Johnson Wax Raid Fly and Wasp Killer

...that offered by S G Johnson offers on their website
- Keep waste bins tightly covered.
- Mop up spilled liquids and food promptly
- Keep food covered when not in use. ( I bought some of those twee little collapsible netted domes!)
- Use the vacuum cleaner crevice tool to remove dust and lint from cracks, crevices, corners or other places where insects might gather. ( I love my little crevice tool!)
- Change pet ...
...lobby today, companies like SC Johnson would have produced one. Moreover companies, like Ecover, which pride themselves on safer eco cleaning products, don’t seem to produce any insect killing preparations.

Therefore, until we find a better alternative we are stuck with insecticides and of these, Raid is probably the most effective available for domestic use that I have discovered during my “ killing years” However it should be used ... more

Apparently there are nearly 100,000 known species of flies and it feels like every one of them can be found on my property, at least every species native to south east of England. In the past I always used Raid with satisfactory results but, having been berated by my environmentally aware friends for using such dangerous chemicals and aerosols, I gave up the can a couple of years ago in an effort to prove my green credentials. But two months ago, as the weather turned warmer and the flies returned, I again resumed my nasty spraying habits! This could have been a simple review of the effectiveness of the product but I felt it should also address the questions surrounding the use of such substances which are known to be harmful to our environment. I am not an environmental preacher type and use chemical cleaning products all the time as I find the greener ones necessitate more elbow grease! Moreover I never found a satisfactory alternative to aerosol hair sprays. However this product does contain some powerfully noxious ingredients Therefore, in addition to reviewing the product, I offer a history of my quest to find a safer means of fly control - a quest which ultimately failed miserably!

My Environment

Were it not for the resident fly brigade, my basement flat would be quite a desirable residence, occupying as it does the entire lower ground floor of a listed terraced Regency building. It has two separate patio areas (both enclosed by high ancient walls) and on each of these my buzzing adversaries congregate. There are a couple of drains in the vicinity and the dog does use these areas for his toilet when he gets caught short. Therefore, I get through large amounts of disinfectant, cleaning paving and dousing the drains, to ensure the areas are free of the smells which flies may find alluring but, seemingly, if it gets too floral for them, they just buzz inside for a property inspection.

The Offenders

Readers who are familiar with my previous reviews will know that I try to introduce a little weak humour into my text and may think the tone of this one is too flippant so, firstly, on a serious note, I recognise that my experience is just a minor inconvenience when set alongside the serious problem caused by flies in hotter climes, the evidence of which we see all too often on out televisions. The bacteria and parasites which infest the fly, make them a major factor in spreading the most serious and debilitating diseases and these are particularly prevalent in areas where the worst of the world’s poverty exists.

In fact I have never understood what useful purpose flies serve. They are at present the bane of my life and I share my flat with many varieties. The small, dopey ones which you find gyrating in an arbitrary fashion a millimetre in front of your face, seemingly wanting to share whatever you are drinking or eating. Their similar sized cousins flock to any vegetable matter around especially if it’s past its best and dance in a manic fashion around their trophy. A slightly larger variety gang together as if playing “Ringa a Ringa Roses” in the centre of any space seemingly unaware of their surroundings.

The medium size, which I know as the common blow fly, is quite cunning, it flies around nonchalantly as if looking for a light source which may indicate an exit but, as soon as you open a window and try to encourage it outside, it swiftly diverts back indoors because it is actually on the prowl for any bits of food left uncovered.

The ones I really dread are the large variety, known in my family as the blue bottles. These are the giants amongst flies. They seem in a state of perpetual panic when indoors swooping around in a manic fashion and often dive bombing the residents. Their loud buzzing drives my dog insane and he regularly rushes around ducking and diving in an attempt to catch them. Thankfully he never succeeds because I am sure if he swallowed one it would make him ill.

All of them disturb my peace and make it necessary to be more meticulous in my cleaning habits than would otherwise be the case!

The Quest for a Remedy

In my determination to avoid chemical sprays, I trawled the web for natural deterrents and remedies and bought insect repellent citron candles They deterred well but only whilst they were burning and I couldn’t leave these for 24 hours. Also, as they are quite expensive, I only resorted to them when I had guests. Then there came the day when I blew one out but failed to attend to the smoking aftermath and it set off all the fire alarms in our block at 11pm. I was about as popular with my neighbours as the flies are with me!

Desiring a natural means of destruction, I e-mailed a supplier advertising carnivorous plants explaining that my patios did not get much sun and asking for advice on the best variety for these conditions. The curt answer came back “ carnivorus plants only survive in a position of full sun”. A friend suggested that mint plants were a fly deterrent so I duly planted some. After three plants died, this idea proved a non-starter as it appears they too needed more sun than was on offer.

I turned to natural predators. Despite a spider phobia, I purchased a long handled catching device and relocated any I found in the flat in my patios. There are always quite a number in these old buildings so I founded quite a colony. However there was no diminution in fly numbers and seemingly the only thing their webs caught was me! With cobwebs clinging to my face and hair, I would freeze at the thought that the builders might accompany them! I sprinkled wild bird food outside hoping to encourage smaller birds down for an insect feast. One or two did bravely descend into the small enclosed spaces but, once they had pecked up the bird food starters, they would be off seemingly uninterested in the main course I had planned. Pigeons and seagulls also demonstrated an interest but never plucked up the courage to descend just sitting on the roof and window sills above, billing, cooing and screeching as they proceeded to whitewash my patio.

Deciding it was time to bring in the big guns. I purchased two electrical fly killing machines which were quite aesthetically pleasing being shaped like lanterns and casting a blue light. With the lanterns came a free gift , an object, shaped like a tennis racket, which operated as an electrical fly swatter. You just had to load the batteries, take aim with your finger on the trigger and swipe your prey. If you hit it, sparks would fly and death was instantaneous. I tried it once or twice. It was good exercise but it was no easier to swot a fly with this than with a rolled up newspaper!

The lanterns (one on each patio area) were more successful, attracting and electrocuting large numbers of flying creatures as evident in the tray underneath each morning. Sitting inside I would hear the snap crackle and pop as they roasted and for a time this was quite satisfying background music to my ears. Then a friend visiting one evening enquired if I had an electrical fault. This friend is a great lover of all living creatures. I have even seen her pick up a slug from a pavement to put it in a safer place on an unsuspecting person’s window box. When I explained to her the nature of the slaughter occurring outside the French windows, she recoiled in horror.

Then the guilt started to set in. It was a very nasty death and the snap crackle pop music began to get monotonous! Even if they were my enemies, did the flies deserve to in this way? I might have overcome this guilt had it not coincided with the realisation that, despite the daily carcase toll, the numbers of flies did not appear to be diminishing. Could it be that the blue light was actually attracting more into my space? Of course the lanterns were also adding to my carbon footprint by increasing electricity consumption. After a few months both lanterns were consigned to the shed where they remain.

I returned to chemicals in the form of strips and window stickers but, although I did find some dead victims, they didn’t really seem too effective and my rooms still had plenty of unwelcome flying guests. Moreover the window stickers left a sticky oozing substance which I found impossible to remove. Therefore, with some reluctance, I again purchased a can of Raid

The Manufacturers of Raid – S G Johnson

By this time the ranks of my environmentally and ethically aware friends had swelled as I had joined a local environmental group. I therefore researched a little in an effort to counter or at least counterbalance their arguments against such insecticide sprays.
The “family company” do claim that they “strive to be an environmentally responsible company ……giving a more sustainable future to those who will follow”. The company’s UK projects underway at their manufacturing premises in Frimley are listed as :-
- Reducing the combined quantity of liquid and solid waste by 25% as a ratio to weight of production by 2005
- Reducing their contribution to global climate change by achieving a 10% reduction in fossil fuel use and reducing CO² emissions
- Improving their environmental performance in transporting goods by implementing a system to measure the fuel efficiency of the transportation of finished goods
- Conserving and improving the biodiversity of the site.
These credentials, which if you are over cynical might be read in the light of their PR image, nevertheless do suggest the company has some environmental credentials. Unfortunately I could not discover a word about cutting back on the use of aerosols or research into more natural methods of insect culling.

The Product - Raid Fly and Wasp Killer

The front of the can looks like a still from a horror move for flies and wasps! Against the blue back drop two insects are struggling in a yellow flash above the words “ Kills Bugs Dead”. On the back of the can are two large statutory yellow stamps, one marked “ Extremely Inflammable “ the other, “ Dangerous to the Environment” In addition to the usual ones about caution with fire and naked flames, there is also a long list of warnings:-
- Do not inhale
- Do not contaminate food stuffs
- Remove or cover terrariums, aquariums and animal cages before application
- Spray at least one metre away from all surfaces and walls
- Avoid exposed skin. Wash hands and exposed skin before meals thoroughly after use
- For indoor use only
The list goes on and most of this is in the really small print one usually wouldn’t bother reading

There are only two ingredients listed:-
- Terramethrin 32% (which is apparently known to be a carcinogen and neurotoxicant)
- d- phenothrin 0.07% (a pesticide known to be harmful to wildlife especially aquatic life)
I wonder what the remaining 66% consists of if these are the only ones they admit to but then I have a nasty suspicious nature!

The label claims that the spray is effective on flying insects including flies wasps and mosquitoes.(I haven’t tried it on wasps and mosquitoes in recent years as they don’t seem to bother to visit but in the past I know it was always effective on wasps) With reference to flies, I must have tried all the sprays available in the past and have always found Raid to be the most effective and the easiest to obtain. However this time round I does not seem quite as efficient as in the past. Maybe they have diluted the ingredients or the flies have developed a measure of resilience? I try to use it in short sprays as directed and leave the room after the application. Often when I return after half an hour or so, the smaller varieties have succumbed but the medium sized variety are still buzzing around, albeit in a more dopey state which makes it easier to swat them. Eventually they do seem to drop. However the largest ones only seem to be affected if you achieve a direct hit with the spray.

One of the claims on the label is that Raid has a pleasant outdoor scent. I must take issue with this as it just gives off awful choking fumes! And if one shouldn’t inhale it, surely one shouldn’t smell it either so what would be the point of giving it a nice scent? When I use it, I always try not to inhale but invariably a fit of sneezing follows. I also have to be careful around my dog. He simply hates it and always disappears as soon as I pick up the can (although he ignores other sprays) so I feel his delicate nose must also be offended by it!

Conclusions

I believe with global warming we are going to witness more flying nuisances around. In my experience nothing is really very effective in deterring them so we have to kill the devils because they are not only annoying, they spread disease.

Prevention is better than the cure and we have to try and discourage these unwelcome visitors maybe firstly by acting on advice such as that offered by S G Johnson offers on their website
- Keep waste bins tightly covered.
- Mop up spilled liquids and food promptly
- Keep food covered when not in use. ( I bought some of those twee little collapsible netted domes!)
- Use the vacuum cleaner crevice tool to remove dust and lint from cracks, crevices, corners or other places where insects might gather. ( I love my little crevice tool!)
- Change pet bedding regularly ( I bought a dogs' bed that can all be popped in the washing machine)
But however scrupulous we are in cleaning. I don’t think our homes will ever be fly free.

If there was a safer, greener alternative surely, with the strength of the environmental lobby today, companies like SC Johnson would have produced one. Moreover companies, like Ecover, which pride themselves on safer eco cleaning products, don’t seem to produce any insect killing preparations.

Therefore, until we find a better alternative we are stuck with insecticides and of these, Raid is probably the most effective available for domestic use that I have discovered during my “ killing years” However it should be used sparingly and with caution taking care to avoid spraying it in the presence of children, the frail elderly and pets especially aquatic pets to which it can be deadly.

If anybody has found another, better way, please, please let me know!

PS The flies seem to have vacated my flat - it's heaven! I am not sure why this has happened but the only difference I can think of is that it seems to have coincided with the use a new cleaning product, Cif Oxygel - Wild orchid 'flavour', which leaves a rather pleasant scent after use. Now I have not undertaken a contolled experiment on this and my little adversaries are still buzzing around outside -- but they seem to shun my kitchen which is their favourite point of entry! Watch this space -- I may be onto something!>>>>>>>>>> 

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