Commercial Pest Control – Tips for Synthetic Pyrethroid (SP) Resistance
Restaurants and food-handling establishments attract a wide variety of pests, making them high-pressure accounts that require trained technicians to accurately pinpoint and treat problem areas. It is important to frequently visit these accounts to confirm your control methods are working.
Servicing these kind of establishments is exceptionally competitive, call backs can be extremely detrimental to a pest controller’s profitability and time. Furthermore, negative reviews passed between restaurant managers can impact a pest controller’s ability to win new business.
Know your pest – Improve your controls
Commercial pest control is not just checking traps; it is about knowing the pest, monitoring the environment and interpreting the data. Service reports are vital and should document more than where a pest is. The report should communicate the urgency of the problem and the short and long-term steps that must be taken to correct the situation and prevent it from reoccurring.
A Professional’s approach
Given the heavy reliance in recent years on synthetic pyrethroids (SP’s), Professional Pest Managers (PMPs) should evaluate the products they are using, how often they are using them and on what sites. Rotation between Pesticide Resistance Management (PRM) Groups is key. If you suspect that SP’s, which fall into the same PRM Group, have been used continuously to control pests and/or resistance may be occurring at a site you are managing ask to see any records of chemicals applied to the property over the years and/or review your own records to assess if there has been consistent use of one chemical group for a long period. You may need to investigate other control options.
ARILON Insecticide offers an excellent rotational product for use with SP’s as it has a completely different mode of action, is singular in its group and controls a wide range of pests.
ARILON can be used in handheld sprayers, backpack sprayers and truck-mounted power spray rigs. A non-pyrethroid, ARILON can be used to help control heavy infestations, or PMPs can include it in their standard sprayer equipment and service call protocols for extended control of ants, cockroaches, termites above ground and flies.
Cockroach Control
The following Syngenta products provide effective cockroach control and fit well into an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan as they belong to two separate Resistance Management Groups.
• ADVION Cockroach Gel combines a proprietary, high-consumption bait matrix with indoxacarb, a non-repellent active ingredient from Group 22A. The formulation of ADVION was developed to specifically overcome gel bait-aversion in tough cockroach populations.
• ARILON contains the active ingredient, indoxacarb (Group 22A), to provide control of cockroaches and other general nuisance pests, including termites with its non-repellent chemistry and unique mode of action. Additionally, the versatile application methods of ARILON allow it to be used indoors and outdoors around households, as well as in commercial and industrial locations.
• DEMAND insecticide with iCAP technology ensures the active ingredient, lambda-cyhalothrin, Group 3A, is protected in microcaps to provide a controlled release. DEMAND provides outstanding, immediate and residual pest control for up to 6 months.
Ant Control
Ants continue to be one of the most problematic pests, keeping them in check is crucial to customer satisfaction – and business success. Syngenta offers two market-leading ant gel baits to help you provide comprehensive ant control on customers’ properties.
ADVION Ant Gel is clear and odourless and provides control of many key ant species, including sweet-feeding ants. The formulation remains palatable to ants as their feeding preferences change over lifecycle stages and colony requirements, from sweet foods to proteins and oils. The active ingredient in ADVION Ant, indoxacarb (Group 22A), shows highly effective transfer and allows ants to share the bait with other ants as they return to the nest.
OPTIGARD Ant Gel Bait, featuring the active ingredient thiamethoxam (Group 4A), also offers control of a broad spectrum of ants without disrupting your customers’ day-to-day activities. The clear, odourless formulation controls ant species including Black House, Argentine, Carpenter and Odorous House Ant without staining treated surfaces. High temperatures can neutralise some baits, but OPTIGARD Ant remains palatable and stable for at least 14 days after baiting.
Resistance Management Strategy Checklist
The most effective strategy for avoiding resistance is to prevent it from occurring in the first place:
• Understand the biology of the insect and the environment you have to treat. Be prepared to inspect, evaluate and decide on the best treatment option.
• Know your products and when, where and how to apply them.
• Mix and apply insecticides carefully and correctly. Not applying enough bait or making a less than thorough application (liquid or bait) can lead to resistant insects.
• Incorporate multiple control strategies.
• Rotate between active groups.
• Utilise different formulations.
• Incorporate products with different modes of action, such as ARILON or tank mix products that complement one another for greater control.
• Use non-chemical strategies as part of your overall plan.
ATTENTION!
Rotation of SP’s such as Bifenthrin and Deltamethrin, is NOT resistance management, despite common belief. One may show greater efficacy than the other but as part of the same insecticide group, resistance is not being controlled. When looking at ongoing treatment plans be sure you rotate between the different Resistance Management Groups.