In most cases, no. If the treatment had at least 30 minutes to dry before the rain started, the product is bonded to the vegetation and surfaces where it was applied.
It’s a natural question. Treatment looks like a spray, and it’s only reasonable to think that water would wash it off. But the truth is a little more complicated than that, and in a way that works in your favor.
Generally, rain won’t wash away pest treatment. Professional barrier treatments work as well as they do because they bind to surfaces once dry. This takes about 30 minutes under typical conditions. After that happens, the active ingredient stays in place even if it rains.
The only scenario that usually results in re-treatment is if a heavy rain comes before the product has a chance to dry. If there was a downpour before the product dried, it might have washed off before bonding. Most professional providers monitor weather forecasts and avoid scheduling treatment when rain is on the way. But sometimes the weather does unexpected things, and in cases like that, just about any reputable provider will come back at no additional charge.
If there are days of sustained rain, that might break down the product a little faster than normal. That means in an unusually wet stretch, you may notice mosquito activity pick up a few days earlier than the typical 21-day cycle. If that happens, it’s reasonable to let your provider know, and they may be able to move your time up a few days.
One thing to remember is that mosquitoes breed in standing water. Rain creates plenty of it, often in unexpected places like puddles and backed-up gutters. Your treatments work on vegetation because it knocks down mosquitoes where they rest. But if standing water goes unchecked, the survivors can breed in it. A quick walk around your property after a storm, tipping over containers holding water, is a good complement to professional treatment.
If you have questions about treatment performance on your Southeast Pennsylvania property, Mosquito Squad of Southeast PA can help. Mosquito Squad schedules treatments with weather conditions in mind and maintains your protection with technician visits every 21 days throughout the season.
