fogging for gnats

Hi,

I would like to buy a fogger and the associated chemicals required to effectively treat 1 acre of lawn with minimal plantings. I need something that is safe for pets and would like your advice on what would be best to buy. I also need to know how long a treatment will last and the frequency that it should be applied. Thank you.

If you take some time to read through our GNAT CONTROL article, you’ll find detailed answers to your questions. In this response I’ll summarize answers so refer to the article for more in depth info.

Gnats:  https://bugspray.com/article/gnats

Fogging for gnats is a great way to control them. I personally treat my 1 acre for gnats and mosquitoes all the time. The lot has about 1/2 that’s mostly wooded and the other half which has my home, flower beds, etc. I could use one of the electric models like the FM6208 but instead, I’ve been very happy  with my BACK PACK FOGGER. It’s powerful and runs by a gas motor so I’m able to go anywhere I want as quickly as I can walk. Being mobile is a big help and I use it to spray the siding of my home, hedges, grass, wild vegetation, etc. Pretty much it’s all I use around the home throughout the year and it takes care of most every pest as long as I stick to the routine and make my applications on a regular basis.

FM 6208: https://bugspray.com/equipment/foggers/fogmaster-6208-trijet-120-v

Back Pack Mister: https://bugspray.com/equipment/foggers/solo-mistblower-backpack

Since I have good control over most everything in my yard, I only treat with BIFEN. It’s odorless, mixes with water fine and covers pretty much every pest. Since you’re just starting up I would recommend getting some NYLAR to go with the Bifen. It’s a growth regulator and in the long run, can help with any type of “medium” or “heavy” infestation of flying pests like gnats.

Bifen IT:  https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/bifen

Nylar: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/igr/igr-nylar

Lastly, the frequency of treatments will depend largely on the “cycle” of the gnats and other pests in your yard. For me, it’s about every 2 weeks. So when I treat, I can get a good 2 weeks of control from the treatment. I know this because I’ve been doing it for so many years. I also know if we hit a dry spell, treatments will last longer. Maybe 3-4 weeks.

Conversely, in the spring or other times when we get a lot of rain, I may need to treat every 7-10 days. The point here is your treatment routine will not be the same year to year, season to season. In most cases, something in the 1-3 week range will cover you. Just remember to be flexible and treat more frequently when pests are coming back sooner; less frequently when conditions enable the treatment to last longer.

Worth mentioning is the amount of material you should expect to apply. I use 2-3 gallons on my property per treatment. But since I’ve got things under control, this would be the “maintenance” amount. You would expect to use more than me – at least initially – and then maybe at some point be able to reduce the amount needed as the pests on the property are reduced. Hope this helps!