Ortho BugClear Lawn Insect Killer1 Granules Review

Our Verdict

On price per square foot this is the cheapest lawn insecticide we list — 16,500 sq ft from a ten-dollar bag — and for surface insects like ants, ticks and fleas it does what it says. The problem is the word 'grubs' on the front, and the 'above and below ground' claim next to it. The active is bifenthrin, a synthetic pyrethroid, and Penn State's grub guidance lists the pyrethroids for adult beetles feeding on foliage, not for larvae; bifenthrin binds to thatch and soil organic matter and loses activity before it reaches a grub in the root zone. So a homeowner who counts grubs, buys this because the bag says grubs, applies it and sees no improvement has not made a mistake — the product was never the right chemistry. Buy it for surface pests if the price suits you. For a confirmed grub count, buy a curative instead.