Imperator Smoke ‘em out, knock ‘em down
Professional pest managers have used smoke generators in Australia for many years. A tried and tested part of the pest manager’s toolkit, they play a useful role in gaining control of flying and crawling insects, especially in situations where the pests are difficult to reach and treat directly.
Jon Renton from Renton’s Pest Control Services, Gunnedah, NSW, is a long-time user of Liphatech’s Imperator Smoke Generator. Mr Renton said, “Integrated pest management requires an assortment of tools in your kit that are effective and reliable. Dad (Ken Renton) started the business 50 years ago and for me it’s been 25 years – a very long time – that Imperator’s been part of our go-to range of products. We use it in conjunction with liquid sprays to deliver our professional pest services.”
Smoke generators offer some unique advantages over other insecticide treatments such as liquids and dusts, the most obvious being their ability to penetrate hard to reach pest infestations, for example in roof voids, wall cavities, sheds and garages, and inside tall structures. Pesticide smoke particles are much smaller than spray droplets or dust particles and thus reach areas not penetrated by conventional treatments.
Mr Renton continued, “Imperator gives a pest knockdown with no residual effect. It’s small, convenient, effective and very easy to use and covers a good 200 cubic metres, which makes it very cost effective. We use Imperator in a number of situations such as commercial kitchens, houses, industrial sheds and places that have cathedral or vaulted ceilings.
“Imperator is a really good flushing agent on American cockroaches – it really knocks them down in those hard to get to cracks and crevices. We also use Imperator in sensitive areas, especially in offices and computers rooms, where there is a lot of electrical wiring.”
Imperator Smoke Generator is a permethrin-based product registered in Australia for controlling a range of public health pests including cockroaches, ants, flies, fleas, silverfish and spiders. Prior to treatment, people, animals, fish and birds should be removed from the area and smoke detectors turned off. Smoke generator units should be placed on a fireproof base, on a protective floor covering or inside a metal bucket. Packaged in a plastic canister, Imperator comes ready to use – simply remove the plastic cap from the canister and, using a match or lighter, light the exposed fuse. A large cloud of fine insecticide smoke is released to penetrate all the cracks and crevices and with its low odour, there is no lingering smell.
“Imperator has a faint odour when activated but after you follow the settling period and then carry out the ventilation period there is no odour left at the end of the day,” commented Mr Renton.
One 31 g canister of Imperator can treat a space of 220 cubic metres in general pest situations in commercial, industrial, domestic and public services area or when treating caterpillars, aphids and weevils in glasshouses and small agricultural buildings. However when treating ants and flies in large agricultural buildings, including animal housing, one canister of Imperator is sufficient to treat 440 cubic metres.
Mr Renton added, “We are always careful to follow the label instructions – we make sure the client puts away any food, children’s toys, and pets and we cover up any fish tanks. We always carry a metal plate in our vehicles for using Imperator as the canister must be placed on a fire retardant surface as the base gets very hot.
“We also place a note on the customer’s front door to advise anybody that may arrive at the property to be aware of the smoke treatment, for health and safety reasons. It also says that the smoke does not mean there is an internal fire!”
Especially if you’re trying Imperator for the first time, remember to always read and follow the label directions for application and use.
Imperator is available from your local pest distributor.
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