Brief exposures of Argentine ants to four different insecticide treatments, bifenthrin, β-cyfluthrin, bifenthrin β-cyfluthrin, and fipronil, were conducted to determine Kaplan–Meier product limit survivorship percentiles (SPs) at 21–23 and 27–29°C. Bifenthrin, β-cyfluthrin, and bifenthrin β-cyfluthrin provided rapid kill at 21–23°C with SP₁₀ values ranging from 11.2 to 33.7 min. Fipronil provided delayed toxicity at 21–23°C with SP₁₀ values ranging from 270 to 960 min. At 27–29°C, all of the SP₁₀ values significantly decreased. Field tests in which Argentine ants were induced to forage across insecticide-treated surfaces were used to determine the effect that speed of action has on foraging and recruitment ability, and whether these insecticides are repellent. The slower-acting fipronil allowed a greater amount of foraging and consequently a greater fraction of the colony to be exposed, whereas fast-acting bifenthrin, β-cyfluthrin, and bifenthrin β-cyfluthrin inhibited recruitment, resulting in fewer ants being exposed and killed. Implications for controlling ants by using perimeter barrier treatments are discussed.