Here at Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc. we have many skills. But did you know, in a way, we’re also chemists? We know that one particular pesticide occasionally doesn’t do the trick. Not mad scientists, but we are able to put together a brew that will kill what ails you.

Praise Zeus we have a Board Certified Entomologist on staff. This dude not only has his marbles stacked when it comes to identifying some unusual invader. He can give us guidance as we mix-up stuff that targets a particular species.

It’s Called Formulation

Most pesticides are cobbled together to create a right-place, right-time death ray. It can come in the form of granules, dusts, wettable powders, liquids, pre-mixed solutions, gels, aerosols and concentrates. More on these later.

There’s an active ingredient, plus a few inactive materials. These are additives to help keep the good stuff fresh or in place when we lay down the law. Not only that, additives increase the effectiveness of the active ingredient.

By understanding the make-up of a given formulation, we focus on what type of brew will work for your issue. We take these elements into consideration for your personalized infestation:

• The cost
• What type of environment it will be used in (agriculture, forest, urban, etc.)
• For growers, what kind of crop needs to be protected
• Will it cause any injury to the crops
• Is this an urban pest
• What type of equipment will be used to broadcast the poison
• The percent of active ingredient
• How effective the formulation will be
• The dangers of runoff or drift
• How complicated is the mix and handling of the goop
• The human and pet safety risks
• Where the target pest lives

Go Deeper

We mentioned these above. Let’s break the mixtures down:

• Poisonous baits.
  Seems like food to the pest, these are usually used when controlling rats and mice. They can also be applied to deal with roaches, flies and ants.
• Flowable liquids.
  Flowables are easy to use and don’t clog-up spray nozzles.
• Wettable powders.
  Look like dust, but just add water. Think of them as concentrates. The only backstep is that we need to use a tool that constantly mixes the stuff.
• Emulsifiable concentrates.
  Generally mixed with some type of oil and an emulsifier so that it can be concocted with water or oil for spraying. Different from wettable powders, they don’t need to be shaken constantly.
• Dusts.
  Same as above, but we don’t add water. Good for insects that eat our plants.
• Granules.
  These guys are pretty safe. Usually used around the ground where a plant is rooting.
• Dry flowables.
  Not considered granules, but look a lot like ’em. Fairly safe, too, despite the fact they contain a very high percentage of the active ingredient.
• Aerosols.
  Best for homes and flower gardens. But not on eatables. Spritz this on a pest and it croaks immediately.
• Encapsulated pesticides.
  Somewhat new to the scene, the active ingredient in the product comes in small capsules. Mixed with H2O. The only downside is this formulation can kill honey bees. Don’t ever want to do that.
• Soluble powders.
  They’re dry formulations not unlike wettable powders. Difference? When combined with water it dissolves completely to form a genuine solution. It’s somewhat rare because there are not currently many soluble powder formulations available.
• Solutions and water soluble concentrates.
  Hate to use these sometimes because they clot-up the gizmos and when applied they have a tendency to stain. However, when done the right way, Vulcan Termite and Pest Control, Inc.’s use of this substance won’t leave a mark.

Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/education-and-prevention/insecticide-brew

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