John Ralph, Director of Sherwood Chemicals Australasia, explains why Fipforce HP sets a new standard for liquid termiticide applications.
In May 2021 Sherwood Chemicals introduced a significant change to the way fipronil termiticides can be applied for termite control in Australia. The new product, launched as Fipforce HP (High Performance) Termiticide & Insecticide, is an upgrade to our existing product Fipforce Aqua, and is the latest innovation designed by Sherwood chemists to save professional pest managers time and money. Allow me to explain how.
The application of termiticides via a ‘drill and inject’ into concrete at up to 300 mm hole spacings in sandy soils has been an industry standard practice for more than 25 years for termiticide formulations incorporating the actives chlorpyrifos, bifenthrin and imidacloprid. However, the original brand of fipronil was limited to 200 mm hole spacings when it was launched in 2002.
Fipforce HP brings increased flexibility to the application of non-repellent fipronil soil treatments in Australia, in particular for drill and injections through concrete. Fipforce HP has been approved to be injected at up to 300 mm hole spacings in sand and 250 mm in loam. It reduces the number of drill holes required by 33% when compared to all other fipronil 100 g/L SC formulations in Australia, which only allow for drill spacings of up to 200 mm.
The Fipforce formulation was developed by Sherwood using advanced polymeric surfactant technology, which is relatively new formulation chemistry for water-based formulations. The benefit of polymeric surfactant systems when combined with controlled micro-sized particles is that it delivers the long-term stability of SC formulations in the bottle as well as maintaining an evenly dispersed, stable mix in the spray tank after dilution before spraying.
When we talk about formulation stability we are referring to the separation of some SC formulations in the bottle, which is a common issue that occurs after 6-12 months with poor quality SC formulations. Pest managers who have used Fipforce Aqua in the past will be familiar with the high level of stability of our formulation.
The other significant bene t we have found with polymeric surfactant technology is the superior wetting and dispersal properties when the formulation is diluted with water and applied to soil. Soil in filtration studies completed by Sherwood in Australia have demonstrated the effective horizontal dispersal of fipronil in sand up to 300 mm, which supports the increased width in drill spacings.
In summary, our new product Fipforce HP offers three new bene ts over our previous product Fipforce Aqua. Firstly, for new pronil treatments, 33% fewer drill holes are required in concrete (sandy soils) when compared to other fipronil 100 g/L SC products, saving significant labour and equipment costs.
Secondly, for re-treatments, no new drill holes are required in situations where bifenthrin or imidacloprid zones have been previously installed. Over the last 20 or so years, chlorpyrifos, bifenthrin and imidacloprid drill and injection treatments were drilled at up to 300 mm hole spacings. With Fipforce HP there is now a fipronil SC formulation to retreat these properties without having to drill new holes.
Thirdly, the extended label now covers a range of pests including ants, domestic cockroaches, house ies, web-spinning spiders, daddy-long-legs spiders, millipedes and house crickets, making it suitable for a general pest treatment.
Fipforce HP has been rolled out across all leading distributors and is available now. Fipforce HP accreditation can now be gained online by going to the Fipforce website. Watching a short 30-minute presentation and answering a few questions online will mean your staff will be up to date with the latest changes to hit the fipronil market.
John Ralph, Director, Sherwood Chemicals Australasia