Australian made Aquastar 100SC Termiticide & Insecticide (100g/L bifenthrin) and Terminade Residual Termiticide & Insecticide (100g/L fipronil) are both Suspension Concentrate “SC” formulations.
Manufactured by PCT International, both Aquastar and Terminade are suspension concentrates, meaning that they have their active ingredients dispersed in water hence are low odour. A SC is a formulation that is a stable dispersion of micronized active ingredient in water. Both Aquastar and Terminade contain dispersing and wetting agents for creating a stable suspension that both disperses and suspends the active ingredient, being bifenthrin and fipronil respectively, in water. A big beneficial characteristic of the PCT SC’s is the small size of the active ingredient particles, because of the micronizing milling process of the active ingredient. Both Aquastar and Terminade have 50% of their micronized particles less than 5 microns and 90% less than 10 microns, which means better bio-efficacy. Being highly micronized formulations means they both have ease of use and effectiveness advantages.
It is important that suspension concentrate formulations are thoroughly mixed with water prior to application. This is called hydration of the SC, being mixed with water to form a suspension that can be applied to soil or surfaces. The aim is to achieve a uniform suspension of particles in water. The particles being the active ingredient need to stay suspended for a certain period of time, preventing settling before application, hence the need for continuous tank agitation. If particles are not adequately hydrated, it can lead to poor performance, uneven application, leading to possible client callbacks and blockages in filters of application equipment.
John Rutledge, Agserv’s equipment specialist, reports poor mixing is a common issue causing blockages in filters. To overcome this issue, John recommends.
- Pre-mixing the product first in a 5L jug
- Add the premixed solution to your tank with water already added, and thoroughly mix in the tank with a paddle, then add the final top-up of water to the required volume.
- Keep the tank bypass running to help retain the suspension of the active ingredient.
Comments from two key users of Terminade and Aquastar are:
Garry Wilkin from Central Fumigation & Pest Management Services in WA is a big supporter of Terminade. The company supplies pest control services from their base in Geraldton all through central WA, from Sharks Bay in the north to Lancelin in the south and inland as far as Wiluna. “We’ve been using Terminade for over two years now. Initially we gave it a go based on the competitive pricing, but we quickly realised it compares well with other fipronil brands. None of our team have had a call back and we find it doesn’t drop out on mixing, like some other products,” commented Mr Wilkin.
Anthony Harb from Knockdown Pest Control in Sydney is a major customer of Aquastar, having used it for about 15 years. “We find Aquastar affordable, easy to mix and it delivers great results. We use it for chemical termite barriers, but with its broad label claims we use it on general pest jobs as well, meaning we carry less product in the ute,” said Mr Harb.
PCT is a wholly Australian owned company, dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of a range of high-quality Australian pest control & agricultural products, all APVMA approved & tested in accordance with ISO 9001 requirements.
