Perimeter Spray for Indoor Pest Control Explained

PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA

By Rick Orr
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Home in Pinellas County, FL with St Augustine turf lawn
A perimeter spray is applied 3 feet up and 3 feet out to create an insect barrier 6 feet wide around the exterior of your house

Perimeter Spray - Preventative Pest Control

In the past, the pest control tech would spray inside the house to kill any bugs that may have entered the home. Today we can spray around the outside of your house and prevent bugs from entering the home. This is called a perimeter spray.

Perimeter Spray: How it Works

The pesticides used for perimeter sprays are specially formulated to be lethal on contact with bugs. The insecticides are applied 3 feet up and 3 feet out on all outside walls to form a 6-feet-wide barrier along the perimeter of your house. To get into your home a bug must crawl across the pesticide to enter your home. None will survive.

Very Effective with a Catch

Perimeter sprays are very effective even when exposed to sunlight, wind, rain, and even human activity. But it is not perfect. Bugs can avoid the perimeter spray by using plants, wires and even tools leaned against the wall to form bridges across the perimeter spray. The barrier can be disrupted by digging, pressure washing, or even applying new mulch. The solution is for pest control companies to provide free service calls for any indoor problem that occurs after the perimeter spray has been applied.

Service Calls

After the perimeter spray has been applied, if you have any indoor problems, the service call(s) to solve that problem are free. In most cases where a bug has crossed the barrier, the solution will be very narrow and focused. For example, Ants appear on the counter. The tech will apply a small dab of bait to eliminate those ants. No need to spray the entire interior of the house to solve the problem.

DIY’ers and Perimeter Sprays

The concept is simple – spray an insecticide 3 feet up and 3 feet out on all exterior walls. The challenge is in acquiring the best insecticide and equipment. As a DIY’er you will be forced to use diluted formulations in ready-to-use spray bottles - which take forever. Or purchase a spray tank and insecticide and mix and spray. Both are very doable with minimum effort.

Pros and Perimeter Sprays

When you DIY, one glaring omission is the service calls. All is well until there is a problem inside. The other is the materials and equipment – commercial grade insecticides applied by high volume sprayers create a superior barrier.  The cost may be more to hire a professional than DIY, but it is still a very affordable service - a good service and a good value.

 

Rick Orr Owner-Staff Agronomist Barefoot Grassl/Creator of ILOVETURF.COM
Rick
Orr
Staff Agronomist at Barefoot Grass

Since 1995, Rick Orr has worked in Pinellas County providing turf management and pest control. Rick Orr is a graduate of VA Tech in Agronomy (Turf Ecology) and the creator of Iloveturf.com. 

Since graduating from VA Tech in 1979, Rick worked in the green industry, mostly with golf courses, resorts, and large communities. Rick has obtained certifications in arboriculture, landscape, irrigation, and taught Environmental Horticulture at St Petersburg College. 

Currently, Rick is the Staff Agronomist at Barefoot Grass in Largo, FL. To learn more about Barefoot Grass https://www.barefootgrass.com/ Free Price Quote from Barefoot Grass for Home Pest Control and/or Lawn Care https://www.barefootgrass.com/contact-weed-control/ 

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