The 11 Best Flea Killers for Yards in 2024

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,000 square feet
• Price: $

Ease of Use

As with most other flea sprays designed for the yard, Vet’s Best is simple to attach to your garden hose, using the power of the water supply to coat and treat your yard for fleas and ticks (and mosquitoes), though it typically will not kill insects on contact. On the other hand, there is no added fragrance in this spray, so it’s unlikely to be terribly offensive to your senses.

Value & Effectiveness

Like all other products on our list that are made with natural ingredients, effectiveness isn’t the highest. But for those who are buying a flea killer for a yard in which dogs, cats, and other pets will live, harsh chemicals may not be worth enhanced effectiveness anyway. That said, among natural products, Vet’s Best spray is one of the most effective, and it’s also one of the cheapest on the list.

Good to Know

Depending on how high the concentration is in the area where you’ve applied the spray, this product can be harmful to honeybees, which are important pollinators and crucial cogs of the entire ecosystem. This may be less concerning for those without flowers or other plants in their yard, but if your yard has a lot of bee-attracting plants, it’s important to keep that in mind.

Additionally, unlike some other natural products, Vet’s Best doesn’t use cedarwood oil, which has been known to sicken some animals, especially dogs, if they manage to ingest large quantities. Still, it’s important to follow the instructions so you can be sure your pets aren’t exposed to dangerous amounts of any substances.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,000 square feet
• Price: $$

Ease of Use

The hose spray attachment is simple to use, though you probably will need to apply a couple of coats of this product. Plus, it’s got a pleasant smell and hasn’t been shown to be harmful to honeybees.

Value & Effectiveness

Wondercide is the most expensive of the sprays that use natural ingredients, and a single application is not effective against a serious infestation of fleas. So, that means not only is the product more expensive to purchase, but you’ll probably have to buy enough to do more than one coat on your yard. That said, once you’ve cured a serious major infestation, this is an excellent and largely pet-safe natural product. It can also help prevent flea or tick infestations, so it’s a good option if you’re looking to keep fleas out before a problem begins.

Good to Know

We said this product is largely pet-safe, so where could there be a potential issue? The active ingredient in Wondercide is cedarwood oil, which has been shown to be harmful to dogs who ingest large amounts. The most likely scenario for pet owners is they saturate their grass but unknowingly produce some overspray onto hard surfaces like decks or fences, and once they let their pets back into the yard, their dogs find the new fence coating quite tasty.

If you have dogs or other pets who are prone to chewing or licking things they find in the yard, you may want to consider a different product. Also, be sure to bring inside any water bowls so they don’t fall victim to overspray. If you’re concerned about these issues, consider some flea spray alternatives.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,000 square feet
• Price: $

Ease of Use

Cutter’s backyard spray can kill a huge range of bugs using a simple hose applicator. The active ingredient, lambda-cyhalothrin, belongs to a class of ingredients called pyrethroids that, while commonly used to prevent insect infestations, have been known to be toxic to bees and even mammals if ingested.

Because of this, it’s vital that consumers follow all label instructions to ensure that no people or pets are put in danger, which is an unfortunate concern with all synthetic flea sprays.

Value & Effectiveness

As is the case with all the synthetic flea sprays on our list, Cutter’s backyard spray is incredibly effective, killing a huge range of bugs, including fleas and ticks. That said, though, this product is designed for mosquitoes, though it still should kill fleas on contact, and it provides up to three months of protection. It’s also the cheapest product on the list, providing incredible bang for the buck (if you can stand the strong chemical smell).

Good to Know

As we mentioned, it’s important to exercise caution with this product because the main ingredient is toxic to bees, which means that people who have plants or flowers in their yard that they want to keep alive with the help of pollinators will want to consider a different product.

Also, if you have pets that are prone to chewing or rolling in grass, it may be advisable to wait a day or two or after a big rain before letting your dog in the yard to ensure that all residue of the product has been absorbed by the ground and won’t impact your pets (or people).

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Granules
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Coverage Area: 10,000 square feet
• Price: $$

Ease of Use

Applying this product to your yard is much more complicated than simply attaching a hose to a bottle. While you could use your gloved hands, BioAdvanced Complete Insect Killer is best when applied using a seed spreader, which most people probably don’t already have., though they’re not all that expensive to buy. (Here’s a good one to consider.)

Once you spread the granules consistently over the surface of the yard, you must soak them with a hose or other water sprayer so that they become saturated, which activates the ingredients. Be sure to closely follow all instructions and take care not to create runoff in neighboring areas.

Value & Effectiveness

This product offers a huge coverage area, and the main ingredient, imidacloprid,  is an incredibly effective pesticide that’s restricted by law in some areas. That means, depending on where you live, you may not be able to purchase this product, including in New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maryland.

But if it’s available where you live, and you’re able to follow all the instructions to limit the chances of the pesticide causing any collateral damage, it’s an excellent value considering how well it kills bugs.

Good to Know

One of the reasons imidacloprid-based insecticides are controversial is that some research has connected them to colony collapse disorder, which has decimated bee populations around the world. That said, this connection is far from settled fact, and products like these are effective enough that many people are comfortable with the risk.

However, it’s particularly important if you’re using products like this to take extra precautions to ensure your family and pets aren’t exposed to an unnecessary level of risk.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,300 square feet
• Price: $

Ease of Use

The hose spray applicator is easy to operate, and Ortho Home Defense’s outdoor insect killer covers a large area, more than 5,000 square feet.

Value & Effectiveness

As a pyrethroid-based insecticide, Ortho Home Defense’s yard spray is highly effective, with more than 230 types of insects susceptible to the formulation. It’s also the second-cheapest product on the list, which provides excellent value for the money.

Good to Know

Both main active ingredients in this product are listed as possible human carcinogens, though that doesn’t mean they are necessarily dangerous. However, the product can be dangerous if ingested by people or plants, and it’s highly toxic to bees.

All the synthetic products on the list come with a greater inherent risk to people and animals, though, so provided you follow the instructions and keep your pets out of the yard until the spray dries fully, there is a low risk of negative side effects.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,000 square feet
• Price: $

Ease of Use

Black Flag’s yard spray is designed to kill fleas and ticks, and the hose spray applicator is easy to use on a 5,000-square-foot coverage area.

Value & Effectiveness

The spray is inexpensive, and because it’s formulated for fleas and ticks, you can be sure it’ll work against the pests about which you’re most concerned. One of its active ingredients is pyriproxyfen, an insect growth regulator that’s also known by the brand name Nylar.

Products like these work by interrupting the reproductive cycle of insects, so it’s less effective on adult fleas, ticks, and other insects. That means it may take a few weeks for the reproductive cycle to be broken, so you may continue to see fleas until the generations begin to die off.

Good to Know

Birds, mammals, and adult bees aren’t susceptible to pyriproxyfen, but it can be toxic to fish, depending on the species. This Black Flag spray also contains lambda-cyhalothrin, which has been known to be harmful to bees in some cases. The spray does have a strong chemical smell.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Coverage Area: 16,000 square feet
• Price: $$

Ease of Use

Bayer Advantage’s hose applicator-bottle is effective on spaces up to 16,000 square feet, the widest coverage area of the products on this list. That makes it perfect for people with big yards.

Value & Effectiveness

It’s in the middle of the road on price, though depending on your yard size, the expanded coverage area may provide a better bang for the buck. However, duration is relatively low, which could mitigate some of the benefit of added coverage, depending on your situation.

It’s formulated for fleas and ticks and is safe to spray on decks and patios, though if your yard is filled with pollinators, an alternate product may be better.

Good to Know

Advantage’s flea and tick spray is a synthetic insecticide that uses a pyrethroid ingredient, and like all others in its class, it can be harmful to mammals, including people and pets, if it’s ingested in large amounts. It’s also toxic to bees and many species of fish.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Coverage Area: 4,500 square feet
• Price: $$

Ease of Use

Natural Chemistry’s yard and kennel spray uses the familiar hose attachment, though the specific design is slightly different from most others, so it’s a good idea to test it out in a small area before you use it. That may mean you need to apply the product more often because there likely will be some waste because of the applicator.

Value & Effectiveness

Like all other products on this list that use natural ingredients, it’s less effective than those with heavy insecticides. That said, it does kill fleas and ticks on contact, as well as preventing infestations of flies and mosquitoes. But with a price that’s below average for natural sprays, the value is excellent, though the coverage area is also below average.

Good to Know

One of the main ingredients is cedarwood oil, and those with dogs who are prone to chewing on things in the yard or rolling around the in the grass will need to take extra precautions to ensure the product has had time to dry. The pleasant smell may be welcome for those accustomed to harsh scents of synthetic sprays.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 6 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,000 square feet
• Price: $$

Ease of Use

The hose applicator attachment is simple, but its design can make it difficult to keep attached. This inconsistency is a drawback but being sure to test the attachment in a small area before use will help reduce waste.

Value & Effectiveness

Eco Defense’s price is above average for a natural product, but the eugenol-based formulation won’t cause the collateral damage that can happen with products using synthetic ingredients or potential damage from cedarwood oil.

The spray is effective, though it only lasts about six weeks, which means you may need to apply it often to maintain protection.

Good to Know

This spray is designed for fleas and ticks. That means it may be less effective against mosquitoes, and it won’t do much to repel flies. If you’re looking for a natural all-in-one product, consider Natural Chemistry’s yard and kennel spray.

There isn’t a strong odor, so those that find harsh chemical smells upsetting may enjoy this product.

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Hose
• Duration: 4 weeks
• Coverage Area: 5,000 square feet
• Price: $$

Ease of Use

The spray applicator is solid and simple to use, with one bottle covering up to 5,000 square feet.

Value & Effectiveness

Adams’ yard and garden spray is effective against fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and ants, and it’s safe to use on plants. However, with a short duration, it does need to be applied regularly, which is not a problem for gardeners who are constantly outside tinkering in their lawns. Plus, it’s inexpensive, so it provides a good bang for the buck.

Good to Know

The main ingredient is permethrin, a pyrethroid that’s used on flea collars and in spot flea treatments, as well as in some products that treat lice in humans. High concentrations are potentially dangerous for cats, and it’s highly toxic to fish and bees. That’s why it’s best used by experienced gardeners who can be cautious and meticulous with using it responsibly.

Also, if your garden includes any food plants, be sure to wash them thoroughly before eating them (or feeding them to your family).

At a Glance:

• Application Type: Concentrate
• Duration: 28 weeks
• Coverage Area: 13,000 square feet
• Price: $$$

Ease of Use

Control Solutions’ Pivot 10 insecticide is by far the most complicated product on this list. It’s a concentrate, which means it must be mixed with water and loaded into a garden sprayer or other sprayer device.

Instructions are provided to ensure the water-to-concentrate mixture is accurate, but this could also lead to some trial and error, as it’s not always obvious which mix will be most effective in your yard.

Value & Effectiveness

Pivot 10 is the most expensive product on the list, natural or synthetic, but it’s also extremely effective, which makes it a good value. Plus, because you mix it yourself and the duration is long (about 28 weeks typically), a little will likely go a long way.

Like Black Flag’s spray treatment, Pivot 10 uses insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen, which works to kill off generations of fleas, ticks, roaches, crickets, mosquitoes, flies, and more.

Good to Know

This particular product is not currently sold in Alaska, and like others with Nylar, it can be toxic to certain fish species but shouldn’t interfere with adult bees, birds, or mammals.