Unbiased Raid Flea & Tick Spray Review

Mallory Crusta / Cats.com

Raid Flea and Tick Spray is designed to battle heavy flea infestations which includes adult fleas and hatching eggs on contact for up to four months.

Raid Flea and Tick Spray offer two ways to spray for hard–to-reach areas while covering larger surfaces. This is a great product to use to stop the life cycle of fleas and ticks around your home.

We tested this product over the course of several weeks around the house, and came up with the pros and cons listed in this article. Let’s take a look at Raid Flea and Tick Spray and see if it is as effective as it claims to be.

Click Here To Shop Raid Flea and Tick Spray On Amazon

Mallory Crusta, our Head of Content, tested Raid Flea and Tick Spray in her home with her two cats. Check out Mallory’s in-depth video review of Raid Flea and Tick Spray on the Cats.com YouTube channel.

What Raid Flea and Tick Spray Is Used For

Raid Flea and Tick Spray is designed to battle heavy flea and tick infestations and works best when used in conjunction with Raid Flea Killer Plus Fogger. It kills adult fleas, and ticks on contact as well as hatching eggs for up to four months when used correctly.

Raid Flea and Tick Spray formula is for indoor use only and is non-staining on water-safe fabrics and surfaces. It is designed to be used to treat your cat’s bedding, curtains, upholstery and other areas your cat spends time in.

Raid Flea and Tick Spray comes in a 16 ounce size can and can be used upright or upside down when spraying. It also offers a wide angle spray nozzle.

Is Raid Flea and Tick Spray Safe?

Raid Flea and Tick Spray uses an aerosol spray and is designed for indoor use. It is safe for use on bedding, curtains, furniture, and carpeting and is non staining.

When using this product, it is recommended that you use a facemask and that all humans and pets vacate the area. Pets and humans can re-enter the room when the insect spray dries which is around 30 minutes.

It is ideal to keep the windows open for ventilation during the treatment process and never spray directly on a human or pet. Always keep this product out of the reach of children and animals.

How To Use Raid Flea and Tick Spray

Raid Flea and Tick Spray contains a variety of insecticides that are proven to kill adult fleas while also preventing those eggs from hatching. Mallory Crusta / Cats.com

According to the directions on the can it is best to hold the container upright and point the valve away from your face when you press the button.

When using the product, hold the container upside down 2-3 feet from rugs, carpets, drapes and all surfaces of upholstered furniture. Point the actuator towards the surface and push the button while you apply the spray uniformly, in a sweeping motion. If used on light or delicate upholstery fabrics, it is recommended that you test first in an inconspicuous spot prior to use. You will also want to treat under and around any furniture that your cat frequents.

Once that is done you will want to treat pet bedding and other pet areas specifically, as these are primary hiding areas for fleas and ticks. You do not need to remove pet bedding after treatment but pets should be treated for fleas and ticks before returning to treated areas to guarantee thorough insect elimination.

What Are the Ingredients?

Read the instructions on the package really carefully and protect your family and your pets from the insecticides in this as they tend to be on the harsher side. Mallory Crusta / Cats.com

Raid Flea and Tick Spray contains insect growth regulator (IGR) which is the most effective ingredient in flea sprays. This is because up to 99% of infestations consist of eggs, larvae, and pupae. IGRs are effective, because they can last indoors for up to 7 months. Also, IGRs are considered the safer choice, because they target hormones that are found only in insects.

Methoprene is an IGR that stops immature insects from becoming adults. This causes the insects to die as pre-adults, as well as stopping flea eggs and larvae ever becoming adults. Also, exposed adult females will not be able to produce viable eggs.

Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide found in Chrysanthemum flowers and pyrethrins and pyrethroids are derivatives. Pyrethrins are botanical agents and pyrethroids are synthetic derivatives that have been modified to be more chemically stable. Raid contains both pyrethrins, and pyrethroids which are used to kill adult fleas.

N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide (MGK 264) and piperonyl butoxide are synergists which help with efficacy. While these do not have any insecticidal properties they do enhance the potency of pyrethrins and pyrethroids. This means less insecticide is needed in sprays, which helps keep products cheaper and safer.

What Do Customers Think of Raid Flea and Tick Spray ?

Raid Flea and Tick Spray really works well in killing all of the fleas in the environment and prevent that life cycle from going on. Mallory Crusta / Cats.com

Raid Flea and Tick Spray has over 70% five star reviews on Amazon with only a small percent of negative reviews. Overall, customers say it is highly effective and would recommend it. The few negative reviews are complaints about the odor of the product or delivery issues.

That being said, every customer’s experience is unique. Keep reading to see both positive and negative customer reviews for Raid Flea and Tick Spray.

Positive Customer Reviews For Raid Flea and Tick Spray

“It Just Works! A little pricey but for a good reason. This stuff just works! I have 8 kittens and we have such a horrible flea problem right now, the fleas are literally jumping onto our feet as we walk. But now I spray the entire carpet twice for a good measure and it’s all gone! I usually sweep the carpet after because I’m afraid of the chemicals hurting my kittens but there hasn’t been an issue so far. If anything, I recommend buying the two pack. I was going to but wanted to try it out first. If you’re looking for a sign on whether you should buy this, this is it. Trust.” – Aracely.

“Worked for me. We had a flea problem of major size, and with 7 dogs all scratching away on themselves we wanted to get rid of them, checked out a lot of the products Amazon sells, and found this one. It worked fantastically, one spray on all carpet, and upholstery in the house, and we found very few fleas afterward, after the second pray 2 weeks later (to kill the hatching larvae) , they were all gone!!!. Of course, we bought other stuff, to spray our dogs with, and to bathe the dogs, plus we ran the vacuum everyday for a week after we had used the Raid Flea killer, and after bathing them in the other product, we bathed them again in a mixture of Dawn and water, and within a few days, bingo, NO fleas anywhere. But you can’t just use one product, you have to have a complete plan of vacuuming, batheing, spraying, and cleaning, otherwise none of these type flea killes will work.” – Elgin Henke

Negative Customer Reviews For Raid Flea and Tick Spray

“Delivery was quick, and product came as described. I sprayed my entire apartment and gave my cat a shower after he’s been infested with fleas from the neighbor’s dog. Unfortunately, I cannot say that this has worked up to my expectations. My cat is still scratching, and I have fleas jumping on my body from time to time. Will probably not buy again.” – Secret Papee

“Not complete kill. This spray killed live fleas but not eggs or larva. I thought everything was fine after I sprayed, but within about 4 days I had more baby fleas. I did all the preparations and washed all my throw rugs.” – OregonD

How Much Does Raid Flea and Tick Spray Cost?

Raid Flea and Tick Spray is priced at around $15 for a 16 ounce can on Amazon. You can also find this product at local big box and hardware stores as well as online.

Would We Recommend Raid Flea and Tick Spray?

The Raid Flea and Tick Spray will continue to be effective for up to four months after it has been sprayed and prevent future infestations.

Raid Flea and Tick Spray is a low cost and effective solution to killing fleas, ticks and their eggs indoors. It is also gentle enough to use around your pets, family and can be applied to surfaces such as cat beds, pillows, blankets, upholstery, carpets, and more.

The Raid Flea and Tick Spray will continue to be effective for up to four months after it has been sprayed and prevent future infestations.

Our only complaint about this product is it does have a lingering odor but will air out quickly. As with any chemical, always read the label for the full directions and precautionary statements before you use it.