Suspend Polyzone Insecticide - Questions & Answers

We would recommend Suspend Polyzone when treating Palmetto Bugs. The Palmetto Bug, also known as the American Cockroach, or waterbug, is reddish-brown in color, about 1.5 inches in length, and has wings but will seldom actually fly. Getting rid of this pest requires patience, persistence, and a combination of both chemical and non-chemical methods.

Step 1) Non Chemical Methods for Palmetto Bug Control

Sanitation 
Like most pests, Palmetto Bugs require 3 things to thrive-food, water, and harborage. If you can eliminate even one of these things through proper sanitation, the roach population will be forced to either die or move someplace else.

• Discard old boxes and piles of papers where roaches can hide.
• Use a waste bin or trash can with a tight-fitting lid and keep trash in a closed plastic bag overnight.
• Fix leaky drains and faucets; roaches can live on water alone.
• Clean kitchen appliances thoroughly
• Empty pet food containers at night, or place them on the back porch or in a plastic bag.
• Vacuum regularly, and restrict food consumption to one room of the house. This will help keep Palmetto Bugs and other pests from spreading into other areas such as bedrooms.

Exclusion
Palmetto Bugs prefer to live outdoors, but will easily set up residence indoors if they can find their way inside. Exclusion is about keeping Palmetto Bugs out or at least making it harder for them to get in.

• Caulk and repair holes around doors, windows, water pipes, and baseboards.
• Place mesh screens over windows, floor drains, and vents. These places serve as roach hideaways.
• Windows and doors should fit tightly and squarely within their frames to prevent both harborage and entry from outside.

Step 2) Chemical Methods for Palmetto Bug Control

Dust Cracks & Crevices

• The dusts that works best against Palmetto Bugs is Delta Dust and CB Borid Boric Acid.
• Using a hand duster and following label instructions, apply dust liberally where roaches travel--underneath and behind baseboards, behind wall outlets, in wall voids, in cupboards and cabinets, and underneath appliances such as washers and dryers.

Apply a Liquid Residual to the Perimeter

• Suspend SC, or Suspend Polyzone provide excellent control when mixed in a 2-gallon sprayer and applied at a low-pressure setting.
• Spray indoors along baseboards, especially in corners; window and door frames, on the underside of the furniture, behind bookshelves, and in other problem areas as listed on the product label. With Palmetto bugs, the outer perimeter of the home or structure should also be treated.
• Residual sprays need to be reapplied every month to every 3 months, depending on the level of infestation.

Baits

• Use Niban FG in attics, basements, and crawlspaces where Palmetto Bugs enter, and
• For added protection, spread DeltaGard G Granules outdoors in pine straw and mulched areas surrounding the infested structure.

Kill ‘em on Contact 
Contact sprays will kill roaches immediately on contact, and can also be used to "flush out" roaches from suspected harborages. Contact Sprays for Palmetto Bugs include CB-80 Extra, Cy-Kick, D-Force HPX, 565 Plus XLO.

Don't Skip the IGR!
An IGR is a chemical used to disrupt and impede the life cycle of insects in the egg and larvae stage of development. The idea with an IGR is that if an insect cannot reach adulthood, it cannot reproduce. In short, IGR is a form of "birth control" for Palmetto Bugs and other pests, which helps to keep populations under control by preventing current and future infestations.

• The most common and effective IGR for roach control is Gentrol IGR, which comes in an aerosol , concentrated liquid, and point-source tablet. 
   
• We recommend Gentrol IGR Concentrate to be added to your hand sprayer and sprayed right along with your baseboard chemical (Suspend SC, or Suspend Polyzone . 
• For kitchen and bathroom areas, Gentrol Aerosol is the formulation of choice. Using the straw attachment, the IGR should be applied liberally to all visible cracks and crevices, including underneath, behind, and alongside appliances, behind outlets, along pipe collars, inside wall voids, and on top of kitchen cabinets near the ceiling. 
   
• Continue to apply IGR every 4 to 6 weeks for up to 6 months, or until all signs of infestation have been eliminated.

Both Demand CS and Suspend Polyzone are considered repellents so insects are able to detect that either product has been applied to an area.  This does not mean that they are repelled from the area as they do have to contact the product to be effected by it.  

Suspend Polyzone is labeled to apply where the false powderpost beetles have been found/seen. It is not for structural protection or long term control in the wood. We recommend Boracare instead because it will penetrate the wood completely and will remain active for the life of the wood. 

Suspend Polyzone is mixed at the rate of 0.25 to 1.75 fl oz per gallon of water as directed on the product label for your target pest.

Areas that have been treated with Suspend Polyzone are safe for chickens and other animals to return once dry, typically after 4-6 hours.  It would not affect the eggs they lay.

The most effective mosquito applications with Suspend Polyzone are made with a backpack mist blower like the Solo 451.  It has the ability to create a fine mist that can be blown up into the undersides of trees and the interiors of shrubs and bushes, where mosquitoes harbor.  It can also be applied with a hand pump sprayer or a backpack sprayer as well.

Suspend Polyzone lists marine vessals on the label as ok to apply to but for seats you would only apply to seams and folds and cracks and crevices on the inside of the boat.  It will not stain.

The shelf life of Suspend Polyzone is going to be roughly 5 years if stored properly in a temperature stable environment and out of direct sunlight. 

The biggest difference between Equil Lambda and Suspend Polyzone is the residual they have outdoors. Suspend Polyzone was designed with special time release polymer coating to hold up in heat, cold, and irrigation for up to 90 days. Equil Lambda will last about 30 days.

Suspend Polyzone would be a better option and can last up to 90 days outside.  The key with mosquitoes is to apply to the underside of leaves on trees/bushes which is where the adults lay during the day.

Suspend Polyzone is labeled for mosquitoes and it does have a 90 day residual, however it is not labeled for army worms. Talstar P would be the best product for treating both mosquitoes and army worms.

Suspend Polyzone cannot be used on any edible plants. You can use Suspend Polyzone around flower gardens however. 

Yes, Suspend Polyzone can be used for scorpions.

Suspend Polyzone should be sprayed indoors every 90 days around baseboards, doors and windows and in cracks in crevices.  You can use a simple 1 gallon hand pump sprayer around baseboards, doors and windows, and cracks and crevices.

Suspend Polyzone  can help control clothing moths if it is sprayed on infested areas which is cracks and crevices around rooms, under rugs etc. The most important part of clothes moth control is finding the source and thoroughly cleaning the item(s) or disposing of the item(s) all together. Failure to do so will lead to poor results. Clothes moth eggs generally hatch out within 10 days during warmer temperatures and two weeks or longer during colder temperatures. Spraying a second time will help kill the adults but unless the larva are targeted you may continue to need additional treatments. Please take a moment to read our article How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths to learn more about this pest.

Suspend Polyzone can be less effective if it freezes then thaws, then freezes and thaws again and again.  It should be stored in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures (below freezing and above 90) to prevent any issues.  If the product has been frozen only once and does not appear to be separating it should be fine.

It is not recommended to apply Suspend Polyzone to thoroughly saturated soil, as there could be excessive run off to an area that is not intended for treatment. For best results apply in dry conditions and when no rainfall is expected for 24 hours.  

Suspend Polyzone will last for 3 months outdoors and indoors. It does dry clear.

Suspend Polyzone and Bifen IT should not be mixed together.  Mixing insecticides together doesn’t create a more powerful product, and it can cause repellency issues causing the insects to avoid the sprayed areas all together.

Suspend Polyzone should be mixed at 1.5 fl oz per gallon of water for outdoor cluster fly control. We also recommend that you read our article How To Get Rid of Cluster Flies for more detailed information and treatment for this pest.