The Imperfect Storm: The Potential Impact of Floods on Urban Pests

The heavy #rainfall and #flooding that plagued the West Coast earlier this month got us thinking about how those conditions could impact #pest activity. You can expect an increase in commensal rodents, ants, cockroaches, houseflies, and mosquitoes.?

It’s not just excess moisture causing the problem. Heavy rains and flooding can also severely impact municipal services such as #sanitation pick-up, a challenge compounded by potential power outages that can cause significant food spoilage. Be ready. Your clients will likely need help with multiple pests in the weeks and months following these weather events: ?

• With the lack of sanitation services, #rodents will find the necessary resources (food, water, harborage) to increase population densities in and around structures.?
• Solution: Talon? Weatherblok? XT rodenticide is designed for extreme weatherability, remaining palatable to rodents with high-density grain content.?

• #Ants can become more active by moving into structures to avoid extensive rainfall.?
• Solution: Advion? Ant gel bait can be applied indoors in sensitive environments to target all major ant species.?

• Red imported fire #ants can become a major problem because they can raft on top of water and move/expand their range.?
• Solution: Advion fire ant bait can provide total colony control within 24-72 hours.?

• Peridomestic #cockroaches will take advantage of the potential food resources available due to the lack of sanitation services, which can lead to a population explosion in urban areas due to the abundance of resources.?
• Solution: Advion Insect granular bait has an advanced bait matrix that is highly attractive to cockroaches, which helps maximize consumption.?

• #Housefly populations are likely to increase significantly because of the lack of city services. Female houseflies will lay eggs on organic material (rotting food, trash)., Eeggs will then hatch and have an immediate food source to speed through their lifecycle.?
• Solution: Archer? insect growth regulator breaks the reproductive cycle of pests like flies to prevent them from becoming egg-laying adults.??

• A constant source of standing water can cause an increase in #mosquito populations. These conditions will exist during the storms and for a period of time after the storms while areas/regions dry up and municipalities are catching up on reinstalling utilities and sanitation services.?
• Solution: The SecureChoice? Mosquito Assurance Program offers proven control of mosquitoes and can complement both 30-day and 60-day treatment cycles.?

Our Syngenta team is here to help you navigate these challenges with pest control expertise and a trusted portfolio of solutions. For more information, visit SyngentaPMP.com or contact your local Syngenta territory manager.?

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