Bifen IT - Questions & Answers

Bifen IT is a pyrethroid based insecticide and Tekko Pro an insect growth regulator. These products are typically used together in a tank mix for mosquito control. 

Yes Bifen IT will kill spotted lantern flys.  Please be sure to review the Supplemental Label for Spotted Lantern Fly for more information and complete application instructions.

When using Bifen IT for armyworms irrigation is not necessary. You actually need to try to have no irrigation or rainfall for at least 24 hours after the application. Under chinch bug treatment it does advice that in order to optimize the penetration of the insecticide you can water the area prior to the treatment. If grass is being kept at a long mowing height or if the thatch layer is excessive, use higher volume treatments. It may be necessary to use higher application rates (up to 1 fluid oz. per 1000 square feet) to control populations made up of both adults and nymphs in mid-summer. Complete instructions are on the product label for each pest as well.

Bifen IT may be applied at the low, medium and high rate of either 0.33 oz./gallon of water for prevention, low level infestations, 0.5 oz./gallon of water for general indoor or outdoor use, or 1.0 oz./gallon of water for severe infestations, less frequent treatments, longer residual, quicker knockdown. You will apply 1 gallon of finished solution every 1,000 square feet when using a hand pump sprayer. 

Please refer to the product label for complete application instructions, and use as directed.

 

Bifen IT should not be applied to any edible vegetation. You should not apply this product on a windy day or where wind drift may be a possibility if fruit trees or vegetables are nearby.  Any treated vegetables or fruit should be discarded. You should not consume anything in the area treated for one full growing season.

Yes, Bifen IT can be used for fire ant control as directed on the label. Please take a look at (Method 2: Fire Ant Mound Drench) on our guide on How to Get Rid of Fire Ants for more information on treating this pest.
 
 

Bifen IT should NOT be applied to kitchen counters only listed areas on the label only. 

Per the product label, the soil around a well can be treated with Bifen IT as long as you are following the instructions. It is recommended to keep applications at least 10 ft away from the well. Please be sure to review the product label for more information before use. Pages 11-12 give specific instructions for treating around wells.

Bifen IT is labeled for "weevils" in general and the active ingredient Bifenthrin is known to be effective for white pine weevils. It is important when using a foliar application that treatments start when adult weevils first start to appear in spring, usually around mid-April. At this time, Bifenthrin seems to be the only active ingredient available to homeowners for white pine weevil control. We also suggest you contact your local cooperative extension office for more tips on the best treatment time in your specific area.

Bifen IT would be a sound choice for exterior insect control. Bifen IT lasts for up to a month outdoors and is labeled for over 75 different crawling and flying insect pests.

Bifen IT does not move through the soil. As long as you keep all spray applications out of the root zone and do not allow spray to drift toward the trees, the trees will not be affected by Bifen IT.

That's awesome Bifen IT has been doing such a great job for you. To treat the Earwigs, please refer to our article Getting Rid of Earwigs. There are many steps you can take to treat and prevent earwigs and Silverfish. By following the steps in our article you will also help to eliminate the Silverfish as well. You also may want to try a residual spray like Demon WP that is labeled for earwigs and silver fish. You want to spray the entire perimeter indoors and out.

The Cy Kick CS you have been using is a great product for Scorpions but we do understand the need for more cost effective options. You want to go with a product that will sit on top of the surface better than the Bifen IT. If you dont have any dark surfaces to treat, you could use a product like Cyper WP. It is a wettable powder you would mix with water and spray in the same manor you would the Cy Kick CS. A 1lb jar will yield 24-48 gallons of mixed solution depending on the mix ratio you use. If you do have dark surfaces to treat and you are worried about a visible residue, you could swap to something like Equil Lambda 9.7. The problem with treating for scorpions is they are so difficult to kill that it requires a higher dose of chemical per gallon with most products, and a wider area you have to cover. There is not going to be an huge difference in price between many of the products as they all use roughly the same amounts. The Onslaught FastCap Spider and Scorpion Insecticide is a newer product that is supposed to give a better/faster knock down and a longer residual. It may be worth it to try this product as it will give you a few more gallons of solution than the Cy Kick and you may have to spray less often.

Bifen It has 3 month residual, however you may want to reapply the product outdoors every 30 days.

Bifen IT should not harm carpets, but it also is not labeled for broadcast application to carpets.

Bifenthrin products used to be considered a good form of termite treatment, but bifenthrin acts as a repellent and now a days almost all professional termite companies are using non-repellents, such as Termidor SC or Dominion 2L.  Termidor will last 10+ years in the soill and Dominion will last 5-7 years.  We have a great article called How To Do A Termite Treatment that explains how to perform a treatment using a non-repellent termiticide.

We would recommend our Complete Ant Kit because it fills the dietary needs of most species of household ants providing effective ant control indoors and out and Bifen IT as a general insecticide spray that is tough on ants and spiders. Be sure to keep bait and spray completely separate to prevent contaminating the bait. Place the bait stations along ant trails and close to ant activity and spray along baseboards window frames, door frames, corners of the rooms, and around the perimeter of your home spraying 2 feet up the side and spraying 2 feet out on the ground all the way around your home. 

Bifen IT can be applied on ornamental plants and shrubs but it is not labeled to be applied to edible gardens. We can offer additional assistance on selecting a product if we had some information on what you were seeking to treat for or to prevent. We can be reached at 866.581.7378 M-F 9-5PM EST.