Pesticides

[WFM]

The last couple years I've had a pest guy come three times a year. He sprays around the main house, garage/shop and two out buildings like 12x24.
$100. Each visit. He's here like 30 minutes. I have a electric sprayer for my ranger with hand held wand. I'd like to just spray myself and save a buck. I know he said whatever he uses isn't sold over the counter so to speak. But one he does spray there's no spiders or ants for weeks.
Any advice on what to buy that works good to kill bugs ?
Diazanon isn't sold any longer and I did use that years ago.

 

[NCL4701]

DoMyOwn, https://www.domyown.com/ has a lot of options.

With the choices currently available at local box stores without a pesticide license, if I was serious about long term control without having a pest control guy, I’d take the couple of classes (as in a couple nights after work, total of about 4 hours) necessary to get a pesticide license and buy whatever actually works for several months for the pests your dealing with (probably the same thing your current guy is spraying). Don’t know if that’s an option in Maine or not.

 

[Fordtech86]

Here is what I use….


It will kill pretty much everything

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I use this for ants and spiders.
Concentrated, cheap, can get it in a lot of places.
I spray 2x maybe 3x if long hot summer and works very well for me.
I am on very sandy soils and ants are fierce around my place if I didn't spray.



Pasted from tractor supply:
Product Details


The Gordon's 1 gal. Bug-No-More Large Property Insect Control Concentrate is an insecticide that offers powerful protection for hobby farms, large properties, and suburban lawns and landscapes. Simply mix 5 oz. of Gordon's Bug-No-More insecticide concentrate in 5 gal. of water to treat up to 5,000 sq. ft. with a compatible pesticide sprayer. This formula even prevents new infestations for greater peace of mind. Take control over your property with this powerful plant insecticide today.

• Treats up to 128,000 sq. ft. of perimeters and 8,533 sq. ft. of trees, shrubs and ornamentals
• Kills more than 200 listed insects by contact, including ants, roaches and spiders
• Powerful insecticide prevents new infestations
• Mix 5 oz. of Gordon's Bug-No-More insecticide concentrate in 5 gal. of water to treat up to 5,000 sq. ft.
• Use on lawns, vegetable gardens, ornamental and landscape beds and home perimeters
• Use a pump-up sprayer, hose-end sprayer or tow-behind sprayer
• Rainfast 6-8 hours after application
• When the spray has dried, people and pets can re-enter the area (dry time depends on the weather conditions)
• Mow either 2 - 3 days before application or 2 - 3 days after application (lawn should be no taller than 3 in. at time of application)
• Repeat application as necessary only if there are signs of renewed insect activity
• Shelf life is at least 3 - 5 years when stored according to label directions

Ingredients

Zeta-cypermethrin

 

[Elliott in GA]

Fipronil is one of the best choices. It has a zero time for human re-entry when used on your lawn; it is what is in many dog flea/tick meds (gives you an indication of its low toxicity to mammals). It was developed in France around 1985.

Fipronil Products & insecticides - DIY Pest Control

Discover effective Fipronil Maxforce products for DIY pest control. Eliminate roaches, ants & other pests with professional-grade solutions.

diypestcontrol.com

 

[WFM]

That "DoMyOwn" bug killer website has a ton of choices. I ended up ordering this.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Here is what I use….

View attachment 100250
It will kill pretty much everything

That's what I use. We have a terrible time with these little jumping spiders. I do the perimeter of the house once a month or so.

 

[McMXi]

This thread is causing a bit of PTSD for me. I lived in Arkansas for two years and had a house on 3-1/2 acres in a wooded/swampy area. The spiders were freakin' huge and everywhere! I've never seen anything like it and hope I never do again! I had two Rottweilers and used to walk them around the neighborhood in the mornings and evenings, and one night I could see the female up ahead stop a couple of times to scratch at something on her shoulder. I thought it was a big leaf or something, but as I got close I realized it was a spider the size of my fist! I hate spiders, well maybe that's a bit strong. I'm just not into the whole eight legs, lots of eyes, fangs, jumpy kind of thing! Luckily it's too cold up here for spiders to thrive, or even ticks for that matter. I've only ever seen (found) one or two ticks on my dogs in 10 years of living on this property.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

This thread is causing a bit of PTSD for me. I lived in Arkansas for two years and had a house on 3-1/2 acres in a wooded/swampy area. The spiders were freakin' huge and everywhere! I've never seen anything like it and hope I never do again! I had two Rottweilers and used to walk them around the neighborhood in the mornings and evenings, and one night I could see the female up ahead stop a couple of times to scratch at something on her shoulder. I thought it was a big leaf or something, but as I got close I realized it was a spider the size of my fist! I hate spiders, well maybe that's a bit strong. I'm just not into the whole eight legs, lots of eyes, fangs, jumpy kind of thing! Luckily it's too cold up here for spiders to thrive, or even ticks for that matter. I've only ever seen (found) one or two ticks on my dogs in 10 years of living on this property.

Ticks are bad in the Midwest and the North East…limes disease can be bad especially for dogs…but the worst tick infestations I have seen are in large cities, especial the state capitols…I suspect DC hold the title though.

 

[fried1765]

Ticks are bad in the Midwest and the North East…limes disease can be bad especially for dogs…but the worst tick infestations I have seen are in large cities, especial the state capitols…I suspect DC hold the title though.

Ticks are parasites.
That description is certainly MOST appropriate for what is in DC.

 

[radas]

Here is what I use….

View attachment 100250
It will kill pretty much everything

Bifen will kill on contact and and act as a barrier but didn't keep the carpenter ants away on my sandy property. I sprayed the entire yard with bifen and coupled it with a quarterly foundation treatment of termidor/Taurus (fipronil) and it nuked everything all summer/fall. I had read online that switching up annually between fipronil and permethrin will keep any colonies from developing immunity. Permethrin does not last as long as fipronil does which is the only downside.

One thing I'd add for the newbies is do not spray it near your well opening as it will run down the PVC pipe and contaminate your water supply.

 

[johnjk]

That "DoMyOwn" bug killer website has a ton of choices. I ended up ordering this.
View attachment 100339

I use this as well for tick control. Buy it by the case and a jug will last me 2 yrs.

 

[Biker1mike]

clipped
One thing I'd add for the newbies is do not spray it near your well opening as it will run down the PVC pipe and contaminate your water supply.

Excellent point. Depending on location and soil permeation you may contaminate your neighbors too.

 

[WFM]

Here is what I use….
Still battling the ants here.
Just ordered a gallon of the Bifen to try. Get away from my buildings 50 feet. Lots of ants. So gonna spray out farther.

View attachment 100250
It will kill pretty much everything

 

[sophiewhitesman]

DoMyOwn, https://www.domyown.com/ has a lot of options.

With the choices currently available at local box stores without a pesticide license, if I was serious about long term control without having a pest control guy, I’d take the couple of classes (as in a couple nights after work, total of about 4 hours) necessary to get a pesticide license and buy whatever actually works for several months for the pests your dealing with (probably the same thing your current guy is spraying). Don’t know if that’s an option in Maine or not.

Bifen IT (bifenthrin 7.9%) is solid for perimeter control. It handles spiders, ants, roaches, and most crawling insects. Mix at about 1 oz per gallon for general perimeter work. Your electric sprayer with the wand setup will work fine for this.
One thing that made a real difference for me was focusing the spray on the right spots, not just open ground. Entry points matter most: window frames, door frames, foundation cracks, where pipes enter the building, and the joint where your slab meets the wall. Those are the travel corridors. Covering open ground without hitting those spots means bugs keep finding their way in.
Taurus SC (fipronil) is worth adding for a quarterly foundation treatment. It transfers between insects, so it works on colonies, not just the individual bugs you hit. Radas mentioned Termidor, same active ingredient. That combination of bifenthrin for contact kill plus fipronil for colony control is close to what licensed pros run.
One product worth checking on DoMyOwn is Suspend Polyzone. It has a polymer suspension that helps it hold up through rain and heat longer than standard bifenthrin. Good for outbuildings where you want longer residual between applications.
The well contamination point is important. Keep any fipronil application at least 10 feet from any well opening and stay aware of slope and drainage direction. https://mytermitecompany.com/services/

 

[chim]

" I'd like to just spray myself " - I wouldn't use anything stronger than DEET for that

I have a professional do our house. The spiders were bad and in the garage the spiderwebs on the windows almost looked curtains in about a month's time. They take care of insects and mice inside and outside for around $100 every 3 months. Since starting that service a few years ago we've had almost no spiders and found one dead mouse inside.

I handle the areas away from the house like the sheds, banks and things away from the house I use TSC mouse/rat bait boxes and Talstar for the creepy crawlers.

Talstar P Professional Insecticide

Talstar P Professional Insecticide

www.domyown.com

 

[sophiewhitesman]

" I'd like to just spray myself " - I wouldn't use anything stronger than DEET for that

I have a professional do our house. The spiders were bad and in the garage the spiderwebs on the windows almost looked curtains in about a month's time. They take care of insects and mice inside and outside for around $100 every 3 months. Since starting that service a few years ago we've had almost no spiders and found one dead mouse inside.

I handle the areas away from the house like the sheds, banks and things away from the house I use TSC mouse/rat bait boxes and Talstar for the creepy crawlers.

Talstar P Professional Insecticide

Talstar P Professional Insecticide

www.domyown.com

Ha, fair point on the DEET! Your setup sounds solid. The combination of a pro for the house perimeter and Talstar for the outlying areas is a smart split. Talstar handles most crawling insects well and gives you good residual on sheds and banks without needing a pro visit every time. Sounds like you have it dialed in.

 

[Bmyers]

I was watching a YouTube channel Arrow Pest Service to try to find something that deals with wasp. As I was watching, he got talking about what they use, which is Delta Dust. I had not heard of it, or at least I didn't think I had. I went to buy some and Amazon told me I had purchased it in the past. Sure enough, it was on my shelf and I had used it on a yellow jacket's nest. It worked great and I remember in three days, they were all gone.

So, I dusted the well house last fall. This Spring, we have had one small nest in the well house, which I treated that area and zero wasp nest after that. In addition, no spiders, our mud daubers. I went around the house and treated, no nest there, no more ants in the basement, and again not seeing any live spiders.

They say it will last for 8 months and is not harmful to pets. So, I plan on treating in the Spring and Fall each year.

YouTube channel

I use to spray with permethrin around the house because it would last for about 30 days, but it is harmful to cats and we have several barn cats now so I'm very selective where I spray that .

 

[skeets]

Guinea hens worked for me and a couple of peeking ducks. Problem is they are dumber than a box of rocks, and figure cars are going to stop for them,,,,, nope

 

[jaxs]

I'm not a fan of government intervention where common sense is all that's required. But,,,,,,,,,,,,common sense is so uncommon, governmental ban is the only way to prevent disaster when highly effective pesticides are discovered. These conversations applaud products that wipe-out everything that creeps,crawls or flys. Scorched earth isn't a solution, it causes more problems than it cures. Eradicating everything with fur and teeth if raccoons cause a problem is overboard. The same could be said about insects.