Exterior pest control has become the treatment standard for a growing number of residential and commercial customers.
Service technicians encounter a number of different complex surfaces when performing outdoor perimeter treatments, including mulch, concrete, brick and stone. These surfaces represent a treatment challenge for PMPs. iStock
The key to successful control of any pest is finding the source(s) of the infestation and targeting treatments at those sites. The site in which the pest is living usually determines the type of insecticide formulation that works best for that location. For example, a water-based formulation could be used to treat pests inside a crack, but may not penetrate or distribute through the crack as efficiently as would a dust or an aerosol.
Water-based formulations are ideal for spot and general surface applications while many aerosols are effective as spot treatments, and dusts are targeted at cracks and voids. Some water-based formulations may also be labeled to apply as a foam for treating cracks and voids, with the foam resulting in better distribution and penetration. Pest professionals may also have various types of baits, granules or other formulations available.
EXTERIOR SERVICES ON THE RISE. Exterior pest services have increasingly become the standard for regular pest management of homes and many types of commercial buildings, especially in these COVID times. The exterior environment and conditions are different for each structure but have in common foundations, entryways, windows and other entry points, as well as patios, decks, landscape plants and lawns.
The types of surfaces on the exterior are widely varied, including concrete, brick, wood, painted surfaces, vinyl, aluminum, plastic (PVC), mulch, soil, grass, bark and foliage. For this reason, for perimeter treatments, pest professionals should choose a water-based formulation effective for a wide variety of surface types.
Vinyl/aluminum siding and plastic/PVC are non-porous, and painted surfaces and sealed wood surfaces are semi-porous. Most surfaces encountered outside, however, are porous – unsealed wood, mulch, concrete, brick and soil. Applications need to remain available on top of surfaces where they can be picked up or absorbed by pests crossing or resting on treated sites.
Formulations containing particles or capsules are preferred for exterior applications over those that are more likely to absorb into porous surfaces. For example, a solid particle (SP) formulation is an excellent choice for perimeter treatments as the insecticide particles remain on top of any surface type so they will contact target pests, directly leading to better control.
An SP product may also be applied into exterior cracks and even voids (as a mist or foam) as well as for spot and general surface applications to walls and along foundations. Higher volume applications where more liquid is needed to carry the insecticide into lawn thatching, soil or mulch is also a benefit of such water-based formulations.
FLEXIBILITY IS KEY. Effective perimeter services will typically involve using more than one type of formulation on any given structure. A severe ant infestation may require dusts or foams applied into entry points and voids, a water-based product applied to surfaces and the building foundation, as well as targeted drench of ant colonies as they are uncovered.
Baits may also need to be incorporated to control ants from colonies that cannot be located or that are foraging from an adjacent property. By contrast, an overwintering pest, such as stink bugs, may be treated using spot treatments with a water-based product and a residual dust or aerosol applied into voids and entry points.
Companies should equip their pest professionals with a variety of formulations targeted at the most common pests encountered for that area. Use of product formulations labeled with multiple application sites and target pests are ideal for most general perimeter treatments. Pest professionals, however, need to understand where best to use each type of formulation to its best advantage, based on label directions.
Frequent Maintenance on Complex Surfaces
With the changing business environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Barricor SP offers an excellent option for high-frequency, low-impact services around the perimeter of structures.
Barricor SP is a new liquid concentrate from Bayer Environmental Science that features the proven active ingredient, deltamethrin, in an innovative solid particle (SP) formulation that keeps the insecticide bioavailable to pests on a variety of complex surfaces, including cement, mulch, gravel and wood chips.
Barricor SP is highly effective on complex surfaces like mulch and gravel since it features an innovative Solid Particle formulation that makes the active ingredient, deltamehtrin, more readily bioavailable to target pests.
"Bayer is known for its high-end, specialty innovations that tackle customers' toughest pest problems, but we understand PMPs also need solutions to support the frequent and challenging service requirements like keeping the usual suspect pests at bay during regular services," said Joe Barile, technical service lead for Bayer Pest Management & Public Health. "We're proud of Barricor because it offers an alternative to economy sprays and enables us to deliver innovation to PMPs who might not have leveraged Bayer products in the past."
To learn more about the product, contact your local Bayer sales representative or visit es.bayer.us/barricor.
Technology Solutions for the 'New Normal' Innovative formulation well suited for perimeter treatment programs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on businesses around the globe, changing the way employees work, driving adoption of digital technologies and altering go-to-market strategies, as evidenced by the significant number of PMPs who have grown their "perimeter only" services during the past two years.
Joe Barile
As treatments moved outdoors, however, product selection becomes even more critical as environmental factors such as exposure to UV light, humidity, complex surfaces and rainfall challenge the performance of insecticides. To address this market concern, Bayer Environmental Science recently introduced Barricor SP, an innovative general use insecticide designed specifically for frequent maintenance applications on complex surfaces like those found around the perimeter of structures (i.e., mulch, concrete, gravel, etc.)
"Several years ago, we looked at the market and recognized that in many parts of the country because of climate, pest pressure and other factors, there's a significant number of companies that perform service on a more frequent basis," Joe Barile, technical service lead, Bayer ES, said. "So, we asked ourselves, 'What can we do as a company to meet this market need?"
After thoroughly studying the issue, Bayer created Barricor SP, a new product featuring the proven active ingredient deltamethrin in an innovative solid particle (SP) formulation. When placed in suspension, the Al adheres to the solid particles, making it more bioavailable to the insect.
"Once applied, it stands up on the surface, making it readily accessible to insects," Barile said. "It also protects the Al for a longer period of time, which are both important benefits." With the growth of the perimeter market fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the introduction of a new formulation designed specifically for outdoor perimeter treatments couldn't have come at a better time.
"The industry is more familiar with microcaps, which were developed in the 1980s, so it's been quite a while since a truly new formulation has been created for the dilutable insecticide market. That's why we're so excited to offer Barricor SP to the marketplace at such a critical time in its history. We're confident it will provide excellent control on a wide variety of surfaces against more than 70 common pests."
To learn more about Barricor SP, contact your Bayer sales representative or visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.us.
