Question: According to Stoy, in the article below, the true application “rate” is what?

A. Ounces per gallon
B. Concentrate per 1,000 ft²
C. Gallons per minute of your spray system
D. Ounces per gallon by pest type

A common issue in reading and interpreting labels involves application rates found on water-based formulations. Aerosols, dusts, and baits are easy to understand, being ready-to-use with only one concentration percentage to apply. But water-based products can have widely variable rates both in the rates they are mixed and the rates applied over a specific size area. To illustrate, let’s look at the Onslaught® FastCap label.

A pest professional must first understand that indoor application rates may differ by type of pest and also from outdoor rates. For example, if you were to mix Onslaught FastCap to treat scorpions at the 1 fl oz/gal rate for indoors, you could not apply the same mixture to control bed bugs, fleas, ticks or flies which may only be treated at the lower 0.5 fl oz/gal rate. To do so would be against label directions. It is good practice to consult the label for the correct rate for each target pest encountered.

Outdoor application rates are complicated, highly varied, and may be hard for the average pest professional to understand. The key point to understand is that the true application “rate” is the amount of product concentrate applied per 1,000 ft². For FastCap, the outside rate is highly variable. For stinging pests, the rate is only 1 fl oz/1,000 ft²; for foundations, it is 0.5 to 1.0 fl oz/1,000 ft²; but for turf and ornamental plants, the rate is 0.1 to 1.0 fl oz/1,000 ft².

You can mix the desired amount of FastCap into 1 gallon of water or in “sufficient water” to cover 1,000 ft². Added volume of water is necessary to improve coverage or for penetration of the treatment into lawns or mulched areas. You can mix FastCap at1 fl oz/gal then apply it at 1 gallon per 1,000 ft², but you cannot apply it at 2 gallons or 3 gallons per 1,000 ft² – that is doubling or tripling the label application rate of 1 fl oz per 1,000 ft² and is not permitted! Be sure to know what application rate you need, how much water you want to use to carry that rate over 1,000 ft², and the output (gallons per minute) of your spray system.

Answer: B. Concentrate per 1,000 ft²

Related Posts

Michele Whyle

Michele Whyle: Pioneering Sustainability at MGK

As we prepare to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, it’s a fitting time to spotlight individuals who have blazed trails in the scientific arena, breaking...

Read More

Farm Image

Enhancing Animal Production through Premise Pest Control

Premise treatments are an important, but often overlooked, part of filth fly control in animal production facilities. These flies are often found on or around cows, chickens and turkeys and their...

Read More

PMP Pulse Issue 10 - Garden Bar Cartoon

PMP Pulse Newsletter: Benefits of Botanicals

Botanicals are the building blocks for effective, responsible pest control. Learn about plant-based active ingredients and how they differ from conventional technologies, plus get tips for choosing...

Read More

chevron-right