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Selecting the Right Pest Control Product
How do most of us select a product?
Mostly we ask what are you using to control blank.
That has proven to be hit and miss.
Mostly because I’m in niche that very few people have experience in, second because most people have made a selection based on the same question.
The worst product I ever purchased was the one I did no real research on that didn’t work for the target pest, sat in my truck for a year and used it up just to get rid of it or found another use for it, or gave it away.
The truth is there is a scientific way to select a product, I will discuss the
3 steps I use to make a product selection.
1. Identification: A positive ID is 90% of the cure
2. Once I have positively id the pest I now get the scientific name no not the common name I.E. “ghost ant” Tapinoma melanocephalum. I want To know 5 things
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
Species
I know pull a sheet on that pest from multiple sources my first is IFAS University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences I learn everything about that pest.
Nesting
Harborage
Reproduction
Feeding
Foraging
After that I will go to Google Scholar or http://www.bioone.org/ “ghost ant” Tapinoma melanocephalum
I will pull 3 to 10 studies on the studies on that pest and Active Ingredients tested on the target pests
Once I’ve narrowed down the best actives I pull an environmental fate study on each active. I want to know how that product is going to behave
PH
Solubility
In water Hydrolysis
In Sun Photo-degradation
In Soil Degradation
On Concrete
Once I have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 active ingredients
I will speak to a Manufactures Rep about the best use of that product based on the research. How, where and when to apply it.
