Tips for consistent mist blower applications

Sam Pass, BCE, Pest Control & Nursery/Greenhouse Market Manager, FMC

A backpack mist blower can be a great tool for mosquito barrier treatments. However, using one is a bit different from using a hand or backpack sprayer. To help keep your mist blower applications consistent:

• Mix product in a separate container. Mist blowers are heavier than other spray equipment, and typically employ gravity-fed chemical hoses. Consequently, mixing in the mist blower tank can result in uneven dilution.
• Familiarize yourself with the equipment. Pest management professionals are used to making fan spray and applications to relatively flat surfaces, where it is easy to monitor exactly how much product is going out. Making a mist application to standing vegetation presents more of a challenge. Take the time to calibrate, and get a feel for, your equipment. With gravity-fed mist blowers in particular, the rate of application can change with the angle of the spray hose.