Preventing Pests From Coming Inside the Home

As temperatures cool down in the fall, outdoor insects will enter your home for warmth. As insects enter your home, their predators, like spiders and scorpions, will enter as well. Your first line of defense is to seal their entry points. Seal openings, cracks and crevices with caulk and weather stripping.

Another line of defense are barrier, or perimeter, sprays. Barrier sprays applied to the home’s exterior are an effective method for keeping pests, ants, spiders, scorpions and cockroaches, at bay.

Timing is critical. Sprays should be applied when nighttime temperatures are cool enough to wear a light jacket. 

What will I need to apply a barrier spray?

To apply a barrier spray you will need a pressurized sprayer, an effective pesticide and protective gear. 

 

Sprayer. Plastic sprayers are effective, inexpensive and easy to clean after spraying. For most home applications, 1 to 2 gallon compressed air sprayers are large enough. Chapin, Hudson and Solo make good sprayers for homeowners and have extra parts available if they are needed.

As temperatures cool down in the fall, outdoor insects will enter your home for warmth. As insects enter your home, their predators, like spiders and scorpions, will enter as well. Your first line of defense is to seal their entry points. Seal openings, cracks and crevices with caulk and weather stripping.

Another line of defense are barrier, or perimeter, sprays. Barrier sprays applied to the home’s exterior are an effective method for keeping pests, ants, spiders, scorpions and cockroaches, at bay. Timing is critical. Sprays should be applied when nighttime temperatures are cool enough to wear a light jacket. 

What will I need to apply a barrier spray?

To apply a barrier spray you will need a pressurized sprayer, an effective pesticide and protective gear. 

 

Sprayer. Plastic sprayers are effective, inexpensive and easy to clean after spraying. For most home applications, 1 to 2 gallon compressed air sprayers are large enough. Chapin, Hudson and Solo make good sprayers for homeowners and have extra parts available if they are needed.

The sprayer’s hose has a lever outfitted to a “wand”. At the very end of the wand is a spray nozzle containing an interchangeable spray tip. Make sure the spray tip is a “fan” type. Fan-type nozzles have a straight slot that runs across its width. Fan-type nozzles allow pesticide applications in a wide “swath” around the perimeter of the home.

Pesticides vary in effectiveness, how long they last and safety. Viragrow chose Prelude because of its effectiveness as a pesticide and degree of safety. The EPA classifies Prelude as “moderately toxic”

(class II) to “practically non-toxic” (class III). However, protective gear is required when handling any pesticide. 

Protective gear is required when handling any pesticide. Before applying, please read the label and understand any safety precautions. 

•        Unlined, plastic gloves should be worn when mixing or applying any pesticide with a sprayer. 

•        Never apply pesticides during windy conditions. 

•        Protect your eyes, mouth and nose when applying pesticides.

•        Always wear long sleeves and long pants, socks and shoes.  Wash clothes and shower immediately after applying.

             

 How do I apply a barrier spray?

Barrier sprays can be applied as quickly as walking around the perimeter of your home twice. This is basically what you will do when you make the application, pausing briefly to pump up your compressed air sprayer.

Mixing the pesticide. 

1.     Pour two thirds of the water required inside the compressed sprayer. 

2.     Using a measuring device, add the amount of Prelude specified on the label to the water inside the sprayer. 

3.     Using the remaining water, rinse the measuring device at least three times. Include rinsates in the spray mix. 

4.     Finish filling the sprayer until you reach the correct amount of spray mix.

Making the application. Perimeter treatments form a continuous barrier on exterior surfaces of the home and the ground approaching the home. Areas where dissimilar building materials meet are points of entry. Make sure that the spray residue is continuous and slightly overlaps. 

•        Hold the wand or adjust the nozzle so the spray is a vertical swath. 

•        Apply in a continuous 2-3 foot swath on the structure around the foundation of the home. 

•        Make a second application in a continuous 2-3 foot swath on the ground leading up to the foundation. 

•        Stop periodically and re-pressurize the sprayer when the spray droplets are no longer coming out forcefully enough to evenly cover the surfaces. 

Cleaning the sprayer. Rinse the sprayer three times with clean water. Add about one pint of water to the sprayer, close and pressurize it and spray this residue on the ground over a large area such as your driveway. You would do this three times. This cleans the inside of the sprayer, the hose, nozzle and spray tip. Spraying the residue over a large area encourages rapid breakdown of the chemical and does not concentrate it in one spot, making it a point of potential pollution. Never dump it down a drain or toilet.

How often should I reapply Prelude?

Always read the label when determining how often to reapply a pesticide. How long a pesticide will

last, or its residual, varies with the pesticide and the environment. In full sunlight, when temperatures are high and water comes in contact with the pesticide, it will not last as long. Generally speaking, you should not need to reapply Prelude more often than once a month.

What should I do if there is pesticide left in the sprayer when I am done?

It is best to find other areas that need treatment to finish what’s left in the sprayer. Never dump the remaining pesticide in toilets, drains, storm sewers or gutters. Apply to sheds, woodpiles, garages, carports and areas where utilities enter the structure and around doors and windows. 

As temperatures cool down in the fall, outdoor insects will enter your home for warmth. As insects enter your home, their predators, like spiders and scorpions, will enter as well. Your first line of defense is to seal their entry points. Seal openings, cracks and crevices with caulk and weather stripping.