May 9, 2012 – Some Don’t Like It Hot, Others Cold
QUESTION:
Does it matter what the temperature of the water is when mixing with a pesticide (let's say Tempo for instance)? I was told if it's hot tap water it will break down the active ingredient. Is that true?
ANSWER:
I suppose there is some merit to the thought that hot water is going to degrade an active ingredient more quickly than cooler water will, but for the immediate use of the product I think you would have to get REALLY hot to cause a significant loss of the active ingredient. The hotter you get those molecules of the a.i. the more agitated they become and the more likely they will start falling apart. This would be the same for applying that product in shade versus direct sunlight - heat affects the molecule. So, just don't use scalding water, and maybe let the garden hose run a moment to pull cooler water into it just to be on the safe side.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
Does it matter what the temperature of the water is when mixing with a pesticide (let's say Tempo for instance)? I was told if it's hot tap water it will break down the active ingredient. Is that true?
ANSWER:
I suppose there is some merit to the thought that hot water is going to degrade an active ingredient more quickly than cooler water will, but for the immediate use of the product I think you would have to get REALLY hot to cause a significant loss of the active ingredient. The hotter you get those molecules of the a.i. the more agitated they become and the more likely they will start falling apart. This would be the same for applying that product in shade versus direct sunlight - heat affects the molecule. So, just don't use scalding water, and maybe let the garden hose run a moment to pull cooler water into it just to be on the safe side.
Of more concern might be the use of really cold water, particularly when using soluble packets. These soft outer packets are designed to dissolve in the water, and a soluble packet is considered a closed mixing system that is really a benefit for us. By taking a pre-measured packet out of the box and just placing it directly into the water we don't worry about measuring the dose and the box it came in is not considered to be contaminated, giving us ease of disposal. But, really cold water that you might get during the winter could cause that packet to dissolve very slowly, and this not only causes you a delay when waiting to use the mixed material, but if it has not dissolved completely the goo could get into the syphon tube in a hand sprayer or congested in the pump of a power sprayer and cause problems. Even wettable powders may not homogenize in the water as easily with cold water, and in the winter when using outside faucets you need to be aware of this and increase the mixing before using the products.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
