release small or large amounts of dust with better
control than the fire extinguisher type.
Power dusters are often used in spaces where the
dust can lie undisturbed providing a residual coating of
pesticide. They are also applied in sewers as contact
pesticides and in trash chutes of high rise buildings.
The dust is introduced at the lowest level at a trash
compactor and rises up through the chute where it is
vented at the top. The chute must be closed at each
floor. Dusts can also be placed in wail voids, crawl
spaces and almost any unused space. Sometimes
drilling into voids is necessary to inject dust. Great
care must be taken to confine dust so that it does not
Three types of hand dusters are commonly used
drift and is not carried into non-target spaces.
by pest management technicians: bulb, bellows, and
Remember to turn off pilot lights and flame- or spark-
plunger dusters. Dusts are also driven by gas in some
producing equipment if a combustible dust is used.
formulations of canned insecticides, but with this
Protect smoke alarms when using dust.
method, dusts are applied like canned liquid pesticides.
Dusters clog easily. They must be agitated often
Bellows dusters consist of a closed rubber
and the dust kept dry at all times. Dusters work much
cylinder made rigid by an internal spring, a spout at
better if they are often washed and dried.
one end, and a stoppered refill hole at the other. These
dusters, originally called Getz dusters, are held with
the spout at the top. A slight pressure from top and
bottom pushes air and dust from the spout. The more
pressure applied, the more dust ejected. The spout is
Traps, Bait Boxes, Monitoring Devices, and
tapered at the tip and slight puffs will propel small
amounts of dust into cracks and crevices. The slight
Traps have been used for pest control for
puffs distribute a thin layer of dust in the pest
centuries. Rodent control traps range from snap traps
Bulb dusters have a rubber bulb with a removable
to boxes that use trap doors, spring-loaded multiple
catch traps, and small animal traps. Rodent bait boxes,
spout at one end. The spout screws off to allow for
refilling. Dust application is much like the bellows
or bait stations, are containers that hold poisonous
duster except that the bulb is squeezed. Both dusters
baits or glue boards. Under certain conditions, they
come in several sizes.
must be tamper proof for safety. Other traps to catch
Plunger dusters hold more dust than the first two
pest birds are baited so the bird will enter and cannot
hand-held dusters discussed. Plunger-type dusters have
get out. Fly traps are sticky tapes or cylinders that
been used for garden dusting for a century, but the
hang vertically, taking advantage of the fly's tendency
plunger duster used in urban pest management is
to cling to vertical poles, strings, etc. Electric fly traps
smaller, made of high-impact plastic and has several
are made with an attracting light that lures flies to
styles of nozzles.
electrocution grids or glue boards. Sticky traps are
small glue boards used to catch cockroaches. These are
used to monitor roach populations and to survey for
Pheromone traps lure insects with a pheromone (a
natural attractant), to a sticky holding surface. These
traps are used to evaluate insect populations; their
catches indicate which species are present. They may
also be used to control or reduce pest populations.
Most power dusters use compressed air to deliver
insecticidal dusts to large spaces. Fire extinguishers
have been converted to dusters and filled with
There are many kinds of bait stations. These
compressed air. Other dusters are plastic and are
devices confine toxic substances to units that are
pumped up much like the hand-held compressed air
removable rather than leaving them exposed.
sprayer used to applying liquids. The plastic dusters
Cockroach bait stations offer pesticides as attractive
Mgt & Ctrl, Chapter 2, Pg 5