Pest Management Professional, February 2019

M easuring the amount of insecticide used ADVERTORIAL during application has been a built in challenge for pest management businesses Every application requires time and pest management material two factors that contribute to the price of service and can be hard to predict The amount of material applied which the service technician usually estimates at the completion of the job can vary with conditions infestation level equipment and the technician However thanks to recent developments in application technology estimates can be replaced with precise data collected by a metering device that measures flow from the nozzle The measurement is available to the technician doing the treatment and can be sent to and stored in a smart device With precise application data pest management professionals PMPs can now reap the financial benefits of reducing the material and time costs of overapplication Reducing waste Many technicians overapply product without knowing it but by measuring the amount of insecticide applied technicians can correct habits and treatment methods that waste material Modern insecticides are designed for efficacy as they provide control at low concentrations and with limited volumes An efficient application is difficult however because it depends on the training techniques and habits of the service technician Here are three ways to reduce waste on the job 1 Instead of spraying until you see runoff treat with droplets With this method the technician is applying up to 400 times less volume than with runoff and still achieves 100 percent mortality 2 Use a crack and crevice C C straw rather than spraying to wet the surface The straw puts insecticide into harborages and locations favorable for the residue that the pest will likely contact Our data finds that C C treatments are 30 percent more effective than a fan spray despite using less insecticide 3 Replace worn nozzles The spray orifice on a nozzle enlarges with normal use which results in an increased flow rate In our research nozzles collected from sprayers across the U S had an average of 14 percent wear Those additional 2 ounces per minute applied by worn nozzles are wasted because there is no increase in control The alternative to overapplication is precision application and using less to achieve better control while saving money in the process The efficacy efficiency balance point The relationship between insecticide application and the control achieved depends on the amount of insecticide used Technicians can make an overapplication that is successful and an underapplication that fails However the sweet spot in somewhere in between where the amount applied provides maximum control without waste Applying more will increase costs but not control applying less will decrease costs but also control By measuring and documenting the amount used for each treatment technicians can manage insecticide use to improve service and profitability Data can help technicians identify when applying more does not increase control but only wastes insecticide time and money Now Ive got your mind racing How can I accurately gather this data One solution is on its way to the professional pest management industry this spring The B G Treatment Volume Meter Stay tuned for more details on how this product can be a game changer for you and your technicians MAXIMUM CONTROL WITHOUT THE WASTE BY DR WILLIAM H ROBINSON Technical Director B G Equipment Co When it debuts this spring B Gs new spray monitor device can help your team spray the optimal amount of material and save time and money