The lost art of dusting

Peruse the pest control supply isles of any big box store and you will find hundreds of sprays, aerosols, traps and gadgets but what you most likely will miss is the relatively few dusts they offer for do it yourself home pest control. That’s because they really are not a big seller compared to the Raids of the world. Sure you can by Sevin dust for your rose bush and yes there is the boric acid squeeze bottles down there at the bottom, no down lower, behind the D-con.

It is my theory that people want fast pest control results and while dusts can give you instant gratification it’s all behind the scenes deep in the walls or plumbing voids where you & I will never see it. Besides, proper dusting does take some work and it is so much easier to grab a spray can and watch your prey twitch, circle and die in the oily slick.

Dusting therefore seems to be left to the professional pest control personnel and even then I rarely see a duster on a technicians belt (I rarely see one wearing a tool belt) as they perform service. Dust and powders are an awesome but under used tool in my opinion and I’m not really 100% sure why. The residual is far superior and the ‘dead zones’ they create can keep creepy craw-lies at bay for up to a year.

I put together this short but tip filled video on dusting that will hopefully help inform you on some of the virtues of dust and how to apply it for best results. If you have any further questions please look at my dusting article, my dusting tip video or feel free to use the Ask the Bug Doctor tab.