What to use for ticks, fleas, grubs?

[shovelracer]

I use merit for grubs, but a customer asked if it killed ticks and fleas as well. Rather than answer incorrectly I told her I would research it. So, Does Merit kill all the above or is there something else I should be using? Also I last year I did only one application in July and still had damage. How many of you are using 2 apps? Say late june and mid august. If merit doesn't kill ticks should I use something else first and then merit for the second?

[teeca]

no, merit will not kill fleas ans ticks, the mode of action is plant uptake so the insects need to eat the plant. i use talstar, works great and it will also kill your surface feeding insects like sod webworm.

[indyturf]

1 app of Merit should do the job, you want to get it down by June/July and make sure it gets watered in throughly. for late season grub attacks I use Dylox. Talstar works great for all surface feeding insects.

[upidstay]

Merit WILL kill on contact as well as by ingestion, but the insects would have to be around at the time of application. I have always used Talstar for ants, ticks, fleas, etc. Sevin is OK, but Talstar works best for me.As far as a second app of merit goes, last year was a disaster everywhere on the east coast. Here in CT we had no rain for 45 days and we had hazy hot and humid followed hot dry and windy. Worst sets of conditions I've seen in a long time. There was Merit failure everywhere. The lawn has to be actively growing, and then the product has to be watered in thoroughly. If the lawn was shut down from heat/drought stress, it would not have gotten enough of the product in. Or it might not have been watered in enough. Thoroughly means at least 1/4" of water, not a quick 5 minutes with a sprinkler or a passing shower. And a serious downpour from a thunder storm would only serve to possible wash the product away.
There is a new product out called Allectus, which is basically Merit and Talstar combined. Should work great. It is definitely cheaper than buying the 2 seperately.

[shovelracer]

OK so I'll look around for Allectus. I have always been under the impression that grubs have two cycles a year. Here I notice it to be june and august. All the damage I have experienced is not from the grubs themselves, but the skunks and rodents digging up the lawns to eat them. This always happens right after Labor Day. So would it be OK to use Talsar now (June) and Merit in early august as long as the grass is active. If the grass is not active would the merit still kill the grubs via contact, with proper watering. How long does the merit stay active for. If I apply in june will it still kill the beetles that come over from the neighbors in august. Sorry for all the silly questions, I'm new at this grub thing. Any info is great.

[Runner]

For the cost comparisons we did, we found that it was way more expensive. It is the price you pay to be able to do them both in one application. If you can find it cheaper than the two seperate, please let me know where.

[NC Big Daddy]

You need to be careful when selling a flea and tick application at least in North Carolina. Fleas and ticks are not considered an ornamental or turf pest. So in NC you CAN NOT apply any chemistry to control only these pest unless you also have a structural pesticide license. There is a major debate right now on LCO's applying Top Choice, from what I understand this should blow over. This may not be an issue in your state.

[upidstay]

Flea and tick apps around here are basically talstar, blanket app on the entire if it is a bad infestation, then just do perimeter apps every 6-8 weeks. We have Lyme disease, spread by Ixodes Scapularis, the Deer Tick. One of the worst insect borne disease in a very long time. It started in Old Lyme, CT., and is slowly spreading across the contry. They think it is being spread by birds carrying the critters around. Very nasty disease. Attacks the central nervous system, and 20% of the victims show no symptoms. Normally, a bullseye shaped rash appears at the wound site, followed by flu-like symptoms. The worst part is that it is the nymph's that feed on humans, and they are about the size of a period from a typewriter (.<--about that big)

[shovelracer]

Yes we have lymes here. Actually this whole concern started when one of my customers started aking questions cause her son got lymes 2 years ago. Not sure about the way it's carried though. I usually find several ticks on me a week so I do a daily check. Usually they are the bigger ones, but every now and then I find a deer tick. Those little bastards are hard to see. Anyways, so do I double app at the same time. Or Talsar then Merit later? Also the perimeter apps of talstar only stop crawling insects right? Not the ones that are brought on property by animals correct.

[ant]

Allectus

first time this yr. that i am using this product.

$217.00 per gal.

[Norm Al]

they reproduce very fast so normally you would have to do more than one app

[upidstay]

Regular apps are necessary to nmake sure you stay (mostly) tick free. And yes, it will only kill the ones in ther yard. i trat my yard and my dauhter brought one home last week from my sister's place. We think she might have Lymes disease. Taking her to the doctor tomorrow. Not even 2 years old yet...

[shovelracer]

Just in case anyone who lives near ticks doesn't know. there is a shot that you can get that will prevent you from getting lymes if you do get bitten. It only works before though, not if you already have it. Good insurance for people in our line of work.

[DUSTYCEDAR]

so if everyone is using talstar for ticks and it says to go at the high rate of 200 lbs per acre and that is the max for the year u r allowed to apply per season what do u do for the rest of the year? if the customer wants 4 apps per season?

[turfsolutions]

Just in case anyone who lives near ticks doesn't know. there is a shot that you can get that will prevent you from getting lymes if you do get bitten. It only works before though, not if you already have it. Good insurance for people in our line of work.

It used to be a 3 shot treatment, not sure if it has changed. The first shot made me feel like crap so I decided not to have the last 2. A better insurance for me is to have DEET in the truck at all times in case you need to go for a walk in the brush.

I do know a lot of people that have had it, it is getting bad.

[Daryl Skorupa]

Is Talstar harmful to pets? What kind of precautions should we take?

[Runner]

It's on the label.....

[ampeg76]

It's on the label.....

lol, my thoughts exactly!

when in doubt, read the label

[DUSTYCEDAR]

i did read the lable and like i said 1 app at the high rate is all that is alowed per season then what do i do?

[ccash]

You need to be careful when selling a flea and tick application at least in North Carolina. Fleas and ticks are not considered an ornamental or turf pest. So in NC you CAN NOT apply any chemistry to control only these pest unless you also have a structural pesticide license. There is a major debate right now on LCO's applying Top Choice, from what I understand this should blow over. This may not be an issue in your state.

Well said you are correct, But if you sell them a fire ant treatment you can use top choice and it will also give the best control for fleas and ticks.

[ampeg76]

i did read the lable and like i said 1 app at the high rate is all that is alowed per season then what do i do?

in regards to the pets

[ampeg76]

Well said you are correct, But if you sell them a fire ant treatment you can use top choice and it will also give the best control for fleas and ticks.

i believe the label for topchoice gives control of fleas for one month, granular talstar will give longer control

[DUSTYCEDAR]

she is all freaked out about ticks due to her kid having Lyme and she thinks more is better and i keep telling her no

[Ric]

I use merit for grubs, but a customer asked if it killed ticks and fleas as well. Rather than answer incorrectly I told her I would research it. So, Does Merit kill all the above or is there something else I should be using? Also I last year I did only one application in July and still had damage. How many of you are using 2 apps? Say late june and mid august. If merit doesn't kill ticks should I use something else first and then merit for the second?

As you already read here Grubs are underground and would be treated different than surface insects. But there is a lot of Misinformation in this thread.

they reproduce very fast so normally you would have to do more than one app

Yes fleas and ticks have a 28 day life cycle and Eggs can hatch out and re-infest if follow up control treatment is not done. BTW Flea eggs can go dormant for up to two years and then hatch in the Presents of CO2 from mammal breath. They need a Mammal Blood meal in order to reproduce.

so if everyone is using talstar for ticks and it says to go at the high rate of 200 lbs per acre and that is the max for the year u r allowed to apply per season what do u do for the rest of the year? if the customer wants 4 apps per season?

Granular Talstar treatment is not any where near as effective as liquid spray. Ticks and Fleas will live in bushes or trees waiting for a mammal to pass by and jump on that mammal for their Blood meal. They are very sensitive to both C02 and vibration.

i did read the lable and like i said 1 app at the high rate is all that is alowed per season then what do i do?

High rates of Talstar are not needed for fleas and ticks if liquid spray is used. High rates of Granular Talstar are best saved for heavy Ant infestations. Even Talstar only gets 75 to 80% of the ants. Baits can be effective up to 95%


Well said you are correct, But if you sell them a fire ant treatment you can use top choice and it will also give the best control for fleas and ticks.

As stated before Fleas and ticks will live in shrubs and trees where granular Top Choice can not reach. Therefore Top Choice is not the Best Choice for Fleas and Ticks.

Just Because an insect is on the label of a product doesn't mean that product is the best control agent for that insect.

i believe the label for topchoice gives control of fleas for one month, granular talstar will give longer control

Granules do have longer residual as a general rule than liquids but whether you use Granules of liquids you have to make contact in some way with the target species you wish to control

in regards to the pets

Pyrethroids (which Talstar is) are fairly safe to all mammals and even birds. However very little in a pond will kill fish. Should you or your dog-cat drink a pyrethoids you would experience dry mouth because it will close the saliva glans temporary. Dogs and Cats will react to this by foaming at the mouth. Give them water and they will be OK.




OK The most effective way to control Fleas and Ticks.

1. ID and know the life cycle of the pest you are dealing with.

2. Keep pets on preventives like front line from your local Vet.

3. Have a professional apply Precor and a general household insecticide to the inside of your home. You are not paying him for WHAT he uses but WHERE AND HOW he uses it. Knowledge is key here.

4. Every 30 days for up to 3 months if nesscessary, Blanket Apply a low rate AI Pyrethroid insecticide in a high volume spray to every shrub. tree, bush, weed, and grass on your property and if you can talk the neigbor into it do his place also. I use 10 gallons of finish spray @ 0.5 oz of Talstar per thousand sq ft.

PS If I stepped on anyones toes, Well so be it. There was just too much misinformation in this thread. I don't like to type this much with one finger, so I let a lot of misinformation go on most of the time by not replying.

[ccash]

i believe the label for topchoice gives control of fleas for one month, granular talstar will give longer control

but it dosnt

[ampeg76]

but it dosnt

i would have to disagree, with the company i currently work for, talstar has had better effect!

i treated a property with mucho fleas(while spreading i could see numerous fleas having a field day on my shirt, i ended up going stripping down to boxers at a local carwash, red bites everywhere!), with granular talstar ez, it took care of the problem within a week, the treatment lasted around 3 months!

i also treated a property in the burbs for fireants and fleas with topchoice, fleas were visibly active at one month and about two weeks!

[DUSTYCEDAR]

thanks ric

[Ric]

i would have to disagree, with the company i currently work for, talstar has had better effect!

i treated a property with mucho fleas(while spreading i could see numerous fleas having a field day on my shirt, i ended up going stripping down to boxers at a local carwash, red bites everywhere!), with granular talstar ez, it took care of the problem within a week, the treatment lasted around 3 months!

i also treated a property in the burbs for fireants and fleas with topchoice, fleas were visibly active at one month and about two weeks!

Ampeg

Too bad you don't work for a knowledgeable CPO. With the correct control method you would never of been bitten that bad.

thanks ric

You are welcome. But as a one finger typer it took me longer than I wanted to made this post. I see so much mis-information here that I don't correct because it takes time to correct.

[teeca]

Ampeg

Too bad you don't work for a knowledgeable CPO. With the correct control method you would never of been bitten that bad.

LOL..:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :hammerhead:

[DUSTYCEDAR]

Ampeg

Too bad you don't work for a knowledgeable CPO. With the correct control method you would never of been bitten that bad.



You are welcome. But as a one finger typer it took me longer than I wanted to made this post. I see so much mis-information here that I don't correct because it takes time to correct.

JUST USE WHITE OUT ON THE SCREEN LOL IT WORKS FOR ME

[Ric]

LOL..:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :hammerhead:

Teeca

The worst Flea job I ever had was a small rent house of a good customer. I opened the front door to be attack by fleas. Common sense told me to not enter the house. I went to the local supermarket and purchased some fog bombs. I threw two inside and came back later to throw more fog bombs in all the rooms and then left again. Then I was able to come back and do the job correctly with out getting bit. I charged accordingly.

When dealing with Biting Stinging insects you need to use a fast knock down like Pyrethin and a little common sense. If you have to spray into the wind and get the drift on you to keep the critters off of you, so be it. Pyrethin is not real toxic to humans and better than getting eaten alive. Correct PPE is also a common sense thing. Duct Tapping your pants legs and long sleeve shirt is a simple way to keep them out of your shorts. A Tee Shirt placed over your head like a bandit so only your safety glasses are seen is a quick way to protect your head and neck. Granules do have a longer residual, because they also have very slow release. I would never try and do a flea job with granules unless it was a Golf Course Fairway cut 1/2 and no trees or shrubs. I will agree that Granules can help prevent Fleas but not control them after they are there.

Yes I am posting this at ampeg76 expense and getting a good cry not laugh about now uninformed he is about his job. But if he or others learned something from this post then all should be forgiven.

Unless someone wants to give me a knowledgeable argument about anything I have posted, I am done with this thread. I am not paid to educate the world.


Dusty

If I used White Out on this post your misinformation would not of been corrected either. Trust me, I ignore a lot of misinformation.

[ampeg76]

glad to add a laugh where needed!

yes, i know, the company i work for are idiots

i was simply stating talstar ez does work, may not prevent you getting attacked while applying, but it works!

i'm really surprised no one has mentioned the use of IGR's

[DUSTYCEDAR]

If I used White Out on this post your misinformation would not of been corrected either. Trust me, I ignore a lot of misinformation
CARE to point out what i said that was misinformation?

[ccash]

talstar ez sucks. What is in Frontline??? go figure

[Ric]

glad to add a laugh where needed!

yes, i know, the company i work for are idiots

i was simply stating talstar ez does work, may not prevent you getting attacked while applying, but it works!

i'm really surprised no one has mentioned the use of IGR's

Ampeg

I did mention an IGR (Precor) you just weren't smart enough to realize it. Please keep the laughs coming.


talstar ez sucks. What is in Frontline??? go figure

Ccash

Frontline is a Pet product used to control fleas and ticks.

http://frontline.us.merial.com/home/

[teeca]

thanks for the info ric on not getting bit... i had several rentals a few years back (don't miss them), and i used to do it myself after the flea bag residents left/skipped town. i used to use CB-80 to bomb'm, then i'd spray the carpert with suspend, then return a few days later and vacuum, and have the carpets cleaned, i'd do the same for roaches (thats how i got started with the fogging, i hate them things).

[ampeg76]

hey ric

thanks for speculating on iq, cheers

precor is for inside use, it breaks down quickly with sunlight, i'm talking about outdoors, enjoy the laughs

[ccash]

Ampeg

I did mention an IGR (Precor) you just weren't smart enough to realize it. Please keep the laughs coming.




Ccash

Frontline is a Pet product used to control fleas and ticks.

http://frontline.us.merial.com/home/

NO kidding! But it is the only thing that controls them that well in pets."I dont mean to use frontline just trying to get you to think alittle." and what the Hell do you think the active ingrediant is??? Fipronil and what is the AI in top choice?? Fipronil read some of nc states trials on fip. I was a super on a golf course when the were experimenting with it. and that was way before Chipco Choice was out. the were even trying it for flea and tick control and it killed talstar,orthene,delta guard,although they did get good results with dursban but so much for that.

[vegomatic40]

Gotta agree with Ric. If it ain't moving..spray it. While Talstar has a good residual, I use Tempo (cyfluthrin) for Fleas/Ticks with excellent results and a very long residual. I still to apps on a 30 day cycle and treat the beds,shrubs,tree-trunks. Using a Tree/Shrub skid-sprayer works for me as there is no chance for herbicide contamination and possible damage to palnt material. While it isn't stated on the label, I've even treated the inside/outside of dog houses when customers request it as long as the pooch stays out of it until it is completely dry. I also recommend "bombing" the house for severe infestations, replace any pet-bedding if possible. Have several repeat customers year after year that swear by it.

[Duekster]

Wettable sulfur seems to help the yard and the pest don't like it much.