The most important thing to remember when applying a liquid chemical mosquito barrier outside is that humidity in vegetation provides some of the best harbourage so it’s important to get effective penetration into the vegetation and coverage of all resting surfaces including both sides of leaves. It’s also important to apply to all external harbourage sites including exterior walls, eves and fences.
For perimeter or harbourage treatments for mosquito control Biflex AquaMax provides all that you need. Just apply the prepared emulsion to a band of soil or vegetation two to three meters wide around and adjacent to the structure. Also treat the foundation of the structure to a height of approximately one meter. Use a spray volume of 5-10L per 100m2. Higher volumes of water may be needed if organic matter is present or foliage is dense.
The use of a backpack mister provides air movement which allows for agitation of vegetation and ensures coverage of all resting areas. It is best to use low air speed for large drops and medium air speed for dense vegetation. High air speed should be avoided as it significantly increases the risk of drift.
Be sure to save on product costs by not over-treating! The mist should be applied only to point of run-off, not so much that it is dripping off the surface. For best results, do not apply during high heat or strong winds and certainly don’t mist if rain is expected.
As with all liquid chemical applications, follow the labelled rate for your specific situation for the most effective pest control. Use the higher rate in situations where mosquito pressure is high, when rapid knockdown and maximum residual protection is desired. The lower rate may be used for follow-up treatments.
Good awareness article Eris.
Comment: When using Biflex or any Synthetic Pyrethroid or mosquito labelled product as a spray or through a mister, be very aware of your surroundings such as neighbouring properties, water ways, dams, water tanks, fish ponds etc. The output from misting machines carries a fair distance and as Eris points out drift is another risk. Wind speed and direction are very important to assess before proceeding with a treatment. Drift is less likely in wind conditions from 2kph and possibly up to 15kph. No wind may be as bad as wind in excess of 15kph due to temperature inversions that usually occur around dust or early morning before and just after sunrise. A temperature inversion may carry your spray/mist hundreds of meters and would be more likely to occur in open areas rather than suburban areas. Also there have been incidents where mosquito control insecticides newly applied have been washed by rain within hours into waterways, causing massive fish and aquatic life kills. The EPA have imposed VERY large finds in the passed. So the moral is when doing MOSQUITO WORK do your RISK MANAGEMENT FIRST.