger can be turned on or off, continued or discontinued at will. A fogging device may or may not include the pesticide itself. Professional pest control experts generally expect the two to be separate but some manufacturers combine them for sale to the general public.
Spider bombs and foggers are a way to fill large cubic feet of air in a room with pesticide to kill spiders such as black widows and brown recluses, scorpions (members of the arachnid family), and other crawling insects.
The best spider bombs also exterminate:
- Bed bugs
- Black carpet beetles
- Cockroaches
- Crickets
- Earwigs
- Silverfish
- Waterbugs
…to name a few! The fogging process will also kill flying insects such as houseflies and take care of any flea problem you might have.
In other words, although the best spider bombs are intended for spiders, they’ll handle other pest problems too.
How Do Spider Bombs and Foggers Work?
Total release foggers (foggers or bug bombs) work by filling the air with microscopic particles of pesticide in a vaporous cloud. In this form, it seeps into every crack and crevice in a room or rooms where spiders (such as a brown recluse) might be hiding.
Because bombs and foggers create a spreading cloud, they can reach the hiding spots where bugs live and quickly stop an infestation before it becomes serious. Bug bombs can reach into the depths of storage areas, under appliances, and behind cabinets.
There is one serious side effect associated with even the best bug bombs – flammability. An aerosol spray is highly flammable. If you spray it around the pilot light on your stove, hot water heater, or HVAC, it could start a serious fire in your house.
The NuVan ProStrips is the only one on our list that doesn’t suffer from this serious drawback, and it’s a big part of the reason we like it so much.
How Do You Find The Best Spider Bombs and Foggers?
The best spider and other bug bombs are those that use professional-grade active ingredients such as:
- Deltamethrin
- Dichlorvos
- Tetramethrin
- Pyrethrins
- Lambda-Cyhalothrin
- Prallethrin
These have been tested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and regulated as safe.
Additionally, we’ve used many of these products out in the field ourselves as pest control technicians. We know from practical on-the-job training what works and what doesn’t.
Are Spider Bomb and Foggers Effective?
Yes. However, bombs and foggers intended for professional use tend to be stronger than those for the general public. The active ingredients, the ones that do the killing, aren’t overly diluted in professional products
Over-the-counter products are usually diluted, mainly as a way to avoid lawsuits. So, although many products contain the same active ingredient(s) as professional products, the weaker strength means they don’t work as well.
Using professional-grade products requires you to follow the product label to a T. The end result is worth the.
A spider infestation, or any insect infestation, requires an aggressive response and you can’t do that with diluted products.
How To Use A Spider Bomb and Foggers
In order to achieve maximum penetration into all the cracks and crevices where bugs and spiders might be hiding, open all the cupboard doors, all the closets, all the drawers in the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms – anywhere you’re going to be using the bug bombs and foggers.
If spiders have made themselves at home around the A/C or hot water heater, turn off the pilot lights on each of them and leave the closet door wide open so the fumes can penetrate.
Close all the windows in the room (or house) to prevent the pesticide from leaking out. If you’re using a traditional bug bomb, start them one at a time as you back out of the house. No one (humans or animals) should be in the house while the bombs and foggers are working.
You’ll need to wait at least two hours for the fumes to dissipate before re-entering. Check the product label for specific guidelines. If you’re using NuVan ProStrips the waiting period will be 5-7 days.
Once you’re back in your home, you might need an odor neutralizer of some kind. Many pesticides leave a chemical smell in the air after they finish working. This is particularly true with total release foggers such as traditional bug bombs.
Be sure to wipe down the kitchen counters and food preparation surfaces so eliminate any lingering pesticide that might find its way into your dinner.
Finally, throw the pesticide cans away. Don’t try to re-use them or shake them to get the last little bit out.
Are Spider Bomb and Foggers Safe Around My Pets And Children?
No. Pets and children, especially little children, have immature lungs compared to adults. The aerosol fumes can be very hazardous to them and to us. Never let them enter an area while it is being treated or immediately afterward.
Wait until the fumes are completely gone before letting children back in. The same thing goes for pets.
