Pest Control Equipment – Portable Handheld Sprayers

We’ve compiled the latest information about handheld portable sprayers on the market in Australia – a handy reference for any pest manager looking to switch or upgrade. 

The handheld, stainless steel spray tank is an iconic piece of pest control equipment. Brands such as Rega and B&G have been around for decades and indeed the tanks owned by many pest managers have themselves lasted for decades. The traditional, stainless steel 5 L spray tank is a great workhorse as it’s a reliable, go anywhere piece of equipment, whilst having sufficient volume to do all but the largest houses, and it looks professional. However, today there are a lot more brands on the market and more choices in terms of equipment specification. Here we give an overview of handheld spray equipment to help when making that all-important purchasing decision.

Recent market research by Professional Pest Manager indicates that 73% of pest managers have a portable handheld sprayer as part of their standard application equipment. However, whilst previously manual pump spray tanks were the only option, the arrival of battery-powered options has changed the situation. Of those pest managers that use handheld portable sprayers, some 38% now use a battery-powered handheld sprayer either exclusively or in addition to their manual equipment. Although B&G (42%) and Rega (30%) were still key players in the market, pest managers are using nearly 20 different brands of handheld sprayer.

Not surprisingly as a workhorse piece of equipment, reliability is the number one consideration for pest managers in choosing a handheld sprayer. From a technical and quality point of view, the quality of the spray nozzle and a guarantee of no leaking were key features. For those considering battery-powered options, the battery duration was a key technical consideration.

The various products vary greatly in price, primarily driven by quality and whether it is considered a ‘disposable’ piece of equipment. Those pest managers investing in equipment with a steel tank and brass wands/ nozzles are clearly investing in equipment they expect to last many years… and it should with regular servicing. There is probably also an element of wishing to project a professional image to customers as such spray equipment looks more expensive and professional.

Product options with polymer tank and spray wand are generally targeting those pest managers with a different budget and of course there isn’t the expectation that they should last the same length of time as the metal sprayers. Pest managers are not expecting to service such equipment and will simply buy a new sprayer when the sprayer reaches its end of life.

However, some of the polymer tank options are quality, chemical-resistant units coupled with metal spray wands. They will be lighter than the metal versions and of course for those pest managers interested in battery-powered options, batteries are only paired with polymer tanks.

In addition to these general use spray tanks, which are typically 5 L and larger, there is a range of specialised spray equipment (which is not the focus of this article). This includes foaming sprayers and precision sprayers for crack and crevice treatments and for treating termite workings.

In deciding on the appropriate equipment, it is important to assess the product from its ability to apply products in the desired manner. From that point of view, it is important to understand what pressure can be achieved with the sprayer, what level of control is possible, the spray rate and what types of nozzles are available to deliver the required spray pattern.

To provide an overview of the main options currently on the market, we have provided two summary tables below for both manual and battery-operated handheld sprayers.

Manual models

Battery models

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