Outdoor pests differ slightly from indoor pests when it comes to maintenance and treatment. Your lawn and garden are part of the outside world, meaning that insects have free range to come and go as they please, quite unlike indoor pests that are limited in where they can congregate.
Unless you enjoy spot treating active insects in a small period of time, you will need a powerful residual insecticide such as Bifen L/P Granules to eliminate problematic outdoor pests and keep them away. To find out more read our Bifen insecticide review and buyers guide below.
Bifen L/P Granules by Control Solutions
Bifen Granules by Control Solutions is an insecticide that comes in the form of small granules containing the pyrethroid bifenthrin. This chemical works by attacking the central nervous system of insects when they ingest or come into close contact with it. The granules are easy to spread, either by hand or with a lawn and garden spreader, which makes the application process much easier and more thorough.
Pros
- Granules make the spreading of the chemical more thorough
- Bifenthrin is low in toxicity to humans and pets
- Kills a large variety of outdoor pests
- Highly effective at destroying fire ants
- Long-lasting residual component
Cons
- Insects must ingest or cross through the poison to be killed
- Not as effective during rainfall
- Not as fast-acting as liquid formulations
How Do Bifen Granules Work?
Bifen Granules are small, round granular substances containing the chemical bifenthrin. The granules are meant to spread throughout a yard or any outside area infested with pests. After spreading the granules, you must water the areas containing the granules as the chemical will not be activated without water.
Simply spreading the granules and not watering them will cause the granules to simply sit atop the soil; water aggregates the granules to release bifenthrin into the soil, making the soil and grass coated with poison a toxic area where insects roam. You can simply spread the granules without water; however, this will likely cause insects to go around the granule, whereas the water concentration will release the granules into the soil. Bifenthrin disrupts the central nervous system, causing the insects to die from the disruption to their brain.
How to Apply Bifen Granules
Bifen Granules can be applied in a number of ways. The simplest method is to use a lawn and garden spreader which will evenly distribute the granules to large sections of your lawn in one rotation. Alternatively, you can use your hands with gloves to spread the granules to areas heavily infested with pests.
It is important to heavily coat an area of your lawn that is infested with pests. For ant beds, specifically fire ants, coat the entire top layer of the bed with granules as well as the entire area up to two feet from the bed. After applying the granules, flood the ant bed with one to two gallons of water to ensure the insecticide penetrates deep into the bed to reach the queen ant.
For all pests that congregate on top of the lawn or under the first layer of soil, simply spreading the granules and activating the chemical with water will ensure efficient elimination. It is important not to saturate any treated areas with water that creates a runoff, as this will simply cause the poison to drift away and also contaminate drainage areas where this chemical is toxic to aquatic animals. When in doubt, always refer to the product label, which gives the exact chemical to water ratio for specific pests.
Are Bifen Granules Safe for Dogs and Cats?
Pyrethroids are a class of insecticides that are formulated with safety for humans and pets in mind. Bifenthrin has low-toxicity for humans and animals since the central nervous system antagonistic properties are only efficient in small organisms. After applying Bifen Granules, always thoroughly was hands and clothing to ensure that not even mild reactions can occur.
For pets, it can be difficult to keep pets from sniffing or even tasting the granules when spread throughout your yard. Always water the granules to mix the poison into the soil to prevent pets from swallowing exposed granules. Even if reactions occur, bifenthrin is not lethal to pets and a veterinary visit can usually correct any symptoms that may occur.
Do Bifen Granules Kill Springtails?
Springtails, which are similar in appearance to fleas, can cause widespread damage to gardens and agricultural crops. Bifen Granules work well to eliminate springtails since water and moisture are what aggregates the poison and also what attracts springtails.
Like many other pests, simply spreading the granules without water will not eliminate springtails, the chemical needs to be saturated with water to spread to the soil and grass, which will kill springtails upon contact.
What Bugs Does Bifen Kill?
Bifen Granules can kill a large variety of outdoor insects. This product is particularly popular for eliminating painful and problematic fire ants from lawns.
In addition to ants, Bifen Granules work against:
- Worms (all varieties)
- Weevils
- Centipedes
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Crickets
- Outdoor cockroaches
- Millipedes
- Sowbugs
- Pillbugs
- Ladybugs
- Spiders
The application process is generally the same for all listed bugs.
Related Bifen Questions
Will Bifen Kill Scorpions?
Scorpions are a potentially deadly outdoor pest and if you have a scorpion infestation in your yard, the problem should be addressed immediately. Thankfully, Bifen Granules can kill scorpions and work to repel them from your yard. Scorpions are ground-based arachnids, which means they will have to crawl and their central nervous system will be destabilized once they crawl through the activated granules.
When Should I Apply Insecticide to My Lawn?
If you are noticing an increase in pests in your yard or garden, or your plants or crops are being eaten, it is probably a good idea to apply an insecticide such as Bifen Granules to your lawn and garden. If you are noticing fire ant beds, Bifen Granules should be applied to all active beds to eliminate these painful insects, especially if you have small children or pets. With the arrival of spring until mid-autumn, an insecticide should be applied to your yard as long as it is generally safe; this will prevent any infestations from forming.
Where to Buy Bifen Granules?
Bifen Granules are available at Amazon in a twenty-five-pound quantity, which is sure to provide you with this superior product for the rest of the active insect season. Additionally, the product can be found in retail stores and specialty stores specializing in pest treatment. Ordering on Amazon is quick and simple and the customer reviews are always a handy tool to utilize when making a final decision.
In Summary
Bifen Granules are a superior pyrethroid insecticide that is designed to spread evenly throughout your lawn for maximum pest-killing results. The active chemical bifenthrin works by targeting the central nervous system of insects rendering them paralyzed, which leads to eventual death. Bifenthrin is generally safe for both humans and pets which makes the product an attractive option for killing a wide variety of outdoor pests with little to no effect on humans and animals.
The application process for Bifen Granules is generally simple, with self-spreading a possibility or the use of a lawn and garden spreader to receive maximum spreading across a lawn. Bifen Granules are activated with water, so be sure and read the label to determine the amount of water needed to activate the chemical once it is spread. Bifen Granules are one of the most effective and safe varieties of treatment for lawns and gardens due to the effectiveness of the product against a large sum of outdoor pests and the general ease at which the product can be spread.
- Bifenthrin. (2011). Retrieved from http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/bifgen.html.
- Bifen L/P Insecticide Granules. (2019). Retrieved from https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/www.agrian.com/pdfs/Bifen_LP_Label1u.pdf.