Pest Control

Mosquito Control

Four Health Canada-registered products for mosquitoes around the yard, acreage and barn: Mosquito Barrier Garlic Concentrate 946 mL, the Mosquito Barrier Garlic Mosquito & Tick Repellent 3.79 L jug, Mosquito Barrier Ready To Use 946 mL, and Ortho Mosquito B Gon Max Flying Insect Killer Area Spray 350 g. Three are garlic-juice repellents sprayed on vegetation; one is a pyrethrin insecticide fog. They are not personal repellents for skin. Mosquito Barrier (PCP Reg. No. 31022, registrant Upper Canada Organic Products, Inc.; Domestic class) is a concentrate with a guarantee of garlic juice 99.3%. In the label's words it "Repels mosquitoes and ticks" and is "sprayed on plants, shrubs, and turf". Directions from the label: "Shake well before using. Mix Mosquito Barrier in water at the rate of 30 mL/L." and "For best results spray in early morning or early evening. Avoid spraying in the heat of the day. Spray all foliage with a small spray droplet size until run-off." The 946 mL bottle and the 3.79 L jug share the same registration and rate; the Canadian distributor lists coverage of up to 2,000 m² for the 946 mL and up to 8,000 m² for the jug. Mosquito Barrier Ready To Use (PCP Reg. No. 32013, garlic juice 5%) is the pre-mixed version in a 946 mL trigger-spray bottle: no mixing, sprayed on foliage where mosquitoes and ticks are present. For all three: "Re-apply after heavy rain or if mosquitoes and ticks continue to be a problem." Precautions as printed include "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.", "Potential skin sensitizer." and "Do not spray on Blue Spruce trees." Ortho Mosquito B Gon Max Flying Insect Killer Area Spray (PCP Reg. No. 33749, Scotts Canada Ltd.; Domestic class) is a different kind of product: a pressurized fogging spray with pyrethrins 0.20% and piperonyl butoxide 1.00%. The label reads "For outdoor use around buildings to control flies, mosquitoes, black flies" and "DO NOT use inside buildings." It is not for garages, sheds or barns. Also as printed: "DO NOT apply in areas where plants are grown for food or feed (e.g., vegetables, fruit, herbs).", "DO NOT exceed 6.25 g per m2", "Treatment must only be repeated after 7 days if pest problem persists or reoccurs." and "DO NOT apply when people or pets are present." At 6.25 g per square metre a 350 g can covers at most about 56 m² (arithmetic, not a label statement). Which one: for a lawn, garden beds, shrubs and the ground under decks and porches through the season, the garlic repellents; for a one-off fog of the bushes and grass around a building before an evening outdoors, the Ortho area spray. Pesticides are regulated by Health Canada; read and follow the label before every use. Each product page links to its registered label. All four are listed in store in Millet, Alberta (between Leduc and Wetaskiwin, south of Edmonton) and online.