Protection varies by product type: personal repellents typically advertise about 6–8 hours of protection; yard pretreat concentrates commonly provide multi-week protection; and some perimeter or surface insecticide sprays report residual control measured in months.

Many products cover multiple pests. Personal repellents often list ticks, biting flies, gnats, chiggers, and fleas. Insecticidal sprays and perimeter treatments commonly target flies, wasps, roaches, ants, beetles, and other flying or crawling insects.

Common application types include personal skin or clothing sprays (aerosol or pump spritz), outdoor fogger cans for treating living spaces, hose-end concentrates for perimeter and foliar yard treatment, and pump or perimeter liquid sprays for creating barriers around structures.

Labeling varies by format: certain foggers and hose-end pretreat concentrates are labeled for outdoor-only use, while some aerosols and liquid/pump perimeter sprays are labeled for both indoor and outdoor applications.