There is nothing worse than working hard to care for your lawn to make it lush and green all year long, only to have it destroyed by an infestation of insects. The best way to handle these annoying and pesky intruders and protect lawns is with an insecticide.

These insects may include ants, crickets, or chinch bugs. These lawn pests can live just about anywhere: trees, furniture, shrubs, grass, and soil, to name a few. Soil and grass are the favorite places for many insects to hide and breed. In addition, grass shades insects from the sun on hot sunny days and also protects them from the wind.

There are some rules of which you should be aware of when you use the best lawn insect killer. It is an effective part of lawn care to control insects but must be used carefully. Insecticides come in liquid and granules. It is essential to ensure that the insects are in a state of development where the insecticide will have the most significant impact. The weather may have an effect on how valuable the chemicals may be on removing the insects. You may use these chemicals carefully as they can seep into the ground and, therefore, the water supply. It may also poison streams and impact the ecosystem.

Continue reading this article to learn about yard bug control and the best insecticide for lawns to find the right one for you.

Best Lawn Insect Killer

Best Grub Killer 

DYLOX

Dylox is one of the best lawn insecticides because it is a fast-acting curative grub control. It also works on soil and surface-feeding insects like mole crickets, white grubs, cutworms, sod webworms, and armyworms. The active ingredient is Trichlorfon.

Dylox must be watered for one to a half hours to ensure maximum results. Watering allows it to permeate the thatch layer to get to the feeding grubs. It is ideal for dry or wet areas. For mature grubs, you will need two applications. 

I’ve mentioned this many times throughout this website that Dylox is the only product I apply on my lawn and customers’ lawns because it works and works fast. Repeat customers have always been covered since I apply Acelepryn on their properties in early May. But for new mid-season customers and stragglers, I have at least two bags of this on hand beginning in September. Apply 3 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. (30# covers up to 10,000 sq. ft.) and Dylox will kill grubs by both contact and ingestion.

Quick Facts:

Dylox does not have any restrictions for use on landscape or recreational areas. 

Pros:

• Fast acting and works immediately
• It controls the grubs and degrades quickly 

Cons:

• It will only kill for 48 hours, while it is active

Check the latest price on Dylox at Do My Own, Lawn Pro, and Amazon.

Best Ant Killer

Taurus SC

One of the best lawn insect killer options is Taurus SC. This insecticide has the Active Ingredient Fipronil and is very effective on termites, carpenter ants, roaches, ticks, and spiders. Taurus SC works slowly but effectively and takes advantage of the food-sharing habits of insects. 

This professional product is labeled for termites but kills so many more because it is undetectable to them. This insect killer can work as quickly as one week for ants but may take longer for other pests. 

Quick Facts:

Taurus SC is undetectable to insects, so they will touch and eat and then spread it to the whole colony. 

Pros:

• Works on the entire colony 
• Easy and affordable to use

Cons:

• It may take up to 90 days to work

Check the latest price on Dylox at Do My Own, and Fipronil Amazon.

Best Tick Killer

Permetherin

Permethrin is one of the best lawn insect killers because it has a long-term effect. This complete insect killer has a residual effect of 90 days inside and 30 days outside. Therefore, it is ideal for controlling pests around the perimeter of your lawn, as well as ornamental trees and shrubs.

In addition to ticks, this is one of the best chemical insecticides because it works on Japanese beetles and other insects.

Between this and Bifen I/T, it helps keep inside insects – particularly ants – out of my home. I spray every four weeks around the perimeter of my house with excellent results. I’ve also made my own tick tubes with Permetherin in 2020, and we saw zero ticks on either one of my two dogs, nor three kids.

Quick Facts:

Permethrin works best with an insect growth regulator (IGR) that will not break down in sunlight. The two combined create a complete insect killer.

Pros:

• It can be used both inside and outside
• It can be used as a spot treatment or broad covering

Cons:

• The two chemicals mixed are a potent combination
• https://amzn.to/3C49MdQ

Check the latest price on Permetherin at Do My Own and Amazon.

Best Mosquito Killer

Demand CS

Demand CS is one of the best lawn insecticide options because it provides superior pest control. It is a bio-advanced complete insect killer that leaves behind particles that bind to surfaces. This provides long-term protection. 

Demand CS takes down 30 common insects quickly, which include flies, ants, spiders, wasps, bed bugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks. This liquid lawn insect killer releases the active ingredient once it dries. 

Due to the low toxicity and low use rate, this is my go-to, along with IGR, to protect my dogs and kids from mosquito bites and ticks. It’s more expensive than Bifen, but I find the residual effects of Demand CS make it a wash.

Quick Facts:

Demand CS works best with an insect growth regulator (IGR) that will not break down in sunlight.

Pros:

• It does not stain surfaces
• Safe for pets once it dries

Cons:

• Must be used with a hand pump sprayer to be most effective

Check the latest price on Demand CS at Do My Own, Lawn Pro, and Amazon.

Best Granular Insecticide

Talstar XTRA Granular

Talstar XTRA Granular is one of the best pest control products because it is a versatile addition to your process for removing lawn insects. It is incredibly powerful against ants, including fire ants, chinch bugs, mole crickets, crane flies, and other lawn insects.

Talstar XTRA is dependable, protects lawns, and has a wide range of appropriate application sites. It can be used at parks, athletic fields, and recreational spaces.

For my lawn care operation, I usually blanket spray liquid Bifen. However, there are some smaller lawns where I don’t need to use my ride-on spreader/sprayer and just want to use my push spreader. In those instances, I’ll use Talstar granular. This is a great option to protect your lawn from surface insects like chinch bugs.

Quick Facts:

Talstar can destroy any colonies in minutes but could take as long as four hours. However, even at four hours, it far exceeds other insect control options. 

Pros:

• It is entirely free of dust and odor
• Easy to follow instructions

Cons:

• The grub control granules may be difficult to spread 

Check the latest price on Talstar at Do My Own, Lawn Pro, and Amazon.

Best Chinch Bugs Killer

Bifen IT

Bifen IT is one of the best insect killer options on the market. It is a more affordable option than some of the other lawn insecticides on the market. It is a liquid concentrate that impacts the insect’s nervous system. It weakens and then kills bugs. 

Bifen IT contains micro crystals that bond to surfaces and will not break down or wash away in the rain. It controls more than 75 common pests but also works on bees, wasps, and stink bugs inside and outside of a building. 

As I mentioned above, Bifen is my go to for surface insect control (SIC) in the summer months when the bug activity is high, and the stresses of the lawns are at its peak. I also use Bifen around the outside of my home’s foundation and around the windows to keep ants out. You only need 1 oz. per gallon so it’s a great value, too.

Quick Facts:

Bifen IT can be used in a wide variety of areas, including hotels, hospitals, food processing plants, apartments, and many more.

Pros:

• A more affordable option
• Dries clear and is safe for domestic animals and children once dry 

Cons:

• Must be kept away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures

Check the latest price on Bifen at Do My Own, Lawn Pro, and Amazon.

Best Ready To Use Insect Killer (RTU)

Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer

Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer is a top insect killer because it is a lawn pest control option for above and below ground. 

It is one of the effective insect killers and is ideal for outdoor use, such as shrubs, trees, roses, fruit trees, and nut trees. The Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer yard bug spray controls the most common lawn insects and pests for up to three months. 

Quick Facts:

This concentrated formula is ready to use. Simply connect to your hose, and you are ready to go. 

Pros:

• Easy to use, just connect to your garden hose
• It does not stain most surfaces

Cons:

• The sprayer part of the bottle often does not function properly

Check the latest price on Spectracide Triazicide at Do My Own, Home Depot, and Amazon.

Things to Consider  

Above, we have listed the best insecticides with the best applications and the insects they kill. However, even with this list, it is helpful to understand the good and bad about insecticides when making the best selection for your insect problems. 

Safety Concerns 

One of the biggest concerns you face when it comes to pesticides how safe they are. You want to pay attention to the toxicity level of the chemicals that you are planning to use. You should consider where you plan to use the product and if children or pets may come into contact with it. This will also determine the level of toxicity you are willing to use.

Insect Species

It is helpful if you understand the type of insect you want to kill. Some insecticides target a specific type of insect, while others kill many different species. You want to confirm that the pesticide will not kill or harm other plants or animals, especially if you have items you want to protect. 

Effective

While the effectiveness of a particular product may be difficult to measure based on where the chemicals are being used. While lab results are important, the product may have a different impact in a real-life scenario. You may want to read how real-life users feel about the product and how effectively it can kill bugs. 

Insecticide for Lawns FAQs

Insecticides on Amazon

Related searches: bug spray for yard, best insect killer for outdoors, spray best bug control