QUESTION:
I am new in pest control and am in Maryland where the label is the law. I have 3 small apartment buildings with a ton of roaches in every one of the 50 kitchens. I am blind reading labels. I have chosen Onslaught because of its broad label and the fact that it may last up to 1 year after the application. When the eggs hatch Onslaught and the Nyguard are still working! Most of my friends use Suspend or Tempo. Can you name an advantage to using Suspend or Tempo such as a different mode of action, a residual effect, or a wider label application? Is there any advantage you may cite? Can you direct me to independent published material that I may read on the subject? Same for Maxforce FC vs. Maxforce Magnum vs. Vendetta – any independent published report you know of as to which is the best or lasts the longest? If you read their literature they all say they are the supreme #1. How can I get an independent view?
ANSWER:
Well, that’s quite a few questions, but more or less on the same topic – how to judge which product offers the best attributes for your work? Let me start off by saying that The Label Is The Law in every state, not just yours, but there can be some flexibility in some states and you have to find out if your state is one of them. The flexibility is with respect to three areas – using a product for ANY pest that occurs on a site that is listed on the label, regardless of whether or not the pest is named on the label, using a product at LESS than the label rate as long as the label does not specifically prohibit it, and using a product at a lower frequency (less often) than the label suggests. The EPA allows this under a FIFRA amendment many years ago, and they allow some judgment on the part of the applicator in those states that permit it.
Second, I agree with you completely that each manufacturer is going to strongly tout their own product, which is understandable, and they may even be able to offer the results of studies that “prove” the claims they make. I probably will make some of these vendors that we purchase from a little unhappy with my comment that I have always preferred to hold these claims at arm’s length until I began getting feedback from the industry that uses the products in the field before I myself starting making the same claims. I suspect that each manufacturer could produce product literature that shows just why their product is superior to the competitive products. Bottom line is that all insecticides do work, and yet each formulation may have limitations or benefits.
Onslaught, Suspend, and Tempo all have Synthetic Pyrethroids for active ingredients, and thus all have the same mode of action within the system of the insect. They also will all have very broad Labels with plenty of indoor and outdoor applications allowed, although it always is important to read every product Label word for word at least once in your life to check for the little differences. Sometimes these differences are hard to spot, but they may pertain to required safety equipment, re-entry restrictions, repeat applications, crack and crevice versus spot or area application, etc. It is tempting to use all insecticides labeled for indoor use, for example, in the same manner, but the differences are there and are important.
In general it is believed that microencapsulation, such as with Onslaught, does offer some advantages. With the active ingredient “protected” within the capsule, oozing out a little at a time, it may have a much longer residual. It is less subject to degradation from heat, UV light, and water, and the capsules also may latch onto and adhere to a passing insect, now carried around as the active ingredient releases and enters the nervous system of the bug. The microencapsulation also tends to GREATLY reduce the relative toxicity of the formulation to people and pets. On the downside, I suppose, is the fact that the active ingredient may take longer to get into the insect, and thus takes longer to kill it. But, we are talking about a short period of time that is of little consequence in the big picture of eliminating the roaches. This does not mean Suspend or Tempo are thus inferior products. They may degrade more rapidly but affect the roaches more quickly.
You choose the products to use based on each situation, and there is no “best” product for flea control or ant control or roach control. Different products have different characteristics and label allowances, so keeping the arsenal open for variety is a good idea. The best sources for independent opinions on this would be your own peers in your industry, and the feedback you get from them on the effectiveness of products in their use in real life, as well as university feedback. Many of our industry’s experts are university researchers who offer reports and updates at educational conferences, so it’s important to attend these whenever possible. Otherwise, I don’t know of any independent panel of experts who evaluate all of the products we use and give us their thumbs up or thumbs down on them. This would pertain to the various cockroach baits as well. Each may have slight differences such as moisture content or food ingredients that make them more or less attractive to roaches or make them last longer or not, and you can take the information offered by the manufacturers and keep it in mind as you yourself try these products in the field.
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