Does Raid Kill Stink Bugs?

When looking for an insecticide on the market, you would often see this particular brand on the shelves. Would it help you get rid of the irritating stink bugs who've found their way inside your home? That's what we asked the pest experts and here's what we got from them.

Stink bugs are among the many insects that Raid could kill in an instant. Its chemicals are laden with neurotoxins that affect the bugs' nervous system causing immediate paralysis and death upon contact. Raid also provides you protection against these bugs for up to four weeks.

Keep on reading to find out more about this insecticide and how it helps you get rid of those smelly bugs in your home. We'll also answer if Raid is harmful to humans and what attracts these pests to your house. Lastly, we'll give you tips on how to prevent them from coming to your home. Let's do this!

Man holding raid spray in the store, Does Raid Kill Stink Bugs?

What does Raid do to stink bugs?

Raid is one of the most popular insecticides you'd see on the market. It's been around for decades, a testament to how it has become a trusted brand for generations when it comes to DIY pest control management at home.

Several cans of Raid insect killer

Since it is easily available, you can get hold of this insecticide whenever you need solutions to your pest problems. You're probably familiar with it being effective in killing ants, roaches, and common bugs but what about stink bugs?

Stink Bugs in Home & Garden

You may find stink bugs taking shelter inside the walls of your home, especially during the winter. While these winged creatures won't do any harm to you (they don't bite) or your house, it is still a nuisance to have them in large numbers.

Not to mention when you mistakenly crush them as you're trying to kill them and they release their foul odor -that's how they got their name.

Besides, any creatures other than your pets aren't welcome inside your home. You wouldn't want to see them crawling in your living room or bedroom, would you?

Having stink bugs in your garden is a different story. They eat ornamental plants and crops. As they feed on these plants' juices, they kill the plants' cells.

So, you need to eliminate them right away before they get too comfortable in your house and your garden.

Raid Against Stink Bugs

Cans of raid products on the shelve

Good thing, you can rely on Raid for a fast solution to your stink bug problem. Raid has a whole range of products that can help you get rid of these pests in your home.

You may choose among:

  • Raid Ant & Roach Kitchen Defense,
  • Raid Ant & Roach Killer 26,
  • Raid Max Perimeter Protection,
  • and Raid Max No Mess Dry Fogger

depending on the problem area and product formula that you're comfortable using. All of these would effectively work on stink bugs.

Check out these products on Amazon.

Raid Active Ingredients

Its active ingredients can be deltamethrin, etofenprox, geraniol, imiprothrin, or cypermethrin depending on the chosen product.

Raid's active ingredients are neurotoxins that affect the pests' nervous systems. They penetrate the exoskeleton and disrupt the functions of the organs until the heart stops beating. Raid's effect on stink bugs and other target pests is very fast. It can kill them right on the spot upon contact.

After application, Raid continues to kill other stink bugs for up to a month. There might be no lingering odor that humans can detect, but it leaves a residue on the sprayed surface that remains deadly to insects for weeks.

Can Raid be harmful to humans?

The common notion is that when it is made of synthetic ingredients, it has a higher toxicity level and therefore, poses a higher health risk for humans using the product. This is the reason why consumers would rather look for natural or organic pesticides that they can use at home.

However, this isn't necessarily true. SC Johnson, the manufacturers of Raid insecticides, says that they strictly abide by government and industry standards and go the extra mile to ensure the safety of their products especially when it comes to human exposure.

The Greenlist Program

The company has a Greenlist Program to carefully determine the ingredients that will pass their company's standards that are very conservative and believe to be at the "safer than safe" level.

SC Johnson gives heavy emphasis on human and environmental safety when developing the formula for their insecticides.

True enough, when you look at their active ingredients, these have a low level of toxicity such as imiprothrin, geraniol, etofenprox, and deltamethrin.

Always Proceed with Caution

But of course, insecticides, whether they are synthetic or natural, still pose some risks to human health and the environment. Some of the possible adverse effects are skin and eye irritation.

That is why SC Johnson makes it a point to be transparent in their ingredients and give detailed instructions regarding the use, storage, disposal, and other precautions with each of their products.

When you comply with what the product label says, you can safely use any of the Raid products and keep your family safe from any negative health effects of these insecticides.

What attracts stink bugs to your house?

Stink bug with shield-shaped back

Going back to these stinky pests, it would help a lot to know more about what attracts them to your house so that you would know the right course of action in restricting their access to your home.

Diet

The stink bugs' primary source of nutrition is in your garden. They love to suck the plants' juices. If you have a thriving garden, it is prone to a stink bug infestation.

And since they are already within the vicinity, they would be interested to go inside your home especially when there are lights beckoning them to go inside when it's dark outside. 

They are also attracted to the fruits and vegetables on your dinner table and places inside your home that are damp and moist. If they smell the scent of another stink bug in your house, they would want to join the party.

Fresh tomatoes and leafy greens lying on dining table

Warmth & Shelter

However, the main reason why they would want to go to your house is to seek warmth and shelter during the cold months. That's why you have to be on the lookout when the cooler months are upon you because they would love to gain access to your home to protect themselves during winter.

Stink bug crawling on a table

Of course, they wouldn't gain access inside your house if there aren't openings along the walls, windows, or doors where they can pass through. This is why it is very important to seal off any cracks or gaps that would serve as entry points of any pests to your home.

What keeps stink bugs away?

If your house isn't infested with these stinky pests yet, well and good. Or if you've already managed to control the infestation, congratulations!

But now that you know that you're prone to a stink bug infestation, you have to be proactive in ensuring that they don't make your home their home, especially during the winter season.

Here are some things that you can do:

  • As mentioned earlier, make sure you seal off all openings to your house. Don't make it easy for them to get inside whenever they want to. Use a sealant for the cracks on the walls and holes for plumbing and electricity, weatherstrips for the gaps in your doors, and caulk your windows.
  • Use essential oils for a natural way of deterring these bugs. They don't like the strong smell of spearmint, cloves, lemongrass, geranium, and rosemary. You can make a spray out of these oils and use it along the perimeter of your house and the aroma would deter them to come anywhere near it.
  • Trim your landscape and keep them from touching the walls, windows, and doors of your house.
  • Turn off the lights outside your house during the nighttime or at least keep your lighting to a minimum.
  • Keep your food in airtight containers and always clean your kitchen and dining table.
  • When you see a stink bug inside your house, resist the urge to squish them. Aside from the bad odor, it'll send a warning to other stink bugs in the area and they would want to get inside your house.
  • Vacuum any stink bug that you see use a vacuum bag, of course, or flush the bin contents down the toilet. This way, it won't release its foul odors which would also invite other bugs inside your house.

Find this rosemary essential oil on Amazon.

These are just some of the most useful tips given by the experts so that you can keep the bugs away.

Final Thoughts

Raid kills stink bugs upon contact. It also provides continuous protection against these smelly pests for up to four weeks. Just make sure you follow the application instructions on the product label so that you can use it safely whether inside or outside your home.

For more tips and guides on DIY pest control treatment at home, you may visit the following posts:

Do Bonide Systemic Granules Kill Spider Mites?

Does Sevin Dust Kill Fire Ants?