Spray can pesticides - Shelf life?

[jmagerl]

Does anyone know what the shelf life of a spray can of ant and roach killer would be? Pyrethin based. I bought a can last summer and it doesn't seem to be very effective. Would I be better off buying non-pyrethin based products if I want to carry over from year to year. The same goes for wasp sprays. You certainly don't want to use a can thats not going to kill anything.

 

[G Henslee]

Does anyone know what the shelf life of a spray can of ant and roach killer would be? Pyrethin based. I bought a can last summer and it doesn't seem to be very effective. Would I be better off buying non-pyrethin based products if I want to carry over from year to year. The same goes for wasp sprays. You certainly don't want to use a can thats not going to kill anything.

According to OSU:
Shelf life. One should use fresh products whenever possible. Shelf life of insecticide products is influenced by the formulation, the container type, storage conditions (temperature and humidity) and time. As a general rule, an unopened container stored at moderate temperature will remain effective for 2 to 5 years after purchase. Over time, under poor storage conditions, the formulation and/or active ingredient can deteriorate. The formulation can separate or solidify, rendering the material unsuitable for use. The only way to know for sure if the active ingredient of a stored product is still effective is to mix and treat a pest population in a limited area and monitor the results.

 

[Doug Miller]

Those knock-down sprays are essentially just overpriced mineral spirits in a spray can, and should last forever.

Missed the insecticide in the ingredients list, did you?

 

[Matt (archive)]

I always spray some in the eyes of the neighbor's kids as a benchmark. If they roll around on the ground screaming for less than 20 minutes, it's probably no good.

 

[G Henslee]

I always spray some in the eyes of the neighbor's kids as a benchmark. If they roll around on the ground screaming for less than 20 minutes, it's probably no good.

Your parents really should stop sexually abusing you.

 

[Matt (archive)]

Your parents really should stop sexually abusing you.

Yeah, they should. Until they do, I'll always have chuckleheads like you to help ease the pain.

 

[G Henslee]

Yeah, they should. Until they do, I'll always have chuckleheads like you to help ease the pain.

My pleasure.

 

[George E. Cawthon]

Does anyone know what the shelf life of a spray can of ant and roach killer would be? Pyrethin based. I bought a can last summer and it doesn't seem to be very effective. Would I be better off buying non-pyrethin based products if I want to carry over from year to year. The same goes for wasp sprays. You certainly don't want to use a can thats not going to kill anything.

It's not very effective because pyrethin is not
very effective. Try something else.

 

[Doug Miller]

No. The insecticide is just a slow residual in infinitesimal dilution, and is in there for marketing purposes and to make you feel like you got something to justify the price.

0.166% is hardly "infinitesimal".
http://app.ene.gov.on.
ca/pepsis/Compendium_reports/PDF/rptReport7_ActiveIngredient_By_PesticideProdu ct.pdf page 84

The knock-down comes from the mineral spirits alone. I keep a Sure-Shot sprayer of just that around, and it knocks 'em down just as well as the "wasp killer". Kerosene, petroleum naphtha, or WD-40 works, too.

Hell, *water* will knock them down. The insecticide makes sure they *stay* down.

I live in Florida, so economical insect control is important. The po' folk used to keep a rope soaked with kerosene across the door seal, to keep out the critters.

Filling a gap with a physical barrier keeps out insects. What a surprise.

 

[Lar]

Does anyone know what the shelf life of a spray can of ant and roach killer would be? Pyrethin based. I bought a can last summer and it doesn't seem to be very effective. Would I be better off buying non-pyrethin based products if I want to carry over from year to year. The same goes for wasp sprays. You certainly don't want to use a can thats not going to kill anything. I just sprayed a pyrethrin aerosal that has to be close to 7 years old on a wasp nest and it worked as supposed to. Pyrethrin is only a contact kill.

 

[G Henslee]

Does anyone know what the shelf life of a spray can of ant and roach killer would be? Pyrethin based. I bought a can last summer and it doesn't seem to be very effective. Would I be better off buying non-pyrethin based products if I want to carry over from year to year. The same goes for wasp sprays. You certainly don't want to use a can thats not going to kill anything. I just sprayed a pyrethrin aerosal that has to be close to 7 years old on a wasp nest and it worked as supposed to. Pyrethrin is only a contact kill.

Worked eh? Maybe they were old wasps.