How do I use Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray correctly?

Shake the can and hold it upright about 12 inches from the surface. Aim directly into cracks, crevices, baseboard gaps, under and behind appliances, and other harborage — not into open air — spraying until the surface is slightly wet, never to runoff. Hit any visible ants or roaches directly for fast knockdown. The single biggest factor in results is where you aim it: a pinpoint application into the crack or gap where pests actually travel does far more than misting an open room, and most labels restrict broadcast fogging anyway.

Does Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray actually work?

For what a contact aerosol can do, yes — aimed correctly it reliably and quickly kills the ants and roaches you can see and leaves a light residual on the cracks you treat. What it doesn't do is end an established infestation. A 2024 University of Kentucky/Auburn study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology found pyrethroid sprays like this one killed fewer than 20% of German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces, because the reproducing population behind the wall or in a void is never touched by a surface spray.

Why do I still see roaches or ants after spraying?

A contact aerosol kills what it directly touches, not the colony or breeding population producing more insects out of sight. If roaches or ants keep appearing after a few weeks of correctly aimed, harborage-focused spraying, that's a sign the source — a German-roach population, a satellite ant colony, or a nest in a void — is beyond what a spray can reach. At that point, adding a gel or liquid bait program, or calling a licensed professional, addresses the actual source instead of just the visible symptoms.

Can I spray it near or over ant bait to speed things up?

No — this is one of the most common ways people undercut their own results. The repellent pyrethroid residue drives ants and roaches away from a bait placement instead of letting them carry the toxicant back to the colony, which is the entire mechanism that makes baiting work against a hidden population. Keep any spray application and any bait placement in physically separate areas of the home; combining the two on the same surface typically performs worse than baiting alone.

How long does the residual actually last?

The can's marketing claims multiple weeks of residual protection on treated surfaces, and figures vary by SKU and formula version, so check the printed claim on your specific can. But treat that number as an upper bound, not a guarantee against an infestation: independent lab testing on comparable pyrethroid sprays found under 20% mortality against German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces, so a fading residual was never going to solve a reproducing population even at full strength.

Is it safe to use around my pets?

The practical precaution is to keep pets and kids out of the room during application and off treated surfaces until everything is fully dry and the space is ventilated — that's when exposure risk is highest. This is a petroleum-distillate pyrethroid aerosol, so avoid spraying near open food, fish tanks, or bird cages. For the full per-species pet-safety verdict on this specific product, see the companion review at /is-pest-control-safe-for-pets/ant-roach-killer-spray-by-raid.

Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

How to Use Ant & Roach Killer Spray by Raid

Workhorse

Imiprothrin 0.060%Cypermethrin 0.100%

Used correctly, Raid Ant & Roach Killer Spray works well for exactly one job: killing the ants and roaches you can see and treating the cracks and harborage they hide in. It's a ready-to-use aerosol (imiprothrin 0.060% + cypermethrin 0.100%, both pyrethroids) that you aim directly into baseboard gaps, under appliances, and along entry points until the surface is slightly wet — not fogged into the open room. Direct hits knock pests down in seconds to minutes, and the light residual keeps working on treated cracks for a period after that. What it does NOT do is solve an established infestation: a 2024 university study found pyrethroid sprays like this one kill fewer than 20% of German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces, because the reproducing population behind the wall is never touched. Never spray it over or near a bait you're using — the residue repels the very pests you want carrying bait back to the colony — and if roaches or ants keep returning after a few weeks of correct spot treatment, that's your signal to bait or call a professional.

At a glance

Efficacy: Workhorse
Best job: Fast, direct-hit knockdown of ants and roaches you can see, plus a light residual on the cracks and harborage you actually spray
Format: Ready-to-use (RTU) pressurized aerosol with a spray/straw nozzle — no mixing
Technique: Easy technique

The honest verdict

Does this product actually work?

The verdict on this product

WorkhorseEasy technique

Workhorse

A genuine workhorse for direct-hit knockdown and crack treatment — not a fix for an infestation already established behind your walls.

Aimed correctly — into cracks, baseboards, and harborage, not the open floor — this is a genuinely fast, reliable knockdown tool for the ants and roaches you can see. But a 2024 University of Kentucky/Auburn study found pyrethroid sprays like this one kill under 20% of German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces, and the colony behind the wall is never touched. Treat it as a spot tool for visible pests and light crack protection, not a cure, and pair it with baiting or professional treatment when sightings persist.

Best for

Killing the ants and roaches you can see and treating the cracks and harborage where they hide.

Skip it for

Ending an established German cockroach infestation or a hidden ant colony — independent testing shows pyrethroid contact sprays kill fewer than 1 in 5 German cockroaches on treated surfaces.

Read the label first

What it is — and what it's really for

The label is the law. Here's the honest read on the format, the one job it does well, and the job people wrongly buy it for.

Format

Ready-to-use (RTU) pressurized aerosol with a spray/straw nozzle — no mixing

Indoor / outdoor

indoor

Residual

The label markets multiple weeks of residual action on treated surfaces (the exact figure varies by SKU/version — verify the current printed claim), but independent testing shows pyrethroid contact sprays like this one still kill fewer than 20% of German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces

Target pests

Ants (including carpenter ants), Cockroaches & waterbugs, Silverfish, Crickets, Spiders, Multicolored Asian lady beetles, Stinkbugs, Earwigs

Best job

Fast, direct-hit knockdown of ants and roaches you can see, plus a light residual on the cracks and harborage you actually spray

Active ingredient

Imiprothrin (0.060%), Cypermethrin (0.100%)

Not for (honest)

Ending an established German cockroach infestation or a hidden ant colony — a can can't reach a nest it never touches

The technician's method

The technique walkthrough

Where DIY succeeds or fails is in the placement, patience, and the small pro moves the label never mentions. Follow the label; these are the technique details on top of it.

Easy technique~5-15 min to apply; knockdown in seconds to minutes on direct hitsTools:The can (shake before use), Gloves (optional), A rag to wipe overspray

The trigger fogs a wide pattern, which tempts you to mist the open room — but the payoff comes from driving the stream into cracks, under appliances, and along the harborage edges where roaches and ants actually shelter.

Identify the harborage, not just the bug
Locate where ants and roaches are actually hiding — behind and under appliances, under sinks, along baseboards, cabinet corners, and cracks around pipes — before you spray anything.
Pro move
Roaches cluster near moisture and food; check under the sink, behind the fridge, and along baseboard gaps first.
Common mistake
Spraying only the open counter or floor where you saw a bug cross — that's not where the harborage is.
Shake well and hold the can correctly
Shake the can, then hold it upright about 12 inches from the surface you're about to treat.
Treat the crack, not the room
Aim the nozzle directly into cracks, crevices, and harborage surfaces — behind appliances, under sinks, baseboard gaps — spraying until slightly wet, never to runoff.
Pro move
A pinpoint bead into a baseboard gap does more than fogging a whole kitchen — crack-and-crevice placement is what actually reaches where roaches live.
Common mistake
Broadcast-spraying an open room 'just in case' — most labels restrict this use pattern and it wastes the can while doing little.
Hit visible trails and pests directly
If you see an ant trail or a roach, spray it directly for fast knockdown.
Caution
Keep off food-contact and food-prep surfaces; wipe any overspray from those areas.
Ventilate, and keep it separate from any bait
Let the room ventilate and treated surfaces dry fully before normal use resumes.
Pro move
If you're also baiting for ants or roaches, treat spray zones and bait zones as separate territory — never overlapping.
Common mistake
Spraying near or over a gel bait or bait station — the repellent residue drives roaches and ants away from bait they'd otherwise carry back to the colony.

Habits that decide it

Do & don't

Treat cracks, crevices, and harborage — not the open floor.
Hit visible ants or roaches directly for knockdown.
Ventilate the room and let treated surfaces dry before reuse.
Keep bait and spray zones physically separate.

Don't

Don't fog an open room hoping to hit hidden pests.
Don't spray over or near gel bait or bait stations.
Don't treat food-prep or food-contact surfaces.
Don't mistake a few dead roaches for the population being gone.

The honesty moat

Where it works vs. where it fails

No product fixes everything. This is the honest boundary — the situations it genuinely handles, and the ones it simply won't.

Where it works

A handful of visible ants or roaches need fast knockdown
A specific crack, gap, or entry point needs spot-treating
Occasional invaders — a stray roach, silverfish, or spider — show up indoors
Light residual protection is useful on a treated crack between deeper treatments

Where it fails

Nightly or daytime German cockroach sightings point to an established, reproducing population
An ant trail keeps returning from a colony nesting outside or in a wall void
The harborage is inside a wall void or other space the spray can't physically reach
You're relying on the can alone instead of pairing it with baiting for real colony-level control

Don't throw money away

Mistakes that waste the product

Fogging the room instead of treating the harborage

Wastes the can, achieves little residual value where pests actually hide, and creates unnecessary occupant exposure.

Fix

Aim the nozzle into cracks, baseboard gaps, and harborage surfaces — not into open air.

Spraying over or near a gel bait or bait station

University-backed guidance confirms a repellent pyrethroid residue drives foragers away from bait before they can carry it back to the colony.

Fix

Keep spray zones and bait zones physically separate — treat different areas with each tool.

Treating only the roaches or ants you can see

A 2024 University of Kentucky/Auburn study found pyrethroid sprays killed fewer than 20% of German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces — the reproducing population behind the wall is untouched.

Fix

Pair spot spraying with sanitation and, for an established roach or ant problem, a gel or liquid bait program.

Buying another can when 'it stopped working'

The can never targeted the source — the population rebounds because the colony or nest was never treated, not because the product failed.

Fix

Treat repeat sightings as a signal to escalate to baiting or professional treatment, not a reason to spray more.

Calibrated expectations

What to expect — and when

This is a fast knockdown tool with a light, fading residual — judge it on what you see die today, not on whether pests ever come back.

Seconds to minutes
Direct hits on ants and roaches knock them down fast — this is the product's genuine strength.
First few days
Fewer visible pests crossing treated cracks and baseboards as the light residual keeps working.
1-3 weeks
If sightings continue or return, that's the signal the population is established and beyond what a contact aerosol can finish.

When results plateau

The knockdown looks total for a day, then activity returns once roaches emerge from untouched harborage: this can only kill what it wets, so a rebound means the breeding source is intact — a heavier dose won't reach it.

Know the ceiling

When to stop DIY & call a pro

Raid's knockdown is fast, but a pyrethroid space spray scatters the survivors rather than reaching the harborage they retreat to. These are the honest signals the job has outgrown a spray can:

Roach sightings continue after 2-3 weeks of correctly aimed, harborage-focused spraying
University research found pyrethroid sprays kill under 20% of German cockroaches on treated surfaces — an established population needs baiting or professional treatment, not more aerosol.
An ant trail keeps returning to the same spot after multiple treatments
Recurring activity points to a large colony or satellite nests the spray can't reach — only a small fraction of foragers ever cross a treated surface.
You see large black ants indoors or notice rustling or frass near moisture-damaged wood
Those point to carpenter ants nesting in structural wood — a wood-destroying pest that needs professional inspection, not a spot spray.
Any suspected termite or carpenter-ant activity inside structural wood
A consumer aerosol cannot verify or eliminate a colony inside a wall or joist.

When correctly aimed spot-spraying isn't holding the line, Anchor's licensed NH technicians identify and treat the actual harborage, colony, or nest with targeted professional methods. Free inspection, same-day service across southern and central New Hampshire.

Still seeing roaches after spraying?

Get a Free inspection (603) 785-0118

Before you treat

Is it safe for pets & kids?

The short version lives here; the full per-species verdict lives on this product's pet-safety page.

This is a petroleum-distillate pyrethroid aerosol — ventilate the room during and after use, and keep kids and pets out until treated surfaces are fully dry. Never treat a suspected exposure at home.

Re-entry: Keep children and pets out of the treated area until surfaces are fully dry and the room is ventilated.

If there's an exposure, call

ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661 Northern New England Poison Center: (1-800) 222-1222

See the full per-species pet-safety verdict for this product

New Hampshire context

German roaches and carpenter ants in NH homes

In southern and central New Hampshire, German cockroaches survive only inside heated structures, and carpenter ants — not fire ants, which aren't a NH problem — are the state's dominant structural ant. A can of Ant & Roach Killer is a fine spot tool for the odd roach behind the toaster or an ant trail on the counter, but nightly roach sightings or large black ants near moisture-damaged wood point to a bigger problem than a spray can solve. Anchor Pest Services treats the actual source across Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and the surrounding towns.

Service area

Southern New Hampshire

Anchor Pest Services · NH license #782664 · NEPMA member · family-owned since 2017.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Sources & further reading(6)

[1]
EPA Registered Product Label — Raid Ant & Roach Killer 26 (Reg. No. 4822-596)
Verified actives (imiprothrin 0.060%, cypermethrin 0.100%), listed target pests, crack-and-crevice/spot directions
epa_labelverified 2026-07-14
[2]
Gordon et al., Journal of Economic Entomology (2024) — common consumer residual insecticides vs. German cockroach
Pyrethroid liquid/aerosol sprays killed under 20% of German cockroaches exposed to treated surfaces
academicverified 2026-07-14
[3]
University of Illinois Extension — 'DIY spray and aerosol products likely to fail in German cockroach control'
Consumer pyrethroid sprays likely to fail against established German cockroach populations
extensionverified 2026-07-14
[4]
UC IPM — Cockroaches (Home & Landscape)
Insecticide sprays alone will not eliminate cockroaches; repellent residues undercut bait programs
extensionverified 2026-07-14
[5]
UNH Cooperative Extension — Carpenter Ants Fact Sheet
Carpenter ants nest in structural wood — a call-a-pro escalation, not a contact-spray target
extensionverified 2026-07-14
[6]
Raid / SC Johnson — Ant & Roach Killer 26 product page
RTU aerosol format, application directions, labeled pest list (facts only, not the efficacy verdict)
manufacturerverified 2026-07-14

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

Verify license

Last updated July 2026

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Professional Pest Control

When a Spray Can Isn't Enough

A contact aerosol kills what it touches, but it can't end an established roach or ant colony. Anchor Pest Services treats the actual source with targeted, licensed methods across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Get a Free inspection (603) 785-0118

Targeted source treatment, not just spot spraying
NH-licensed applicators (#782664)
Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH

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Keep Exploring

How to Use Ant & Roach Killer Spray by Raid

Does this product actually work?

What it is — and what it's really for

The technique walkthrough

Identify the harborage, not just the bug

Shake well and hold the can correctly

Treat the crack, not the room

Hit visible trails and pests directly

Ventilate, and keep it separate from any bait