The best Bug sprays, compared.
Top pick: Raid Rapid Action fly and wasp killer, 6 × 300 ml Best value: Provanto Ultimate Bug Killer, 2 × 1 litre – About £4.99 a litre, the lowest price per litre where the millilitres agree, at 4.6 from 58 reviews. Plants only. Updated October 2026.
A bug spray is a ready-to-use insecticide for a pest you can see, or for a short treatment of a room or a plant. It is not a skin repellent, a wristband or a trap. The same shelf name covers flies and wasps in a room, crawling insects on hard surfaces, pests on plants, and bed bugs. A flying aerosol does not treat a plant, and a plant spray does not treat a mattress. Tell a suitable can by the label job, whether an active is named, and whether the pack in millilitres matches an indoor-only or plant-only line. Aerosols are flammable, so you ventilate and keep them away from flames. Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until dry. Do not spray food surfaces, pet beds or fish tanks. A wasp in a room is not a nest in a loft. Live bed bugs after label-rate use are a reason to stop adding cans. How to match the job to the label is set out in the [bug spray buying guide](/hub/pest-control/bug-spray/sub/bug-spray-buying-guide).
A bug spray is a ready-to-use insecticide for a pest you can see, or for a short treatment of a room or a plant. It is not a skin repellent, a wristband or a trap.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you treating?
Across 6,783 amazon.co.uk reviews, the Raid Rapid Action fly and wasp killer is six 300 ml aerosols, 1.8 litres, at £19.99, about £11.11 a litre. The listing says it kills flying insects in seconds, can be used indoors, leaves a neutral scent, and can be sprayed at the insect or used to treat a room. Reviewers in hot weather describe flies dropping on a direct spray, and the multipack is treated as summer stock rather than a single can. The captured page does not name an active. Choking spray is the complaint that repeats, with a warning not to breathe it in, and some flies are back the next day when the only step was a room treatment. The liquid-volume field shows 300 ml while the unit-count fields disagree, and the pet question is printed without an answer. It has the strongest star line of the flying aerosols here, and it is an expensive cupboard if you only need one or two cans.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already use Raid for summer flies indoors, you can ventilate, and you want the largest flying-insect review file in this set.
Less suitable: You need a named active, a single can, a plant pest spray, or a loft wasp nest treated from a ladder.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on wasps?
Wasps are in the title. The listing says it kills flying insects and can be used indoors, as a direct spray or a room treatment. A wasp in the room is not a nest in a loft. Do not treat an active nest without professional advice.
Is it safe to use around pets?
The listing asks and does not answer. Keep pets out of the room while you spray and until you have ventilated. Reviewers describe the spray as choking and warn not to breathe it in.
Does it leave stains?
The listing asks and does not answer. Directions for this Raid can say to check an inconspicuous place before a full treatment. Some reviewers also report flies back the next day after a room treatment only.
The Provanto Ultimate Bug Killer pack is two 1 litre trigger sprays, 2 litres, at £9.98, about £4.99 a litre, with 4.6 from 58 reviews. The listing calls it a ready-to-use contact killer for most common plant pests, including box tree caterpillar, with protection for up to two weeks, a twist-and-lock nozzle, and use on many ornamentals and more than 50 crops, indoors and outdoors. Reviewers describe pests dying within minutes, and some say it worked where another spray had failed. You still respray when the insects return, and 58 reviews is a thin file next to aerosols that have thousands. The captured listing does not name the active, and it prints a manufacturing date with no expiry date. It is the best value in this set on price per litre where the millilitres agree, and the wrong bottle for kitchen flies, a wasp in the room, or a mattress.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are treating aphids, box tree caterpillar or other pests on ornamentals and crops the bottle lists, and you want the most liquid per pound in this set.
Less suitable: You have flies or wasps in a kitchen, crawling insects on skirtings, or bed bugs in a mattress.
Specifications
Common questions
Can I use this on flies or wasps in the kitchen?
No. This listing is a plant contact spray for pests on ornamentals and crops the bottle lists, including box tree caterpillar. It is the wrong bottle for kitchen flies, a wasp in the room, or a mattress.
How long does the protection claim last?
The bullets claim protection for up to two weeks. Reviewers still respray when insects return. The captured listing does not name the active, and it prints a manufacturing date with no expiry date.
Is it ready to use?
Yes. It is a trigger spray with a twist-and-lock nozzle, for indoor and outdoor plants. The pack is 2 × 1 litre. Keep people and pets off foliage until it is dry, and avoid open flowers because of pollinators.
The Raid Rapid Action fly, wasp and mosquito duo is listed at £8.70 with 4.5 from 347 reviews, and the title says two 300 ml aerosols. The bullets say it eliminates mosquitoes, flies and other flying insects in seconds, can be used indoors, leaves a neutral scent, and works as a direct spray or a room treatment. Reviewers describe clearing dozens of flies with a short burst, which is why the duo sits as the smaller summer pack beside the six-can listing. The saved page does not name an active. The same choking complaint appears, so you still leave the room and ventilate. Amazon's volume fields on this card show 100 ml and a 1.0 millilitre unit count while the title says 2 × 300 ml, so the pack maths on the page do not agree. The pet and stain questions are asked and not answered. Buy it only if the cans in the box match the title, not the broken volume field.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a smaller Raid flying pack than the six-can listing and you will check that both cans are 300 ml.
Less suitable: You need millilitres that already agree on the card, a named active, or a crawling-insect or plant spray.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the pack?
The title says 2 × 300 ml at about £8.70. The saved volume fields show 100 ml and a 1.0 millilitre unit count. Buy it only if the cans in the box match the title, not the broken volume field. The page does not name an active.
Can it be used on mosquitoes?
The bullets say it eliminates mosquitoes, flies and other flying insects in seconds, indoors, as a direct spray or a room treatment. Reviewers describe clearing dozens of flies with a short burst. You still leave the room and ventilate. 347 reviews is a thinner file than the Raid six-pack.
Is it safe to use around pets?
The pet question is asked and not answered. Keep pets out until the room is ventilated. The spray is described as choking, as on the larger Raid pack in this set.
Across 7,073 amazon.co.uk reviews, the Rentokil Insectrol RKLPS136 is a single 250 ml indoor aerosol at £6.30. The listing names permethrin and D-allethrin and says it kills fleas, ants, cockroaches, earwigs, bedbugs and most other crawling insects in the home, with a long-lasting protection line in the bullets. Reviewers also spray large spiders, wasps and flies directly, and some report fruit flies reduced after a room treatment, or dead spiders a week after treating ceilings and corners. It is not an instant knockdown: insects may crawl away from the treated spot before they die. The smell is strong enough that people ventilate, and some reviews say ants return or bed bugs are unaffected even though bedbugs appear on the pest list. The item weight is printed as 99.8 g against 250 ml, and the pet question on the listing is unanswered. In this set it is the top pick when you want a named pyrethroid for crawling insects indoors, and a weak choice if you need a flying multipack or a plant spray.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have crawling insects on indoor hard surfaces and you want the only can in this set that names permethrin and D-allethrin.
Less suitable: You want a cheap flying multipack, a plant spray, or a bed-bug programme that reviews treat as reliable.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on wasps?
The listing is for crawling insects indoors. Reviewers also spray wasps and flies directly. Do not treat an active nest with this aerosol. Follow the label on the can you receive.
Is it safe to use around pets?
The listing prints a pet question and does not answer it. This page does not call the can pet safe. Keep pets out until surfaces are dry and the room is ventilated.
Does it kill on contact?
Reviewers report insects crawling away from the treated spot before they die. The listing claims long-lasting protection for crawling insects, not knockdown in seconds. Some reviews say ants return, or that bed bugs were unaffected even though bedbugs appear on the pest list.
Across 4,018 amazon.co.uk reviews, the Sanmex pack is three 300 ml fly and wasp aerosols, 900 ml, at £6.22, about £6.91 a litre. That is the cheapest flying multipack in this set, and reviewers treat it as seasonal stock that knocks insects down when you spray them directly. The star line is 4.1, below both Raid listings here. The saved page is thin: stated use is missing, no active is named, and the bullets mostly repeat the title. The pet question is asked and not answered. The liquid-volume field shows 300 ml, which you have to read as one can inside a three-pack rather than the whole carton. It is the budget flying aerosol when the job is a direct hit on a fly or a wasp in the room, and a weak card if you need a named insecticide or a residual sentence before you pay.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest shelf price for a fly and wasp aerosol multipack and you will read the can, because the listing will not tell you the active.
Less suitable: You want a named insecticide, a residual claim, a plant spray, or the larger Raid review file.
Specifications
Common questions
What insects is it for?
The title is a fly and wasp killer, three 300 ml aerosols. Reviewers treat it as a direct hit that knocks the insect down. The saved page does not state indoor or outdoor use, and it does not name an active. Read the can you receive.
Why does the volume field say 300 ml?
The liquid-volume field shows 300 ml, which is one can inside a three-pack, not 900 ml for the carton. The shelf price is for the three-pack. The pet question is asked and not answered.
How does the star line compare with Raid?
It is 4.1 from 4,018 reviews, below 4.6 on the Raid six-pack in this set. The bullets add almost no directions beyond the product name. It is a weak card if you need a named insecticide or a residual sentence.
Across 614 amazon.co.uk reviews, the PestShield pack is six 200 ml aerosols, 1.2 litres, at £11.99, aimed at bed bugs and fleas on carpets, skirting boards and bed heads. Some reviewers report fewer bites after treating a mattress and carpet, and the small cans suit a spot treatment rather than one large tin. Several UK reviews say the insects were still there after many cans, and one buyer used twelve cans and then paid for a professional treatment. A pest technician in the review file questions the active, which the captured listing does not name, and there is no residual time. The liquid-volume field is blank, the pet question is unanswered, and the six-pack cost keeps rising if the insects continue. It is only a candidate when you already accept that these cans are not a bed-bug programme on their own.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want small aerosols for a limited spot on carpet or a bed head, and you already plan washing and a professional visit if live insects remain.
Less suitable: You expect a six-pack to clear a bed-bug infestation, or you need a named active before you spray a mattress.
Specifications
Common questions
Will this clear bed bugs?
Not on the evidence in the reviews. Some people report fewer bites after treating a mattress and carpet. Several UK reviews say the insects were still there after many cans, and one buyer used twelve cans and then paid for a professional treatment. A six-pack is not a bed-bug programme.
Does the listing name the active?
No. The captured page does not name an active and does not state a residual time. A pest technician in the review file questions what is in the can. The liquid-volume field is blank. The title is six 200 ml aerosols.
Where does the listing say to spray?
Carpets, skirting boards and bed heads, for bed bugs and fleas. The pet question is unanswered. Keep people and pets off treated textiles until they are dry and the room is ventilated. If live insects remain after label-rate use, stop adding cans.
Six amazon.co.uk listings are scored from the star line and review count, whether the card names an active and a job that matches the title, whether reviews match that job, and shelf price per litre where the millilitres agree. Repellents, traps and swatters were removed before scoring. There is no laboratory kill test. A US label is not used to fill a silent UK listing. The top pick is the highest score. Best value is the lowest price per litre among packs whose millilitres agree, because the highest score is already the dearest litre in the set.
Amazon evidence
35%The star line on amazon.co.uk, then the review count. A large count ranks above a high star from a thin file. Stars are not a kill rate.
Listing fit
35%A named active, a residual or knockdown sentence, a job that matches the title, and millilitres that agree score up. A silent active, or a pack that disagrees with itself, scores down.
Review outcome
20%A result that matches the stated job scores up. Points come off for insects that crawl away, choking spray, flies back the next day, or cans that do not shift bed bugs.
Value
10%Shelf price in GBP against millilitres that agree on the card. The lowest agreeing price per litre is the best value. A pack whose volume fields conflict is not used for that rate.
Start with the label job, then whether an active is named, then millilitres per pound. A flying aerosol, a crawling aerosol, a plant trigger and a bed-bug can are different products. Skin repellents and swatters were removed before scoring. Captured shelf prices run from about £6.22 to about £19.99. The top pick is the named indoor crawling aerosol. The best value is the plant pack with the lowest agreeing price per litre. Nothing on this page is a laboratory kill test.
A bug spray, in this comparison, is a household or garden insecticide you apply to a pest or a surface, not a product you put on skin. The kept listings are aerosols and one plant trigger. Skin repellents, wristbands, glue traps and swatters are a different search, even when the same words pull them up. A flying aerosol, a crawling-insect aerosol, a plant contact spray and a bed-bug can are different authorised uses.
A skin repellent or a wristband is meant to stop insects landing on you. It does not clear flies indoors. Those listings were removed before scoring. Match a kill spray to a surface, not to bare skin.
A room treatment can knock flies down and still leave some back the next day. On bed bugs, several reviews say insects remained after many cans, including one buyer who used twelve cans and then booked a professional visit. More of the same can is a weak next step.
A plant trigger does not belong on a mattress. A flying aerosol does not belong on soil unless the label says so. Keep children and pets away until surfaces are dry, and keep flammable aerosols away from flames.
The first split is the label job. Flying insects in a room, crawling insects on indoor hard surfaces, pests on plants, and bed bugs need different authorised uses. A plant bottle on a mattress is the wrong tool. A flying can on soil is off the label unless the label says so. Amateur garden and home products are for untrained users when the label is followed. Keep children and pets away during treatment and until surfaces are dry. Do not contaminate food or drains.
Aerosols give fast knockdown and need ventilation. They are flammable. A trigger is the plant format in this set. Compare millilitres in the carton before you compare stars. A price per litre is only fair when the volume fields agree with the title. One flying duo in this set fails that check, so it is left out of the litre ranking. One crawling aerosol names permethrin and D-allethrin and claims long-lasting protection indoors.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have ants, fleas or other crawling insects on indoor hard surfaces and you want a named pyrethroid. Rentokil Insectrol, 250 ml, at about £6.30 is the top pick: permethrin and D-allethrin on the listing, 4.4 from 7,073 reviews. Insects may crawl away before they die, and about £25.20 a litre is the dearest rate here. Skip it if you wanted a flying multipack or a plant spray.
You already use a flying aerosol for summer flies indoors and you can ventilate. Raid Rapid Action fly and wasp killer, 6 × 300 ml, is about £19.99, with 4.6 from 6,783 reviews, the largest flying-insect file here. The saved page does not name an active. Reviewers report choking spray and flies back the next day. It is the wrong can for a loft nest.
You are treating aphids, box tree caterpillar or other pests on ornamentals and crops the bottle lists. Provanto Ultimate Bug Killer, 2 × 1 litre, is about £9.98, about £4.99 a litre, with 4.6 from 58 reviews and a claim of up to two weeks. The active is not on the saved page. Leave it if the job is kitchen flies, a wasp in the room, or a mattress.
The top pick is Rentokil Insectrol insect killer, 250 ml, at about £6.30. It is the highest score: permethrin and D-allethrin named on the listing, indoor crawling insects, and 4.4 from 7,073 amazon.co.uk reviews. Insects may crawl away before they die, and about £25.20 a litre is the dearest rate in the set. The best value is Provanto Ultimate Bug Killer, 2 × 1 litre, at about £9.98, about £4.99 a litre, with 4.6 from 58 reviews. That is the lowest price per litre where the millilitres agree. It is a plant spray, with up to two weeks of protection claimed, a thin review file, and no active on the listing. None of these scores is a laboratory kill test, and none of them shows that a can clears a nest or a bed-bug infestation.
Provanto Ultimate Bug Killer, 2 × 1 litre
About £4.99 a litre, the lowest price per litre where the millilitres agree, at 4.6 from 58 reviews. Plants only.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these six listings on 20 October 2026. Last checked 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines captured for these six products. We did not run a laboratory kill test.
