Fast Knockdown Insect Control Sprays

A fast knockdown spray is formulated to kill exposed insects quickly, so it is what you reach for when you can see the pests or have found an active spot - a trail, a cluster, a crack they are coming out of. It deals with what is in front of you now. It is not the product to rely on for the weeks afterwards.

It depends what you are trying to do.

• For fast knockdown: spray directly onto the insects you can see, or exactly where activity is happening right now.
• To reduce repeat activity: treat the routes and harbourages instead - skirting edges, cracks and crevices, behind appliances and around entry points, where the label permits.

Some do, some do not, and it is worth checking before you buy. Knockdown means quick control of the insects the spray reaches. Residual means a dried-on film that keeps working on surfaces insects cross later. Check the product description and label - some are both, others are for on-contact use only. Our residual insecticide sprays are the ones intended to keep working after they dry.

Yes - the range includes pesticide-free sprays alongside the insecticides, and each product page states which it is. They are the ones to reach for in a kitchen, around pets, or anywhere you would rather not use an insecticide. The trade-off is that they act on the insects they reach rather than leaving a treated surface behind, so pair them with proofing rather than expecting them to keep working afterwards. See the full pesticide-free insect control sprays range.

It depends which one you buy - the range includes both pesticide-free sprays and insecticides, and the product page states which is which. Whichever you use, keep children and pets out of the room while you spray and until treated surfaces are completely dry, ventilate as you work, cover fish tanks, and move pet bowls and bedding out first. Do not treat food-preparation surfaces or utensils unless the label allows it, and follow the label directions for the product you have.

Only as often as the label directs. Reapplying more frequently than stated is not more effective and takes the product outside its approved use. You will need to re-treat a surface after washing it down, since cleaning removes any residual film.

Knockdown does what its name says: it deals with the insects the spray reaches, and nothing else. If more appeared within days, you treated the visible fraction and the harbourage was never touched. Work out where they are sheltering - cracks, voids, behind and under appliances, around pipework - and treat there, using a powder where a spray cannot coat a void properly.

If activity continues after a full treatment cycle, if it has spread beyond one room, or if you are dealing with bed bugs or German cockroaches. Look for a qualified pest controller with BPCA membership.