Which to Use? How to Pick Your Pesticide Product

Shopping for lawn and garden pesticides can be a little overwhelming, whether you're a beginning gardener or a seasoned vet. But even with all the choices on the shelf, choosing the right product for your needs is simpler than you might think. By understanding the following product types — what pest professionals call “delivery systems" — you can choose and use pesticides with confidence:

• Dusts. Pesticide dusts are dry products that consist of fine, powder-like particles. Easy-to-use and effective, dusts can reach into tiny crevices to find the insects they fight. While some dust products need a separate applicator tool called a duster, others come in simple shaker containers. You don't have to measure, mix or use a separate applicator; just shake a thin, even layer on plants. Ready-to-use dust is best used at chest height and lower. For taller plants, use liquid pesticides.

• Ready-to-Use (RTU). Liquid ready-to-use pesticides are premixed products that don't require any prep on your part. They typically come in ultra-convenient, easy-to-handle spray bottles, so no separate tools are needed. Ready-to-use spray products let you adjust the nozzle to zero-in on specific insects and areas, or spray wide and cover more plants. This extra precision comes in handy when you want to protect pollinating insects, avoid open blooms or skip certain plants
• Concentrates. Concentrated pesticides offer economy and flexibility, but you need a separate pump-style or hose-end garden sprayer to use them. Concentrate must be diluted with water. But because you control the measuring and mixing, you can mix different strengths, as needed. For example, product labels may recommend stronger sprays for fruit trees than for garden vegetables. Mixing concentrates is simple; just measure the recommended amount into your sprayer, then add water and mix well.

• Ready-to-Spray (RTS). Like concentrates, ready-to-spray pesticides need to be diluted with water. But instead of mixing it in a separate sprayer, you connect the bottle to a garden hose, and the bottle becomes the sprayer. As water feeds through the bottle, it automatically dilutes the concentrate for you, so you get to skip measuring and mixing. Ready-to-spray products work especially well when you want easy coverage for larger areas and don't need precision as you go.

• Granules. Granular pesticides are dry products, similar to dusts, but with larger, coarser particles meant to be applied to soil. Used to treat lawn pests or protect the perimeter of your home, granular pesticides are applied with a regular lawn spreader — the same type used for spreading grass seed or fertilizers. Just be sure to clean your spreader thoroughly between different product uses. Some granular products are left dry as a type of bait for insect pests. Others must be watered in immediately to release their active ingredients and reach pests where they hide.

Whatever type of pesticide product you choose to use, always read and follow the label instructions thoroughly. With trusted products such as Sevin^® and other GardenTech^® brands, you rest easy with your choice and get back to enjoying all the fun your garden offers.

GardenTech is a registered trademark of Gulfstream Home and Garden, Inc.

Sevin is a registered trademark of Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc.