How do I use Tempo SC Ultra correctly?

Start by reading the label for the exact dilution ratio for your target pest and site — this is not a ready-to-use can, so the whole job begins with measuring, not spraying. Add water to your sprayer first, then the measured concentrate, top off with more water, and agitate thoroughly so the suspension mixes evenly. Apply as an even, continuous pass to perimeters, foundations, or indoor crack-and-crevice sites to the point of coverage, never to runoff, and re-agitate periodically during a longer application since the suspension can settle.

Does Tempo SC Ultra actually work?

Applied correctly by someone with proper mixing and spraying equipment, yes — beta-cyfluthrin is a potent, well-studied pyrethroid, and an evenly applied, correctly diluted residual genuinely controls a broad range of pests on contact and for weeks afterward. Where it commonly underperforms isn't the chemistry — it's the application. A homeowner who guesses the dilution, skips agitation, or leaves gaps in coverage gets inconsistent results with a product that was never designed to be forgiving of those mistakes the way a ready-to-use can is.

Is this the same as a Raid or Ortho aerosol can?

No, and confusing the two is the most common mistake with this product. Raid and Ortho sell ready-to-use aerosols or wand sprayers you use straight from the container. Tempo SC Ultra is a concentrate you must dilute with water and apply through a pump, backpack, or professional sprayer — there's no can, no trigger, and no shortcut. Buying it expecting a grab-and-spray experience is the single biggest source of frustration and misapplication with this specific product.

Why do I still see ants or roaches after applying it?

If application was correct — accurate dilution, thorough agitation, even and continuous coverage — persistent activity almost always means the colony or nest is somewhere the residual band never reached, since a surface spray only affects foragers crossing the treated area, never the queen or brood deep in a colony. It's also possible coverage had a gap, the dilution was off, or the residual has simply faded past its labeled window and needs reapplication. Persistent pests after a correct, fresh application point to the source, not the product.

What equipment do I actually need to use this?

At minimum, a pump or backpack sprayer capable of mixing and holding a diluted suspension, a measuring cup or syringe accurate enough to hit the label's dilution ratio, and the personal protective equipment the label specifies for mixing and application. This is meaningfully more equipment than any can in this hub requires, which is exactly why the product is best suited to a trained or equipment-ready applicator rather than someone looking for the fastest possible fix.

Is it safe to use around my pets?

As a concentrate, it carries more handling risk during mixing than a ready-to-use can — it's harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin in its undiluted form, and it's extremely toxic to fish, so keep it far from ponds, aquariums, and storm drains. Once diluted and applied, keep kids and pets off treated surfaces until fully dry. For the full per-species pet-safety verdict on this product, see the companion review at /is-pest-control-safe-for-pets/tempo-sc-ultra-premise-spray-by-bayer.

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

How to Use Tempo SC Ultra Premise Spray by Bayer

Situational

Beta-cyfluthrin 11.8%

The single most important thing to know about Tempo SC Ultra is that it isn't a can — it's a suspension concentrate you dilute with water and apply through a pump or backpack sprayer, so 'how to use it' starts with measuring, not spraying. Beta-cyfluthrin (11.8%) is a potent pyrethroid that gives quick knockdown plus a genuinely useful residual once correctly diluted to the label's rate and applied as an even, unbroken pass over a perimeter, foundation, or indoor crack-and-crevice site. Get the dilution or coverage wrong — eyeball it, apply it undiluted, or leave gaps — and you waste the product, risk over-application, and violate the label. Like every pyrethroid on this hub, it's still a repellent surface treatment: it doesn't reach a hidden colony, and spraying it over or near a bait undoes the bait's colony-level effect. If measuring, mixing, and calibrated spraying feel out of scope, that's the honest signal this particular product isn't the DIY shortcut it might look like.

At a glance

Efficacy: Situational
Best job: Even, measured residual coverage over perimeters, foundations, and crack-and-crevice indoor sites when correctly diluted and applied with proper equipment
Format: Dilutable suspension concentrate (SC) — mixed with water and applied through a pump, backpack, or professional sprayer; NOT a ready-to-use aerosol despite living alongside cans in this hub
Technique: Finicky technique

The honest verdict

Does this product actually work?

The verdict on this product

SituationalFinicky technique

Situational

A workhorse residual in a trained applicator's hands — situational, and easy to misuse, for a homeowner expecting a point-and-shoot can.

Beta-cyfluthrin is a potent, university-recognized pyrethroid, and Tempo SC Ultra is a legitimate professional tool when it's measured to the label's dilution rate, agitated properly, and applied as an even, unbroken pass. That's exactly where most homeowner searches for this product go wrong: it's sold in a semi-pro channel that makes it easy to buy without the mixing/spraying equipment or experience the label assumes. Treat it as a workhorse for someone equipped to apply it correctly, and a situational, easy-to-misapply choice for a typical DIY searcher expecting a can.

Best for

Trained or diligent applicators who own or will rent proper mixing/spraying equipment and want an even, calibrated residual across a perimeter or crack-and-crevice sites.

Skip it for

Anyone who wanted a ready-to-use aerosol — this concentrate requires accurate dilution and even application to work at all, and getting that wrong wastes the product or violates the label.

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

Dilutable suspension concentrate (SC) — mixed with water and applied through a pump, backpack, or professional sprayer; NOT a ready-to-use aerosol despite living alongside cans in this hub

Indoor / outdoor

both

Residual

Marketed up to about 3 months on labeled surfaces once correctly diluted and applied — actual persistence depends on surface, weather, and even coverage

Target pests

Ants, Cockroaches, Spiders, Crickets, Silverfish, Carpet beetles, Clothes moths, Cluster flies, Wasps & yellowjackets, and 100+ other listed indoor/outdoor pests

Best job

Even, measured residual coverage over perimeters, foundations, and crack-and-crevice indoor sites when correctly diluted and applied with proper equipment

Active ingredient

Beta-cyfluthrin (11.8%)

Not for (honest)

A quick grab-and-spray job — there's no sprayer, no can, and no shortcut around measuring and mixing; also not a substitute for baiting an ant or roach colony

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.

Finicky technique~20-45 min including mixing; knockdown on contact once applied, residual builds over the following daysTools:A pump, backpack, or hose-end sprayer, A measuring cup or syringe for accurate dilution, Water, The label's specified personal protective equipment

This is the one product in the aerosol cluster where the technique starts before you ever spray anything — get the dilution and equipment right first, or nothing else matters.

Read the label for your exact dilution
Confirm the correct mixing ratio for your target pest and site before opening the concentrate — mixing ratios are printed on the label, and that number is the law here, not a guideline.
Mix in the sprayer, in the right order
Add water to the sprayer first, then add the measured concentrate, then top off with more water and agitate thoroughly so the suspension is evenly mixed.
Apply as an even, continuous pass
Apply the diluted spray to perimeters, foundations, and harborage outdoors, or as a crack-and-crevice/spot treatment indoors, to the point of coverage — never to runoff.
Pro move
Even, calibrated coverage is everything with a concentrate like this — an uneven pass leaves gaps pests simply reroute through.
Common mistake
Treating it like a ready-to-use product — spraying it undiluted or eyeballing the mix wastes product, risks staining or over-application, and is an off-label use.
Re-agitate as you go
A suspension concentrate can settle in the tank during a long application — re-agitate periodically to keep the active evenly distributed in what you're spraying.
Let it dry and reapply on schedule
Keep kids and pets off treated surfaces until dry, and observe the label's reapplication interval rather than reapplying reactively whenever pests are spotted.
Caution
This concentrate is harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed and is extremely toxic to fish — wear the label's specified PPE and keep it out of storm drains and water.

Habits that decide it

Do & don't

Measure and mix to the exact label dilution
Agitate before and during application
Apply as an even, unbroken pass with proper equipment
Wear the label's specified PPE

Don't

Don't apply it undiluted or guess the mix
Don't broadcast indoors beyond the label's limits
Don't spray it over or near ant or roach bait
Don't skip agitation and let the suspension settle unevenly

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

You have proper mixing and spraying equipment and will measure the dilution accurately
An even, continuous residual band is needed across a perimeter, foundation, or indoor crack-and-crevice site
Broad-spectrum coverage across many pest types in one product is genuinely useful
The applicator is willing to follow label PPE and mixing procedures precisely

Where it fails

You wanted a point-and-shoot can with no measuring or mixing
The dilution is guessed rather than measured, or coverage is uneven with gaps
You're hoping a residual barrier alone will end a hidden colony or established infestation
It's sprayed over or near an ant or roach bait placement

Don't throw money away

Mistakes that waste the product

Wrong dilution

Too weak underperforms and wastes the trip; too strong wastes product, risks staining or damage, and violates the label.

Fix

Measure the concentrate precisely to the label's stated ratio for your target pest and site — every time.

No agitation

A suspension concentrate settles; an unmixed or under-agitated tank applies an uneven, unpredictable active concentration.

Fix

Agitate thoroughly when mixing and periodically during a longer application.

Spraying over or near bait

The repellent pyrethroid residue drives ants and roaches away from bait they'd otherwise carry back to the colony.

Fix

Keep the treated band and any baiting program in physically separate areas.

Expecting it to end a colony alone

Even a well-applied residual reaches only foragers crossing the treated surface, not the queen or nest.

Fix

Integrate with baits and sanitation for real colony-level control; use the residual as a perimeter/entry-point tool, not a cure.

Calibrated expectations

What to expect — and when

This is a measured-application residual, not an instant can — judge the setup and mixing as part of the job, then judge the results on coverage, not on speed.

On contact
Insects crossing or contacting the freshly applied, correctly diluted surface knock down quickly.
Following days to weeks
The residual keeps working as pests contact treated surfaces, provided coverage was even and continuous.
Up to about 3 months
Marketed residual life on labeled surfaces; actual persistence depends on weather, surface type, and how evenly it was applied — plan to reapply per label, not by guesswork.

When results plateau

Results plateau if the colony or source is untreated — a residual, however well applied, still only reaches the fraction of the population that crosses the treated surface, so persistent activity points to a source beyond what any surface spray can finish.

Know the ceiling

When to stop DIY & call a pro

If the equipment, measuring, or calibration this product demands feels like more than you want to take on — or the pest problem itself is bigger than a perimeter spray — these are the honest signals to call a pro:

Measuring, mixing, calibrating, and wearing the specified PPE feels out of scope
This product's efficacy depends entirely on getting the dilution and coverage right — if that's not realistic, a professional applicator gets the same active applied correctly.
Ants, roaches, or other target pests persist despite a correctly diluted, evenly applied treatment
Persistent activity after correct application points to a colony or source the residual can't reach, not an application error.
The pest problem is structural — carpenter ants or termite signs in wood
A perimeter or crack-and-crevice residual is not a structural-pest treatment; those need licensed inspection and targeted methods.
You're treating a large property and the mixing/coverage math is getting complicated
Scaling dilution and coverage accurately across a large area is exactly where DIY application errors compound.

Anchor's licensed NH technicians apply professional-grade residuals like this correctly every time — accurately mixed, evenly covered, and targeted at the actual source. Free inspection, same-day service across southern and central New Hampshire.

Don't want to measure, mix, and calibrate a sprayer?

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 concentrate is harmful if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin, and it's extremely toxic to fish and aquatic life. Mix and apply exactly per label, wear the specified PPE, and keep kids and pets off treated surfaces until fully dry.

Re-entry: Keep children and pets off treated surfaces until the application is completely dry.

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

A professional-grade product in a consumer channel

Tempo SC Ultra is sold to homeowners through the same farm-supply and pest-control-supply retailers that stock it for licensed technicians, which means a New Hampshire homeowner can buy it without the mixing equipment, calibration experience, or PPE that make it work safely and effectively. If you want the residual coverage this active ingredient genuinely delivers without taking on the measuring and equipment yourself, Anchor Pest Services applies it — and comparable professional actives — correctly 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(4)

[1]
US EPA, Pesticide Product Label — Tempo SC Ultra Premise Spray (Reg. No. 101563-213)
Verified active (beta-cyfluthrin 11.8%), suspension-concentrate formulation, dilution and application directions, labeled pest list
epa_labelverified 2026-07-14
[2]
Envu (Bayer Environmental Science) — Tempo SC Ultra Insecticide product page
Concentrate format, mixing/application description, and broad pest-control claims (facts only)
manufacturerverified 2026-07-14
[3]
NPIC — Cyfluthrin General Fact Sheet
Cyfluthrin/beta-cyfluthrin pyrethroid class and behavior
npicverified 2026-07-14
[4]
University of Maine Cooperative Extension — Cockroaches Fact Sheet
Pyrethroid crack-and-crevice application guidance and residual behavior on hard surfaces
extensionverified 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

Related products in this category

Same shelf, different jobs — the dot shows each product's honest efficacy verdict at a glance.

Phantom Aerosol Insecticide by BASFWorkhorse

Cy-Kick Aerosol Insecticide Spray by BASFWorkhorse

D-Force Insecticide Aerosol Spray by WaterburyWorkhorse

Professional Pest Control

Let a Licensed Technician Handle the Concentrate

A professional-grade residual only performs as advertised when it's mixed and applied correctly. Anchor Pest Services applies targeted, professional treatments with the right equipment and calibration across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Get a Free inspection (603) 785-0118

Correctly mixed, evenly applied professional residuals
NH-licensed applicators (#782664)
Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH

NH License #782664 · No obligation · We answer in person

Keep Exploring

How to Use Tempo SC Ultra Premise Spray by Bayer

Does this product actually work?

What it is — and what it's really for

The technique walkthrough

Read the label for your exact dilution

Mix in the sprayer, in the right order

Apply as an even, continuous pass

Re-agitate as you go

Let it dry and reapply on schedule