Jun 19, 2011 – Dusting Indoors
QUESTION:
I have discovered upon using a B&G Electric Duster (M2250) with Delta Dust during attic dusting that it is very, very hard to not get some amount of DeltaDust on the B&G machine or on me, particularly after the machine has been used and needs to be removed from the attic (in many situations, from a ladder). I have considered some sort of PPE smock or raincoat for those moments in an effort to avoid the dropping dust. I don't usually retrieve the duster until waiting a bit after it's been unpowered. I think the product and idea of attic dusting is wonderful for some attic situations, but do you have any tips for dusting attics? How often do you recommend the duster be on with a product like Delta Dust to really effectively lay enough dust in the attic? I have been told it is not as popular of a method as it used to be and I have been using it situationally for Carpenter Ants and Little Black Carpenter Ants.
ANSWER:
Delta Dust is labeled for use in attics, but I am a little concerned about the use of it in what I will refer to as an overall application with this kind of power duster. The label is just a little vague and open to interpretation on this, but it states that you can dust in attics using a hand or "power" duster, but then suggests a duster similar to the Actisol DPA, which as a unit that would enable you to dust carefully into voids and crevices rather than a general dusting of the entire space. Further on in the Label it states that the dust should be applied in a manner that "avoids deposits on exposed surfaces or introduced into the air". This further strengthens my belief that this particular dust should not be generally applied so that it ends up on the attic surfaces in general. You may want to consider switching to a different kind of dust, such as an inorganic material like Drione or MotherEarth dust. These offer an extremely low toxicity to people as well as lasting for a VERY long time - they simply do not decompose, being mineral in origin.
The other concern with dusting generally throughout the attic is the perception that people will have who later go into the attic and who may end up with dust on their hands or clothing. When they find out it is a "pesticide" they may feel a strong concern for possible health problems, real or not. The use of one of the inorganic materials may be more acceptable to them, and these should also give good pest management. Again, the Label is difficult to pin down on whether or not DeltaDust can even legally be applied in this manner because the Label also tells you to apply about 0.5 lbs per 1000 square feet, a clear indication that it CAN be applied over general surfaces but seemingly contradicting the earlier Label information.
Whichever route you choose to take you definitely should keep the dust from spilling on yourself or your clothing or any surfaces below the attic opening. To prevent this you might consider placing the duster in a plastic bag before bringing it down, and keeping it in that bag in your vehicle so dust does not fall off and contaminate your storage lockers in the vehicle. Of course, wearing gloves, safety glasses, and long sleeves while handling any pesticide is important too.
The Label calls for that rate of application - 0.5 lbs/1000 sq ft - but this would be REALLY hard to calculate for an attic, because you would have to take into consideration all that surface area on the exposed beams, rafters, etc. where the dust could settle. You probably could make some basic calculation based on the square footage of the attic floor area, and then double or triple it to take into account all the other surface areas that would be contacted by the dust. Ultimately you want to apply the dust so the BAREST of layers ends up on the surfaces. Best you do not even see the dust layer it is so light, because a thick layer of dust becomes physically repelling to insects that may choose to avoid it. Within the product specs for the 2250 duster there should be some indication of the output volume of dust - "X" ounces of dust blown out for each interval of time it is on. Heavy dusts like DeltaDust may come out at a different rate than light dusts such as Drione, so this may require you to calibrate your own machine for the dust you use by using a specific weight of dust in the duster, turning it on until the dust is all expelled and seeing how long that took. You then know how long it takes to eject, let's say, 1 lb of dust, and by knowing this you can then leave the duster on for whatever length of time is needed to eject the amount of dust needed for the attic you are treating.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
I have discovered upon using a B&G Electric Duster (M2250) with Delta Dust during attic dusting that it is very, very hard to not get some amount of DeltaDust on the B&G machine or on me, particularly after the machine has been used and needs to be removed from the attic (in many situations, from a ladder). I have considered some sort of PPE smock or raincoat for those moments in an effort to avoid the dropping dust. I don't usually retrieve the duster until waiting a bit after it's been unpowered. I think the product and idea of attic dusting is wonderful for some attic situations, but do you have any tips for dusting attics? How often do you recommend the duster be on with a product like Delta Dust to really effectively lay enough dust in the attic? I have been told it is not as popular of a method as it used to be and I have been using it situationally for Carpenter Ants and Little Black Carpenter Ants.
ANSWER:
Delta Dust is labeled for use in attics, but I am a little concerned about the use of it in what I will refer to as an overall application with this kind of power duster. The label is just a little vague and open to interpretation on this, but it states that you can dust in attics using a hand or "power" duster, but then suggests a duster similar to the Actisol DPA, which as a unit that would enable you to dust carefully into voids and crevices rather than a general dusting of the entire space. Further on in the Label it states that the dust should be applied in a manner that "avoids deposits on exposed surfaces or introduced into the air". This further strengthens my belief that this particular dust should not be generally applied so that it ends up on the attic surfaces in general. You may want to consider switching to a different kind of dust, such as an inorganic material like Drione or MotherEarth dust. These offer an extremely low toxicity to people as well as lasting for a VERY long time - they simply do not decompose, being mineral in origin.
The other concern with dusting generally throughout the attic is the perception that people will have who later go into the attic and who may end up with dust on their hands or clothing. When they find out it is a "pesticide" they may feel a strong concern for possible health problems, real or not. The use of one of the inorganic materials may be more acceptable to them, and these should also give good pest management. Again, the Label is difficult to pin down on whether or not DeltaDust can even legally be applied in this manner because the Label also tells you to apply about 0.5 lbs per 1000 square feet, a clear indication that it CAN be applied over general surfaces but seemingly contradicting the earlier Label information.
Whichever route you choose to take you definitely should keep the dust from spilling on yourself or your clothing or any surfaces below the attic opening. To prevent this you might consider placing the duster in a plastic bag before bringing it down, and keeping it in that bag in your vehicle so dust does not fall off and contaminate your storage lockers in the vehicle. Of course, wearing gloves, safety glasses, and long sleeves while handling any pesticide is important too.
The Label calls for that rate of application - 0.5 lbs/1000 sq ft - but this would be REALLY hard to calculate for an attic, because you would have to take into consideration all that surface area on the exposed beams, rafters, etc. where the dust could settle. You probably could make some basic calculation based on the square footage of the attic floor area, and then double or triple it to take into account all the other surface areas that would be contacted by the dust. Ultimately you want to apply the dust so the BAREST of layers ends up on the surfaces. Best you do not even see the dust layer it is so light, because a thick layer of dust becomes physically repelling to insects that may choose to avoid it. Within the product specs for the 2250 duster there should be some indication of the output volume of dust - "X" ounces of dust blown out for each interval of time it is on. Heavy dusts like DeltaDust may come out at a different rate than light dusts such as Drione, so this may require you to calibrate your own machine for the dust you use by using a specific weight of dust in the duster, turning it on until the dust is all expelled and seeing how long that took. You then know how long it takes to eject, let's say, 1 lb of dust, and by knowing this you can then leave the duster on for whatever length of time is needed to eject the amount of dust needed for the attic you are treating.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
