Once the treatment has dried (usually about 30 minutes), rain won't wash it off. The product bonds to vegetation and surfaces during the drying process, and normal rainfall after that point does not reduce its effectiveness.
If you took the time to book mosquito treatment, you probably don’t want it to rain afterward. After all, a spray goes on vegetation, and a rain threatens to wash it off. At least, that’s the logic that a lot of people apply. The reality is a little more complicated, and in a way that works in your favor.
The short answer is yes. Barrier treatments work as well as they do in large part because they last a long time. The product used in the treatment adheres to vegetation once dry. This only takes about 30 minutes under normal conditions. Once that bond forms, the product stays where it was applied. Rain that hits treated vegetation after drying runs off the leaf surface; the active ingredient stays.
The exception to this rule is if rain comes down before the product has dried. Most professionals are good about avoiding this situation. They keep an eye on the weather and reschedule if there’s rain in the forecast. But sometimes, a big, dark cloud rolls in and it pours, much to everyone’s surprise. If that happens to you, you can always call and ask for re-treatment.
Once the product is dry, it’s good to go. A one-off thunderstorm won’t undo the treatment. Weeks of sustained, heavy rain might, but that’s a different case, and if it occurs, your treatment company will likely come back to re-treat sooner.
One thing rain does affect is the mosquito population itself. A heavy rain will create tons of pools of standing water across your property. Everything from a puddle to a clogged gutter or pooling in low spots can become a new breeding site. Bear in mind that treatments work by treating places where mosquitoes rest. This is why it’s still important to dump standing water after a storm even with a professional treatment in place.
If you have questions about treatment and weather on your North Jersey property, Mosquito Squad of North Jersey can help. Mosquito Squad schedules treatments with weather in mind and returns every 21 days to keep the barrier fresh and your mosquito population suppressed all season.
