Once a barrier treatment has dried and bonded to the foliage, normal rain doesn't wash it away, so your treatment stays effective through typical showers. Rain mainly matters if it falls heavily before the treatment has dried, which is why applications are timed around the weather in the first place.
You get the yard treated, a storm rolls through, and you wonder whether your money just washed down the driveway. It’s an entirely reasonable worry that, luckily, is also an unfounded one.
Barrier treatments, like those used for mosquitoes, are applied to surfaces where mosquitoes and ticks rest during the day. After the product is applied, it binds to those surfaces, such as foliage. All it needs is a chance to dry. Once it’s dry, it will last for about three weeks.
Ordinary rain after the treatment dries runs off without stripping the treatment away. A shower a day or two later, or even a few hours after treatment, won’t undo the treatment. The product is designed to weather normal conditions.
That said, there are some edge cases. If there is a heavy downpour right before the treatment dries, it can wash off some of it before it has bonded. That makes it less effective. This is also why reputable providers watch the forecast and schedule around it, as most pest control providers aren’t going to do work right ahead of a heavy storm.
Extended heavy rain over time can also wear down a treatment a little faster than dry weather would. Even that, however, is accounted for by re-treatment. This is enough to top off the barrier and keep it effective over time.
If you're tired of second-guessing your pest control every time it rains, Mosquito Squad of Northwest Wisconsin can help. Mosquito Squad times treatments around the weather and backs them with a guarantee. This can help you to protect your yard with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
