By Harrison Lowell, Guest Author
You're standing in the kitchen with a can of Raid in one hand, watching a trail of ants march across the counter you just wiped down for your toddler's snack and thinking, there has to be something that isn't this.
You're not wrong to wonder. And you're not wrong that most of what claims to be "natural" doesn't actually kill anything. It just makes your kitchen smell like a candle while the ants keep coming.
So here's the ingredient-by-ingredient comparison: what's actually in the can of Raid you've probably got under your sink right now vs. what's in Dr. Killigan's Six Feet Under instead, and where each one genuinely wins—because pretending one is perfect would make this whole article useless to you.
The short version: if you want the cheapest possible ant killer and don't mind a synthetic pesticide residue, Raid is built for that. If you'd rather not read a caution label before letting your kid back in the kitchen, Six Feet Under is built for that. Most households switching aren't doing it because Raid "doesn't work" — they're switching because they found something that does the same job on different terms.
At a glance
| Six Feet Under (Dr. Killigan's) | Raid Ant & Roach Killer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.97 / 24 oz ($1.04/oz) | $5.59 / 17.5 oz ($0.32/oz) |
| Active ingredients | Soybean oil 3.13%, plant-based sodium lauryl sulfate 0.50%, cinnamon & clove oils 0.06% (3.69% actives) | Cypermethrin + Imiprothrin (synthetic pyrethroids) |
| How it kills | Contact kill, mechanical/oil-based | Contact kill + short residual |
| Regulatory status | Exempt from EPA registration under FIFRA 25(b) | EPA-registered pesticide |
| Label caution for kids/pets | None on label; no wait time or ventilation step required | Ventilate area; keep kids & pets away until spray dries |
| Biodegradable | Yes | No |
| Rating | 4.7★ | 4.4★ |
Prices and ratings were checked in August 2026 on each brand's own product page, or at a major retailer for products the brand doesn't sell direct. Our own prices are list price and may be lower during a sale — check the current listing.
What's actually in the can of Raid
Raid Ant & Roach Killer's active ingredients are cypermethrin and imiprothrin. Both are synthetic pyrethroids, a class of manufactured insecticides. They work by overloading an insect's nervous system on contact, which is exactly why they kill fast and why the label tells you to ventilate the room, keep pets away and let the spray fully dry before kids or animals go back through the area. That's not a knock on Raid. It's an EPA-registered pesticide and the label instructions exist because the product is doing real chemical work. Worth knowing what that work is before you reach for it.
What's actually in Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under's actives are plant-derived oils: soybean oil at 3.13%, plant-based sodium lauryl sulfate at 0.50%, and cinnamon and clove oils at 0.03% each — 3.69% actives in total. They're the same category of ingredient used in food flavoring and aromatherapy, just blended specifically to kill on contact. It's biodegradable and doesn't carry an EPA pesticide registration, because it isn't a synthetic pesticide. It's formulated to kill ants, roaches, fleas, silverfish and moths on contact — the same everyday-pest list you'd reach for Raid to handle.
The mechanism is different, too. Six Feet Under works primarily by mechanical kill: soybean oil, the main active, breaks down an insect's waxy outer shell, which causes it to dehydrate and die. The cinnamon and clove oils do a second job — the eugenol and cinnamaldehyde they carry are absorbed through that broken-down shell.
That difference outlasts any one can. Cockroaches have developed documented, published resistance to pyrethroid actives such as cypermethrin, which is part of why chemical pesticide makers periodically rotate in new active ingredients rather than relying on one formula indefinitely. Dehydration isn't a receptor an insect can adapt around. Cypermethrin also carries an EPA "Group C, possible human carcinogen" classification, based on limited evidence from a single mouse study.
The honest trade-off
Here's the part most "natural vs. toxic" comparisons skip, and it's the part that actually matters if you want this to work the first time you use it: plant-oil sprays need direct contact to kill and synthetic pyrethroids leave a longer-lasting residue that keeps killing bugs that walk through the treated area later. That's the real trade — not "natural doesn't work," but "natural asks you to spray the bug or its path, not the whole baseboard once a year and forget about it."
In practice: spray the ant trail or the bug itself, and reapply if you see new activity. What you get in exchange is a room you can use immediately, and nothing accumulating in it.
Price, honestly
Raid is cheaper per ounce, about a third of the cost. If price-per-ounce is the only variable that matters to you, this page isn't going to talk you out of that math. What it will say is that price per ounce and cost in use aren't the same number. A contact spray gets aimed at the trail rather than emptied along a baseboard, so the two figures drift apart the longer you own the can.
The switch households are already making
Raid is one of the most recognized names in pest control, and it's been the default for decades because it's genuinely effective and genuinely everywhere. That's exactly why so many households don't "discover" Six Feet Under so much as swap it in for what was already there. It's not a new category you have to learn — it's the same bottle-under-the-sink habit, with different chemistry in the bottle.
Why trust Dr. Killigan's: Dr. Killigan's is a pioneer in minimum-risk pest control, formulating plant-based solutions alongside a practicing entomologist. Every formula, including Six Feet Under, is stress-tested repeatedly in Dr. Killigan's own labs against the actual pest it's meant to kill. "Natural" isn't the finish line. Proven is.
FAQ
Are there any natural bug sprays that actually work as well as the regular stuff?
On contact, yes — plant-oil sprays kill the same insects the synthetic ones do. Where they differ is what happens afterwards: a synthetic leaves a residue that keeps working on bugs that cross it later, and a plant-oil spray doesn't. Judge them on whether you want a treatment or a barrier, not on killing power.
Is Six Feet Under safe to use in the kitchen or around food?
The label carries no required wait time and no ventilation step before you're back in the room — the practical difference from a synthetic pesticide label, where those instructions do appear. Use it as directed.
Will it work on roaches, not just ants?
Yes — roaches, ants, fleas, silverfish and moths. It's a direct-contact spray, so it kills the roach you can see rather than the ones behind the cabinet.
Why is it more expensive than Raid?
Plant-derived oil actives cost more to source and formulate than synthetic pyrethroids, and it's made without the cheaper petrochemical inputs that keep conventional sprays inexpensive.
Is Six Feet Under strong enough for a real infestation, not just a few bugs?
For an active, spreading infestation, a contact spray on its own is the wrong tool — you'd be chasing individuals while the source keeps producing. Use it to knock down what you see, then cover the perimeter with Six Feet Under Barricade.
Bottom line
Both cans will kill the ants on your counter. The comparison was never about killing power — it's about what's still on the counter afterwards, and what that's worth to you.
Related reading
- Is There a Natural Wasp Spray That Works as Fast as Raid?
- Dr. Killigan's vs. Pestie: Which Whole-Home Barrier Actually Lasts 90 Days?
- Dust to Dust vs. Diatomaceous Earth: Which Kills Faster?
- Pyrethrin vs. permethrin: What's the difference?
Featured in this article
Shop Dr. Killigan's Essentials
Six Feet Under: Indoor & Outdoor Insect Killer & Repellant - Fast-Acting (24 oz)
Six Feet Under: Barricade – 90-Day Whole Home Insect Killer & Barrier (DIY Pest Control Kit)
