A bug bomb – AKA flea bomb or as it’s commercially known, insect fogger – is an aerosol product purchased in a small can that you use in your home to kills insects and other pests. You typically set the can up in the room to be treated, activate the can and the contents are automatically released with no further work on your part.
Insect foggers are commonly used where insects appear such as garages our inside the home possibly in the basement. So when you read about “bug bombing” a home, you’re talking about the use of an insect fogger.
The question is where should you be when the can is releasing its contents and should you leave the house while treatment is taking place?
Concentrated release insect foggers require you to leave your home for the duration of the treatment which is typically 2 – 4 hours depending on the product. After that time, you return to your home and open windows and doors to ventilate and remove the fumes.
While the can only takes several minutes to completely empty upon activation, the actual time the product works to kill pests is usually several hours. During the treatment period of 2 – 4 hours, the pesticide kills bugs within the home but you should not be in the house at that time.
Below we’ll go over how bug bombs work and health concerns that can arise by using them. We’ll also discuss pros and cons of the product and what you should expect in terms of results.
How does an insect fogger work to kill pests?
An insect fogger is a small can of pesticide that is designed to be used in a closed area such as as within your home or garage. The can is activated by the user to begin the automatic release of the pesticide with no further work on your part.
Thus, an insect fogger works differently from regular spray products that typically work only when you actively press down on a release button.
So this type of product isn’t one where you have to spray the contents yourself as with a can of bug killer where you have to continuously hold a button down to release the spray. With an insect fogger, you activate the can in the required way and then the contents are automatically released. At this point, your work is done and the can gradually empties within a few minutes on its own.
Some products can simply be activated by pressing a button and the pesticide immediately gets released. Other products are designed to be activated and then 1-2 minutes later, the can begins releasing its chemical. This gives the user enough time to exit their home before the chemical is dispersed.
The products are also referred to as a concentrated fogger, complete release fogger and deep reach fogger among other names. The terms bug bomb and flea bomb are also used colloquially to describe them.
Either way, the product is meant to be used in a closed area – all windows and doors leading in and out of your home should be closed – but no humans or animals should be within the home during treatment. You should exit the home immediately after the can(s) has been activated.
You return to the home and ventilate it but only when the treatment time has expired.
What pests will a good quality insect fogger kill?
Depending on the specific product, dry fogger aerosol products can kill a variety of pests including:
- Mosquitoes
- Flies
- Ants
- Large roaches
- Ticks
- Silverfish
- Roaches
- Stink bugs
- Boxelder bugs
- Crickets
- Earwigs
- Asian lady beetles
- Brown dog ticks
- Carpet beetles
- Waterbugs
Determine what pest(s) you have and find the correct products that can effectively eliminate the ones you need to get rid of.
But as we’ll see below, some pests make it more difficult to kill based on how they hatch and grow.
Insect fogger vs professional pest removal comparison
While you can buy a can of insect fogger and bug bomb your house yourself, you can also hire a professional pest removal service. There are pros and cons as well as certain considerations to both options as we’ll see in this table.
| Insect fogger (Bug bomb) | Professional pest removal | |
| Cost | Cheaper. A can of insect fogger costs around $10 – $40 depending on the product and you can do the work yourself. Multi-packs are also available. | More expensive. Depending on the size of the area to be treated and the bugs you’re targeting, the cost for a single visit is around $180 on average but it can vary depending on the specific job. |
| Effectiveness | Effective for some pests but others such as fleas can often survive if they haven’t hatched and are protected by their cocoon. Multiple treatments might be required and multiple cans might be needed for larger infestations. Won’t work for bed bugs. | Pest control pros can specifically target the pest(s) you have so you’re paying for their expertise and access to chemicals that consumers may not be able to purchase. A single treatment can be effective but multiple treatments might be required for some infestations depending on the specifics. |
| Pros | Cheaper and quicker. You can do repeated treatments for a fraction of the cost if needed. | Leaving chemical use in the hands of the professionals can ensure that only the correct products are used and specific areas are targeted properly using modern methods. |
| Cons | Some infestations such as fleas don’t respond well to a single treatment from a canned product. After the treatment period of 2-4 hours, the ability to kill other insects disappears when you ventilate the house so any pest that hasn’t hatched (i.e. fleas in cocoons) may survive. Foggers contaminate everything around it and can stain floors and ruin furniture.pyrethrin | Some infestations can require multiple and ongoing (i.e. quarterly) treatments which is costly over time. |
| Danger | It’s normally recommended to cover all food surfaces prior to use since the products are toxic. All open flames including pilot lights must be extinguished prior to use which is important if you are doing the work in your basement and have a furnace or water heater with a pilot light. Care must also be taken for animals in the house including fish aquariums with active pumps. | Pest removal companies tend to use products approved by health authorities such as the EPA but even products that are approved still carry dangers and can be toxic. |
| Other | Bed bugs are a common problem for households but insect fogger products tend not to control them. | Qualified pest control practitioners should be well-trained and are often certified in overall pest and wildlife control involving not only small insects but larger animals like mice, squirrels and raccoons, too. |
While each option has advantages, research
has also shown that Integrated Pest Management (IPM) involving sanitation, building maintenance, and limited use of least toxic pesticides is more effective than simply using chemical products on their own.
In other words, if you keep your home clean and tidy, you might be able to avoid the use of chemical insect killers or at least minimize the need.
What ingredients do concentrated insect foggers contain?
Are you concerned about the ingredients of insect foggers in terms of potential dangers they may pose? Foggers contain active ingredients such as pyrethrin or pyrethroid pesticides to kill pests and also require aerosol propellants for the product to function.
Active ingredients in insect fogger products are generally high enough in concentration to kill pests but low enough to avoid serious injury to humans. Then again, the products are toxic and if you don’t follow instructions properly you may suffer side effects that we’ll discuss below. These side affects are from minor exposure to these chemicals through fogger usage and not long term usage.
The active ingredients in insect foggers may include the following:
Cypermethrin – An insecticide and synthetic pyrethroid used in both commercial and agricultural pest control applications largely for crawling insects like spiders, ants, roaches and boxelder bugs and some flying insects too. Typical side effects can include allergic skin reactions upon exposure.
Tetramethrin – Also a pyrethrin, tetramethrin is used in low doses in commercial foggers used to target flying insects like wasps and hornets as well as crawling insects like ants and roaches. Short-term side effects from direct exposure including eye, skin, nose, and throat irritation.
Etofenprox – An insecticide derive from pyrethroid which can cause skin irritation with repeated exposure. Often used in mosquito foggers for targeting disease-carrying insects. Frequently used in applications for cats and dogs who carry fleas and ticks. Etofenprox can also cause skin irritation.
Summary
While an insect fogger can effectively kill insects and pests, you have to choose the correct one based on your infestation. You also need to avoid direct exposure to the product and should exit the house along with other people (and animals) in your household as the products are designed to be used in an empty home with no one present.
Depending on your chosen product, the total treatment time may be 2 to 4 hours in length which is the minimum time your home should be empty and unoccupied.
In each case, it’s important to follow product instructions and avoid direct exposure to products as much as possible. When activating the can, exit the room and house as quickly as possible. Use gloves when handling the can, especially after use. Properly ventilate the house after the fogger treatment has finished. Don’t return to the home until the treatment period has ended according to product instructions.
Foggers contaminates everything in the room that was treated so you will have to properly clean everything prior to use.