As mosquito season approaches, private vector control businesses are gearing up for the challenges that come with increased activity and a pest that is always finding new ways to adapt. We sat down with two industry experts to discuss how Suspend® PolyZone® insecticide is taking mosquito control to the next level and providing companies with a superior solution.
Shawn Mullen, key account manager, and Matt Remmen, technical market development manager, both from Envu, are experts in mosquito control with backgrounds in entomology. They’re excited to share their thoughts on Suspend PolyZone insecticide and what it means for mosquito control businesses.
Preparing for the 2024 mosquito season
It’s hard to predict what mosquitoes will do from season to season, but we know weather plays a large role. Mullen and Remmen offer their thoughts on what can be expected.
Shawn Mullen: We didn't have a lot of rain in 2023, and it all comes down to weather. If there's rain, there are mosquitoes. In some parts of the country, the rain didn’t hit until the fall, so they saw more mosquitoes in the later months than they did all year. One little rainstorm can change things.
Matt Remmen: So this year, I would expect people to see more pressure with the rain they're going to get. All the mosquito eggs laid last year without rain will get water this year, hatch and then look for people to feed on.
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“All the mosquito eggs laid last year without rain will get water this year, hatch, and then look for people to feed on.” |
How can mosquito control companies adapt to this uncertainty?
To help businesses deal with the unpredictable pressure of mosquitoes, Envu offers Suspend PolyZone insecticide — an insecticide that keeps working for up to 90 days thanks to a polymer barrier that protects the active ingredient in tough weather conditions and challenging surfaces.
Mullen: You never know what rain you're going to get, so this is where a product like Suspend PolyZone insecticide comes in. That polymer layer is there, so you always have that solid protection layer. Other products may break down with sunlight or break down a lot quicker.
Remmen: Yeah, Suspend PolyZone insecticide is going to stay there. Its polymer barrier has little crystals sticking out of it, and as it wears away, it uncovers more. With mosquitoes, you have six little, teeny-tiny contact points, so you need something that covers a lot of area and that's what the polymer does.
You're trying to hedge your bets on two things: 1) I cover the areas mosquitoes are most likely going to be (which is the polymer part), and 2) if I do get contact, I kill that mosquito — and that's why we use deltamethrin in it. So you need to make that resting mosquito into a dead mosquito.
Why does using Suspend PolyZone insecticide make business sense?
Many products work to control mosquitoes, but why should businesses choose Suspend PolyZone insecticide over other products?
Remmen: Suspend PolyZone insecticide keeps working for up to 90 days. It may be a certain amount you’re paying for a product, but if it leads to a callback, that’s a lost opportunity to do other services or complete other things without having to return to that customer.
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“The tendency might be to use cheaper products that don't necessarily work. But if a customer gets a bite after a treatment, they may cancel the service.”
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Mullen: The tendency might be to use cheaper products that don't necessarily work. But if a customer gets a bite after a treatment, they may cancel the service. Suspend PolyZone insecticide is going to be there where you put it, so it's not going to wash off. It's not going to move around. And other products will easily wash off, especially if you have irrigation or rain.
What makes Suspend PolyZone insecticide the superior choice?
Remmen: Well, it's got a couple things that are different. We're the only ones that have a polymer matrix. We don't see any deleterious effects on plants with Suspend PolyZone insecticide, which is labeled for treatment on landscape plants, turf and ground cover. Underneath those leaves is where mosquitoes often rest.
It’s about finding the right product concentration at a reasonable price. And companies can choose a lot of products that kill mosquitoes, but do they do things you don't want? Does it wash off to areas you don't want? Is it gone quicker than you want? That may not work for you because your service center might be miles away and you may only be able to be at that site once every other month. With 90 days of control, you have the flexibility for that period of time. We give you the flexibility to use it in a way that fits your business.
Three things to look for in a mosquito control product:
- Efficacious - Making sure the product works
- Long-lasting - It keeps working long after it’s applied
- Resilience - It holds up under tough conditions
Is not having an insect growth regulator (IGR) in a mosquito product a concern?
Suspend PolyZone insecticide doesn't include an IGR, but Matt Remmen explains it’s for a good reason.
Remmen: If a mosquito's breeding cycle is stopped, it's not going to lay eggs. If we can eliminate that mosquito, an IGR wouldn’t offer a benefit on the same surface. And you have to be careful where you're putting an IGR. We think of an IGR as only being something that affects mosquitoes, but if something else eats it, say a butterfly, is it going to affect that too? Absolutely. So we're trying to be strategic in a way that will control mosquitoes and limit our effect on other insects.