FAQ’S – Successful Treatment and Safety
How much spray will I need to do the barrier spray treatment on my yard?
1L of concentrate will make 100L of solution at the highest mix rate. That mix rate is 100ml of concentrate per 10L of water. A typical suburban sized backyard (400m2 to 1000m2) will generally take between 30L to 60L to treat the area thoroughly depending on vegetation density.
Follow the label instructions, which indicates to use 1L per 10m2 of surface area.
When thinking about surface area, remember that this means the treated surface area. This includes both sides of leaves on vegetation and foliage also.
How long will it last?
Each treatment will generally be at optimal effectiveness for the first 4 weeks. It has been shown to be effective for up to 8 weeks for mosquitoes, however between the 4 to 6 week mark is generally when you may start noticing Mosquitoes making their return. Biting Midge suppression may need more frequent applications in high biting midge pressure areas close to salt water creeks, rivers or forshores.
Can you spray the grass?
Mosquitoes do not usually harbor in the grass. Unless it is long and of the broad leafed variety. Biting Midge on the other hand will rest in the grass making your lawn a possible harbourage area. The most common areas to find Mosquitoes and Biting Midge during the day include: the underside of the leaves of dense/shrubby plants, under decks and in damp shady areas of the property. We do recommend that you keep your grass short during the warmer season but also recommend to treat straight after mowing.
Will Biting Midge and Mosquito Barrier kill ALL of the mosquitoes and Biting Midge that enter my property?
No, as far as isolated treatments go for flying insects like mozzies and midge, there is no 100% protection from every mosquito and biting midge. As you might imagine, a mosquito or biting midge from a neighbouring property could wander into your yard and bite you before coming into contact or resting on treated foliage. However, you will find that the presence of mosquitoes and biting midge is enormously reduced.
Biting Midge - If you live in an area that is known for high number of biting midge, having sufficient vegetation and harbourage area surrounding the area you wish to protect is key to having an effective treatment. As we mention numerous times, the treatment is 100% the best solution available for these insect but will only reduce the number of biting midge that make it into you yard, not eliminate them all together.
Is it safe? What about for my plants/pets/kids?
No Mosquitoes Biting Midge and Mosquito Barrier uses the most effective active in its formulation for killing mozzies and midge called Bifenthrin, this is a synthetic form of natural pyrethrins called pyrethroids. Pyrethrins are the natural by product from flowers. Synthetic pyrethroids have a similar chemical structure as the pyrethrins and were originally developed for agricultural application for orchids and crop pests. The product itself water-based, mixed in water and will not harm plants. Once dry it is nontoxic to humans and animals however it can be toxic to some aquatic life such as fish in ponds or aquariums. We recommend to follow the APVMA approved label carefully when applying the product.
What if it rains after I treat my yard or I water my garden?
As long as your yard has had adequate time to dry after the application of your treatment (approx. 12-24 hours, small amounts of rain should not impact the effectiveness of your treatment. However, larger downpours and heavy storms may affect the longevity of your spray.
Keep an eye on the weather at all times, so if heavy rain is predicted on the same day as you are going to treat, it is best to wait until a more suitable day.
Also, if possible, leave watering your vegetation and grasses as long as possible after treating. Giving the treatment as much dry time as possible is imperative to its effectiveness.
If you do need to water plants, try to water at the very base of the plant or tree to avoid leaf contact with water.
The local council has a mosquito control program in place, why do I still have mozzies?
Many Local governments around Australia do a great job at carrying out large scale vector control programs. These programs focus efforts on tidal and rain influenced known mosquito breeding areas by carrying out aerial and ground based larviciding to hundreds of hectares at a time. These treatments are highly effective at stopping a mosquito invasion after a king tide or large rain event by stopping the mosquito larva developing into a mosquito. The only 2 downsides to these treatments are that they usually only have a small window of time to complete the larviciding. If this is slightly off target, millions of mosquitoes emerge to fly off looking for a blood meal. The second is, the Local Government cannot treat 100% of mosquito breeding areas, it’s not a downfall but just downright impossible if you think of the hundreds of thousands of hectares of possible breeding sites.
How long before I can go into the treated area after treating?
After a residual barrier treatment, you need to ensure that the product has completely dried before going outside. We recommend waiting until it has completely dried. But always follow the label directions.
Once the product has completely dried, you and your family may safely enjoy the outdoor area.