Spectracide

Spectracide weed and grass killer is what you spray in driveway cracks, patio joints and fence lines, and Spectracide bug killers handle insects in the lawn, the garden and the house. The Weed & Grass Killer kills to the root with results within hours, so the weeds in a cracked driveway are wilting the same day instead of next week, and the bug killers are made for the pest you’re actually fighting, from yellowjackets in the lawn to carpenter ants in the deck.

Spectracide is Spectrum Brands’ lawn, garden and pest line, and its weed killers and bug sprays are made for the homeowner who takes care of the place.

Weed & Grass Killer for cracks, gravel and fence lines

Weed & Grass Killer is non-selective: it kills every broadleaf and grassy weed it touches, and lawn grass right along with them. That makes it the product for concrete and brick walks, driveways, patios and fence lines, and for clearing a patch before you plant new grass, flowers or bushes there. The mistake that shows up most is spraying it on dandelions in the lawn and ending up with a row of dead brown circles. Keep it off any grass you mean to keep.

Soak the leaves on a dry, calm day so the product stays on the plant. Slip a piece of cardboard or plastic between the spray and anything you’re keeping, and if you hit a plant by accident, rinse it with water right away. Dandelion, thistle and other perennial weeds come back season after season, so plan on a second pass when new leaves show.

Ready-to-use or a bigger bottle

The ready-to-use bottle needs no hose and no mixing, and it’s the one for spot-treating the weeds in a few cracks and along one walk. For a long fence line, a gravel drive or a whole patio, the bigger bottle does more ground per trip, and a concentrate lets you measure and mix to the label in your own sprayer.

Triazicide for lawn and garden insects

Triazicide Insect Killer for Lawns & Landscapes is the outdoor bug killer for lawns, vegetable and flower gardens, roses, trees and shrubs, and it’s the strongest reason to buy Spectracide. One 32 oz hose-end bottle covers up to 5,120 square feet of lawn, it kills more than 260 listed insects by contact, fleas, deer ticks and Japanese beetles among them, and it keeps carpenter ants, crickets and earwigs in check for up to 3 months. Start when the insects first show up, before they’ve chewed the garden down, and skip rainy days. On trees, shrubs and flowers, put it on as a thorough cover spray, tops and undersides of the leaves.

Spec	Triazicide Insect Killer Concentrate for Lawns & Landscapes (Ready-to-Spray)
Size	32 oz
Coverage	Up to 5,120 sq ft of lawn
Active ingredient	Gamma-cyhalothrin, 0.08%
Kills	260+ listed insects by contact
Sprayer	QuickFlip hose-end, turns on with a switch
Staining	Does not stain when used as directed
Other forms	Ready-to-use; granules for lawns

The hose-end bottle is the one for a whole lawn and the shrubs around it, because only a spray coats the leaves. The granules are the easy choice for lawn insects alone: spread them in an even pattern with a drop or rotary spreader at the setting on the bag, with no stripes, skips or overlaps.

Keep kids and pets off anything treated until it’s dry, and read the whole label before you open any Spectracide product.

Bug Stop Home Barrier for the house

Bug Stop Home Barrier is the gallon trigger sprayer for the foundation, doorways and windows outside and the baseboards inside. It kills ants, roaches, spiders, ticks, crickets, earwigs, silverfish, stink bugs and other listed insects on contact, and the water-based formula leaves no odor or oily residue, so it goes along a kitchen baseboard without stinking up the house. Spray where bugs get in: doorways, windows, cracks and crevices, and where plumbing comes through. In fall, ants and boxelder bugs are the ones looking for a way in, and boxelder bugs gather on the sunny south and west walls first, so start the band there.

Carpenter ants, carpenter bees and yellowjackets

Carpenter ants are the wood pest in Montana, and a flicker or pileated woodpecker drilling into siding is often a sign they’re in the wall. They nest in wet or soft wood rather than eating it, so the tell is coarse sawdust under a sill or deck board. Spectracide’s carpenter ant killer goes straight on the nest, and fixing the leak or rot that drew them keeps them from coming back. Outside, Triazicide controls carpenter ants for up to 3 months, so a band along the foundation keeps new colonies from moving in.

The Carpenter Bee & Ground-Nesting Yellowjacket Killer Foaming Aerosol is for the round holes carpenter bees bore in bare fascia, rafter tails and deck rails, and for yellowjacket nests in the ground. Spray at dusk, when they’re back in the nest, stand to the side of the hole, and put the foam straight in.

Wasp & Hornet Killer and Pruning Seal

Wasp & Hornet Killer is the can for a paper nest under the eaves, in a shed or up in the barn rafters. Its jet spray reaches up to 27 feet, so you can soak a nest from the ground instead of from the top of a ladder, and it kills wasps, hornets and yellowjackets on contact. Spray at sunrise or sunset, when they’re all home and slow, soak the nest, and wait at least 24 hours before you knock it down. Pruning Seal goes on fresh cuts when you’re trimming fruit and shade trees.

Worth it?

For a homeowner keeping up a place, Spectracide covers the whole yard with a product built for each job: a non-selective killer for the driveway and fence line, Triazicide for the lawn and garden, a barrier for the foundation, and a can for each thing that stings or chews wood. Buy the one for the spot, follow the label, and the job gets done right the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer safe around pets and kids?

Keep kids and pets inside while you spray, and keep them off the treated area until it’s dry, because wet spray on paws and hands is how they get exposed. Read the whole label and follow its precautions first, and store the jug up high in the garage, not on the floor. If someone gets into it, call your local Poison Control Center or a doctor, and have the label in hand.

How do you mix Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer concentrate?

Measure it into your own pump sprayer at the rate on the label and mix it with water the way the label says, since the right amount depends on the weeds and the area you’re treating. Mix only what you’ll use that day. Keep that sprayer for non-selective killer only, because leftover residue in a sprayer you later use on the lawn or flowers can kill them.

How far does Spectracide Wasp & Hornet Killer spray?

Up to 27 feet. That reach lets you soak a nest under the eaves from the ground, standing well back, and it kills wasps, hornets and yellowjackets on contact. Spray at sunrise or sunset, when they’re in the nest and slow, and wait at least 24 hours before you knock the nest down.