Using a product with microcap technology allows for quick knockdown and ongoing, timed release of the insecticide, which is ideal for spider treatments.
Spiders may not damage property, create allergens or transmit diseases, but they are still an undesirable house guest for many Australians.
Finding a successful control solution, though, can be challenging. The usual tactics and physical measures aren’t always enough, as some species – especially web-builders – can travel without making much body contact with a treated surface. Unless you take proactive steps to increase the chance of a spider acquiring a lethal dose of insecticide, this can make your treatment ineffective, leading to multiple callbacks and unsatisfied customers.
Fortunately, there are actions you can take to improve insecticide uptake with spiders. Firstly, carefully assess where to apply the spray around your customer’s home. Due to limited contact while travelling, applications should be directed towards the places where spiders rest rather than areas that they pass through. This includes corners, floor-to-wall junctures, sill plates/header areas of unfinished basements and crawl spaces, ceiling-to-wall junctures above overhead garage doors, structural components, flooring, active webs around harbourages, entry points around windows and doors, and utility penetrations.
Secondly, consider using microencapsulated pyrethroid insecticides as part of an integrated pest management approach. Microencapsulation is when an insecticide’s active ingredient is encased by a protective coating made of polymer. After application, this plastic coating breaks down and releases the active ingredient inside, usually in a ‘timed’ slow release to provide residual coverage. This process has proven to be highly effective against a wide range of spiders, and is particularly successful at controlling these pests in the places where they dwell.
Syngenta has harnessed the advantages of microencapsulation with Demand Insecticide, a versatile residual spray that can be applied to control spiders and other pests as a spot spray, crack-and-crevice or perimeter exterior banded application. Featuring iCAP technology and the active ingredient lambda-cyhalothrin, Demand slowly releases up to 1,500 microcaps per square centimetre in a single application.
The polymer capsule not only protects the active ingredient but masks its repellence so the spider cannot sense it until after absorbing a lethal dose. The capsules become lodged in the spider’s tarsal claws, the tufts of hairs between its claws, and in the hairs on its legs.
The smaller microcaps release the active ingredient quickly for a fast knockdown effect, while the larger microcaps remain intact for longer. The different sizes of microcaps mean the active ingredient is released over different periods of time. This delivers effective longterm residual control – up to three months for exterior applications and up to 12 months inside.
Syngenta has also developed Demand Duo, an indoor and outdoor general pest spray solution that combines Demand’s iCAP technology and lambda-cyhalothrin with a suspension concentrate (SC) of thiamethoxam. As Peter Ambrose-Pearce, technical services lead, PPM at Syngenta explained, “The unique ZC formulation delivers a powerful knockdown and excellent residual control that goes the distance on a wide range of pests. This combination is the result of great work from our R&D formulation specialists who have developed the ZC formulation that stays stable on a variety of surfaces so you get double the power.”
To control spider species, apply Demand Duo to known spider harbourages such as cracks and crevices, and leave the webs for a couple of days after application. If the webs have already been removed, apply the insecticide to the areas where they were, as spiders are likely to return to these areas to reconstruct them.
Both Demand and Demand Duo effectively control spiders when used as part of an integrated pest management strategy. This gives customers peace of mind and ensures your quality of service is of the highest standard.
Scan the QR codes below for some interesting spider facts and tips on using Demand Duo for spider control.
