Many pesticide formulations are on the market today. Some formulations may be used by both the homeowner and the pest control operator (general use), whereas other formulations of the same pesticide may only be used by the certified, licensed pest control operator (restricted use). If a pesticide package is marked "for use by pest control operators," the homeowner should not use such formulations. It would be an illegal use, and perhaps cause injury to the amateur applicator.
Several pesticides, or some of their formulations, may be taken off the market, or they may be restricted to certain uses or to certified applicators. Therefore, always read the label of the pesticide product before you use or purchase it.
There are several ways pesticides are formulated for sale. Dusts are dry powders ready for use. Wettable powders, soluble powders and emulsifiable concentrates all can be mixed with water, but the percentage of the pesticide varies greatly. Oil solutions are ready-to-use mixtures of the pesticide and refined oil.
Aerosol sprays contain one or more pesticides in a solvent and a propellant gas. These applicators produce a fine mist or spray. The active ingredient is usually a very small percentage of the spray. Aerosol sprays having an oil base can cause staining. Test fabrics before overall treatment.
Baits contain a pesticide and some type of attractive substance (sugar).
Granules are coarse formulations of dusts made for broadcast treatments.
When preparing a spray of a desired percentage of the actual material, you need to know only the formulation when using the pesticide dilution table. For example, a 0.5% diazinon spray is recommended for ant control. To make a 0.5% diazinon spray using a 24% emulsifiable concentrate, mix 5 tablespoons of the diazinon in one gallon of water (see shaded area in the dilution table on page 4).
Outdoors, usually 5 to 15 gallons of prepared spray or 2 to 4 lbs. of dust per 1,000 square feet of lawn are adequate for area treatment. For exact formulation rates per area to be treated, follow label recommendations.