We are living in the golden age of DIY culture. With social media applications like TikTok and YouTube spreading “life hacks” and seemingly easy DIY solutions to daily problems, most people turn to the internet to solve all their issues. However, pest control is never a one product fits all, and over the counter sprays are not designed to treat most active insect issues.

Detectable vs Non-Detectable Pesticides

Consumer-grade products are detectable pesticides; think: Raid. A detectable pesticide is a solution that the target pest can sense, and will move away from. Though marketed as an instant bee or wasp killer, these products are more of a repellent, driving the insect away from the sprayed area. This can cause a swarm of hornets, for example, to come in contact with the detectable pesticide, become agitated, and attempt to vacate via the path of least resistance. Typically this would be the opposite end of which the pesticide was sprayed. For example, spraying into the entrance of a wasp nest will cause the insects to move backward, and eat through drywall, causing a breakthrough into your home. Many times this can look like someone spraying raid into a nest outside a window, only to find they migrated indoors to escape the effects of the material.

Leave it to the professionals

Pest Control technicians are licensed applicators, meaning the materials they use are regulated by New York State and controlled by the Department of Environmental Conservation. We document every pesticide used, including when, where, and the quantity; this ensures public safety and holds our pest control business accountable to any environmental damage- of which is extremely unlikely, as we follow all guidelines and safety precautions of each material, found here on our website.

Many of the controlled pesticides we use are Non-Detectable.

For insects like yellow jackets, wasps, roaches, bedbugs, ants, and certain fall invaders (cluster flies, stink bugs, etc), our licensed technicians use non-detectable pesticides. Unlike consumer-grade repellents, these materials are unable to be sensed by the insect, and they will freely walk through them.

In the case of ants, a scavenger ant that leaves the nest in search for food will walk through the material, become effected by it, and bring the product back to the nest, effecting any other ant it comes in contact with. Not all ants are out during the day, so it is important to allow for two weeks for the entire colony to come into contact with the pesticide.

With wasps, a nondetectable pesticide ensures wasps will not immediately move away from the solution, and will come in contact with it and die off. They will continue to use their natural entry way, bringing it further into the nest with each entrance, eventually coming into contact with the queen, eliminating the breeding cycle.

But don’t the solutions dry up?

If you’ve used our services before, you are familiar with our 45 minute rule. We ask that any pets or children are away from the treated area for 45 minutes to an hour after the application, to give time for the material to dry. While your fur-baby may walk over the dried pesticide and be completely unaffected, different solutions have different residuals. The residual of a product is a measure of how long it remains effective. With a wasp treatment, the residual will last the majority of the season. This ensures that any larva remaining in the nest will die off after they hatch, as they come in contact with the pesticide. You may be wondering: why don’t larva eggs die as they come in contact with the solution? Wasp and hornet larva are coated in a thick substance that protects them from not only environmental elements, but man-made elements as well. A DIY solution may kill off a few wasps, however it will not effect the larva, and after the second life cycle, typically in mid-July, you will continue to see wasps as the larva from the previous nest hatches.

Life Cycles, Materials, Effectiveness, Safety, and Pesticide Residuals are all factors to consider when coordinating your pest control solutions. If safety and effectiveness are important to you, then working with professionals is the way to go!

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