Review bug sprays from ALDI Atlas, Woolworths Select, Pea Beu, Mortein, Woolworths Homebrand, Raid, Coles and Black & Gold, on their effectiveness, packaging design, value for money, and overall customer satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
For the fourth year in a row, ALDI has been rated No.1 for customer satisfaction in bug spray, receiving five stars on effectiveness, value for money, packaging design and overall satisfaction.
Australia is well-known for its wide variety of wildlife, with plenty to be fascinated by. Unfortunately, Australia is also home to plenty of insects, which have a habit of ruining picnics and outside lunches, as well as making themselves unwanted houseguests. As a result, many households turn to insect sprays for protection, but with plenty of options on the market, all boasting to keep your house insect-free, it can be tricky to narrow down which one is best for your house. After all, you don’t want to go spraying them around willy-nilly to find one that works!
That’s why Canstar Blue has once again surveyed more than 1,900 consumers and asked them to rate the brand of insect spray they more recently purchased and used. Brands were rated on a number of factors, including effectiveness, value for money, packaging design, and overall satisfaction. In a wide market, consumers have stuck with last year’s winner, ALDI Atlas, with the supermarket chain earning five stars across all rated categories. It’s the fourth year in a row that Aussies have rated ALDI best for taking out the bugs.
Canstar Blue’s 2019 insect spray ratings saw eight brands compared, rated in the following order for overall customer satisfaction:
Woolworths Select, Pea Beu, Mortein, Woolworths Homebrand and Raid all got four stars for overall satisfaction, while Coles and Black & Gold were left on three stars apiece. Alongside this year’s winner, Mortein also got five stars on effectiveness, with no other brand receiving top marks for any category. Read on for details about what each brand offers in the way of bug-zapping.
Continuing its form from last year, ALDI Atlas has again retained first position for overall bug-zapping satisfaction, with the top result in every category. Offering a wide variety of products targetted at all insect types, including Fast Knockdown, Flying Insect Spray (pictured) and Cockroach Spray, ALDI Atlas might have what you’re looking for to keep your whole house covered. Available in 300-350g cans for only a few dollars, ALDI Atlas is generally cheaper than most other brands.
Woolworths’ premium range ‘Select’ features two different bug sprays, including the Multipurpose and Natural Pyrethrum insect sprays. These are available in 300g or 350g cans respectively. Its Multipurpose variant is claimed to be fragrance free and targets ants, cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, moths, silverfish, spiders and wasps. Woolworths Select Natural Pyrethrum Insect Spray uses pyrethrum daisy extract and is claimed to provide household protection against flies, spiders and other insects.
Pea Beu is a well-known brand that has been around for decades, helping families and households stay insect-free. While it doesn’t have the variety of products some competitors have, Pea Beu has odourless options for those conscious about sprays, with varieties to take care of both crawling and flying insects. For those looking to mask the smell, Pea Beu also comes in Lemon, helping to keep the air fresh as well as insect-free. Pea Beu sprays are available in 350g cans, and will set you back around $4.50.
A brand that many Australians turn to, Mortein has long been associated with an insect-free household, offering a huge variety of sprays to combat all types of insects. Regardless of what insect problems you might have, or are looking to prevent, Mortein has got a product for you. With a range that includes a ‘Protect Barrier’ to stop insects from getting inside in the first place, plus ‘Easy Reach Surface Spray’ for those hard to reach areas, Mortein also has the classic multi insect killer, flying insect killer and crawling insect killer. For those sensitive or worried about bug sprays, Mortein also provides low allergenic and odourless varieties, as well as the Powergard range for rapid action (pictured).
Woolworths stocks a variety of sprays to take care of all insect types, including the Homebrand Fly & Insect Spray. It’s available in a 300g can and will set you back a few dollars, meaning you can save your family from insects without breaking the bank.
With a range that rivals Mortein, Raid offers a product regardless of your insect problem. With sprays to counter ants, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders and all other types of insects, Raid offers sprays for surfaces, as well as indoor and outdoor varieties. Its ‘one shot’ spray is pictured.
Raid also offers odourless sprays, as well as the Earth Options spray, which utilises Pyrethrins, nature’s own insect protection, instead of synthetics. If you’re looking to be a bit more proactive, Raid also has DIY Outdoor Home Surface Spray to ensure that every crack on your house’s exterior is insect proof.
Coles has a number of insect sprays available on shelves, handy for whatever insect related problems you might have. Available in 300g and 350g cans for only a few dollars, the Coles range includes Flying Insect Killer, Crawling Insect Killer (pictured) and Multi Insect Killer, to help with any buggy situation. In addition, you’ll also find in store its Multi Insect Killer Automatic Refills.
Stocked in IGA stores and other independent supermarkets across the country, the Black & Gold brand offers a range of bug sprays for all your insect needs. Its line-up includes a standard fly and insect spray pine and a low irritant version, plus an ant killer. These are available 300g and 500g options. While the ant killer will set you back around $6, the sprays can be had for less than $3 each.
With the wide range of products and brands on offer, finding one that will do that job might be an overwhelming task for some consumers, particularly with the added stress of knowing that insects may be running rampant through your house. In Canstar Blue’s latest survey, 40% of respondents bought a ‘one-for-all’ insect spray but found some insects still survived, while 29% resorted to using other sprays, such as deodorants, when they ran out of insect spray. However, once respondents found a brand that worked, 50% stuck with it.
With 65% stating that they try to avoid using insect sprays where possible, and 32% refraining from using insect sprays on certain insects, it’s clear that sprays aren’t always a popular option for some households. However, insects also aren’t popular, so it’s best to find a solution that works for your family around the home. If that’s bug spray, we hope our ratings provide a helpful guide.
Picture credits: Holla Wise/shutterstock.com (infographic)
Canstar Blue surveyed 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased and used insect spray in the last 12 months (this refers to sprays that immediately kill insects) – in this case, 1,958 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
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