Can you fumigate for fruit flies? Yes. Here are the best foggers for fruit fly control.
One of the qualities that cause the presence of fruit flies in homes is their incredible sense of smell. These pesky insects are attracted to all things organic matter.
These flies are most common during harvest season when fruits are harvested.
As such, you’ll find a greater number of these pests around late summer to early fall. If you find these insects irritating, you might want to take the necessary steps to keep fruit flies at bay.
This includes the use of fruit fly foggers.
What’s A Fogger?
Does this question seem elementary?
If it does, you can skip this section to get into the details about fruit fly foggers. However, if it doesn’t, we’re glad to help you find answers.
One of the primary functions of a fogger involves using it for pest control.
These products operate by building pressure which helps create a fine mist also known as fog when releasing their contents. This is necessary to enable pesticides to get into difficult-to-reach areas.
Due to the mist or fog being released, extra caution must be exercised to avoid inhalation of harmful chemicals.
Areas of Interest
When seeking to buy a fruit fly fogger, there are several things to consider.
These areas of interest include how to use, the type of fogger to buy, safety, price, and coverage area. These are key considerations whose answers are tied to efficiency and reliability.
How To Use A Fruit Fly Fogger
Fruit fly foggers aren’t so complicated to use. Plus, these are generally called insect foggers.
Every product you buy comes with a user instruction. Foggers aren’t designed for contact applications. Rather, you’ll need to apply using space spraying.
The idea is to release its contents within the target area.
The fine mist stays airborne for a while before settling down. As fruit flies move around, they get drenched in the insecticide mist which begins to act by paralyzing and killing them.
Types Of Fruit Fly Foggers
There are basically two types of foggers to use for fruit fly control.
They include thermal foggers and ultra-low volume foggers (also called cold foggers). Both types of foggers can be found in multiple designs consisting of stationary, mounted, and handheld.
For fruit fly control, handheld fogger designs will serve the purpose. Truck-mounted foggers are designed for larger spaces. Their coverage provides faster job execution or completion.
If you need to cover a specific area, then a stationary fogger would be ideal for that purpose.
Here are the best foggers for fruit flies.
i. Thermal Foggers
As suggested by the name, thermal foggers require heat for pesticide application. The heat helps convert insecticides into vapor which turns into a thick fog when applied to affected areas.
Here, fruit flies have nowhere to hide as it penetrates dense foliage, shrubs, and bushes to exterminate these pests. You’ll find different types of thermal foggers too. However, we won’t get into such details.
An online search should turn up results for you to choose from. Hard-to-reach areas are best treated using thermal foggers. They come with trigger locks that help prevent accidental dispersal of insecticides.
Without heat, there’s no way of using thermal foggers. This is a disadvantage that is compounded by poor visibility from denser particles released.
ii. Cold Foggers
Here, there’s no need for heat, hence the name cold foggers or ultra-low volume. High pressure supplied by air is what converts the solution to fine mist. Water-based insecticide solutions are best applied using cold foggers.
Power is needed to run or operate these types of foggers.
Cold foggers are odorless and don’t leave oily stains behind. What more? Cold foggers are known for their versatility. In other words, they can be used for a variety of pest control purposes.
Despite the many benefits of cold foggers, a major disadvantage is that it’s pricier than thermal foggers. This is understandable due to its electric motor.
Fixing a damaged ULV fogger is also more challenging than a thermal fogger.
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Safety
The pesticide or insecticide contents of fruit fly foggers perform an excellent job of eliminating these pests.
However, the issue of safety is paramount and should be given the attention it deserves. This is of greater concern if you have kids or keep pets.
After application, insecticide droplets or residue are left behind. Kids can go around touching floors and putting the same hands in their mouths. This is a serious safety concern.
As such, it’s best to keep kids out of treatment areas.
Check products for exposure treatments.
It’s important to note that safety isn’t restricted to kids and pets alone. It includes adults too! So, during the application, it’s best to stay out of, or away from treatment areas. This limits the risk of exposure.
Fruit fly fogger application should be guided by information. This has to do with the safety instruction accompanying the insecticide product. You should be careful to read through such instructions and stick to them.
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Price
Price is one area a lot of people will be concerned about. Some fruit fly foggers are much expensive than others.
You’ll need to find out why and determine if the reasons are justifiable. Some homeowners may be working on a tight budget.
For such users, cheaper fruit fly foggers will be considered.
However, we recommend reading through reviews to help you determine if the product is worth the purchase. Many fruit fly foggers may end up not giving you the results you seek.
We recommend striking a balance between price and efficiency. The focus should be on getting the desired results with your treatments.
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Coverage Area
Coverage area simply refers to the square footage of space covered by a fruit fly fogger. There are foggers designed to deliver short insecticide bursts. These are mostly used for exterminating fruit flies within confined spaces.
On the other hand are fruit fly foggers designed for application in larger rooms or outdoors. These are more concentrated to ensure the even distribution of insecticides within the space.
When faced with a fruit fly situation, foggers are among the most effective ways to respond. We’ve seen that there are different types of foggers in addition to a variety of designs.