There are a variety of pest control products available, and each type has its own application method. The most effective product will depend on several factors including the pest you’re dealing with and the severity of the infestation. We’ve gathered information about different types of insecticides and application tips to help you choose the right product to kick those pesky bugs out of your space.
Insecticide Sprays
Pest control sprays are liquids, applied either with a trigger-pump, hose-end sprayer, or as an aerosol. Liquid sprays are easy to apply and provide contact kill. Sprays may also provide residual protection. Insecticide sprays may take a few seconds, a few minutes, or even a few hours to affect a bug once sprayed, depending on the product and the bug. However, sprays are typically known for quick knockdown, killing bugs fast. Plant-based insecticide sprays can also repel bugs from surfaces or areas sprayed. Some pesticide sprays are labeled to kill a variety of insects, while other sprays target specific pests.
Spray Application Tips:
- Read and follow label directions.
- Shake the bottle or can well before using and periodically during use.
- When spraying, you’ll want to contact bugs directly. For flying insects, it is easier to spray them when at rest rather than flying.
- For indoor applications, apply the product into cracks, crevices, and void areas where bugs are more likely to be found.
- For outdoor applications, apply products as a barrier spray around the house and yard to control active bug problems and to prevent future problems from occurring.
Baits
Baits function differently than sprays. While sprays cover a broad area, baits need to be strategically placed where target bugs will find them. Baits can be sold in a tube or bottle, can be housed inside a bait station, and are available in gel, syrup, liquid, paste, or granular form.
Baits only work on specific types of bugs, usually roaches and ants, that are attracted to the bait because they think it’s food. Baits must be eaten to work. Roaches will eat baits (or other roaches that have consumed a bait or their droppings) and then later die. Ants collect bait to take back to their colony. They will feed the bait to their fellow ants, causing the entire colony to die.
Baits need more time to work than sprays, but they will usually provide longer-lasting effectiveness against ants and roaches. Baits work especially well if the colony or nest is well-established and there are large numbers of ants or roaches. Another advantage of using baits is that they keep the product contained within a small area, resulting in reduced risk of exposure to your family and pets.
Baiting Tips
- Avoid applying bug spray on or near areas where you’ve applied a bait, as you don’t want to repel bugs away from your bait.
- Cleanliness is important when using baits, as nearby food/grease particles reduce the bait’s attractiveness to target bugs.
- When applying bait (gel, syrup), small, pea-sized drops spaced out every few feet are more effective than fewer, large gobs.
- When placing bait stations, space them out every few feet.
Dusts
While dust can be applied directly to bugs, it is most often applied to a surface for bugs to walk through. When bugs walk through the dust, the dust sticks to their bodies and legs, and they die within a few hours, either from the active ingredient(s) in the dust or by desiccation (dehydration).
Dusts can be repellent or non-repellent depending on the ingredients and are great for hard-to-control bugs like bed bugs and spiders. Repellency may or may not be a benefit, depending on the bugs in question, as well as how and where the product is to be applied. Dusts are also good for direct nest treatment, such as ant nests or stinging insect nests, if you can locate and access the nest. They also offer excellent long-lasting protection in areas where bugs tend to nest, hide, breed, or get inside your home. Because they can be applied to out-of-the-way areas, it minimizes product exposure to your family and pets.
Dust Application Tips:
- Insect dusts come in the form of a very fine powder that is effective when thinly and evenly spread over a surface or injected into wall voids, cracks, and crevices. If you apply too much dust, bugs will likely avoid it. A light coating is all that is needed.
- Apply under and behind appliances and cabinets, in drawer wells, basements, and other areas where bugs hide. Dust can also be applied in cracks around pipes, windows, and other areas where bugs might enter your home from the outside.
- Some dusts come in plastic squeeze bottles that you can use for application into a void.
- A paintbrush can help to push the dust into cracks and crevices or for bed bug control when applying to mattresses, bed frames, and baseboards.
Traps
There are different types of traps that can be used to help control pests. Some traps work by attracting and then trapping bugs. These usually contain a food or pheromone attractant that is combined with a capture mechanism like glue, liquid to drown them, or a one-way entry designed to make it difficult for them to escape. Traps don’t usually contain a specific product lethal to insects. Other traps are glue traps that do not use any attractants. Bugs accidentally get stuck in them. Traps work well for certain bugs and can be a good solution that works over an extended period of time.
Effective Pest Control & Safety Tips
- Pest control products are best used in tandem with non-chemical pest prevention methods such as sealing entry points, maintaining your yard, and thorough cleanliness inside the home.
- Always read and follow the product’s label directions and safety information for use and proper storage and disposal information.
- Apply dusts and baits in out-of-the-way areas inaccessible to children and pets.
- If using a spray indoors, ventilate the area as much as possible and keep children and pets out of treated areas until the liquid has dried and the room ventilated.
- Do not use pest control products directly on food surfaces.
- Some pest control products may be used indoors and outdoors. Other products are labeled for outdoor use only. Be sure to check the label before using the product.
- Store pest control products in original containers only. Do not store other materials in empty pest control containers, no matter how much you’ve rinsed it out. Children and even adults have been accidentally poisoned by consuming pest control products stored in old beverage containers.
- Your community may offer household hazardous waste collection and will accept unwanted pest control products/containers.
Half the battle with controlling a pest infestation is choosing the right product. Understanding how pest control products work will help ensure that your efforts are successful. Maggie’s Farm offers a complete line of plant and mineral-based products to help you effectively fight your bug problems.