Talstar P Professional Insecticide - Questions & Answers

Talstar P (Talstar One) is safe to use around animals as long as they are out of the area while you are spraying, they can return as soon as the area is dry. Although The Talstar P (Talstar One) is safe once it's dried, you do not want to apply directly to water, or to areas where surface water is present or to intertidal areas below the mean high water mark. Drift and run-off from treated areas may be hazardous to aquatic organisms in neighboring areas.

Talstar is not labeled for cankerworms.  The most widely recommended product to use for cankerworms is Bacillus thuringiensis, or B.t.  A product like Monterey B.t. Insecticide may be a better option for you.  There is a great article here on the treatment and prevention of cankerworms. 
 

Talstar P is safe if applied and dried prior to the dogs entering the treated surfaces for the initial application. If the treated area gets wet again, it does not reactivate the product so it will be safe.

Neither Talstar or Bifen are labeled for dust mites and would not be recommended as they are very specific to the type of mites they will kill.  Please take a moment to read our article here on "Dust Mite Control"

Chiggers are not known to infest structures and are most likely outdoors in your yard.  While Talstar or Bifen are labeled for chiggers, Onslaught is typically the more recommended.  Onslaught is micro-encapsulated and will last a little longer on outdoor surfaces which does give it a bit of advantage over Talstar P.  Onslaught is also labeled for "mites" in general but would not be recommended for dust mites. Treatments for chiggers should begin in May and could need to continue through the summer as new chiggers move into the area. Treating the entire lawn is of little benefit because chiggers avoid direct sunlight and normally will not infest areas that are mowed or otherwise well maintained. Focus treatment on the unkempt areas of the lawn and lawn edge. You can also use Onslaught to do a barrier treatment around the outside of your home and in your crawl space to stop pests from moving indoors.

All of the products are pet safe when used as directed.  Pets should be out of the area during treatment until dry.

Talstar P is an insecticide that will eradicate listed insects. It will not treat scale. We would recommend applying Safari for the treatment of scale. Please refer to the product label for mixing and application instructions by clicking on the link below.

Safari Product Label

There are certain plants of trees such as the Japanese red maple which we would caution you before applying any product. If in doubt on treating a certain plant you should treat one plant only or one small area of the plant with the Talstar before treating the whole plant. Wait at least three days to see the results before continuing.

Talstar P is labeled for use in poultry houses and in yards for poultry mite control. Be sure to read over the Talstar P product label for complete usage instructions.

Per the product label , If you have gotten Talstar P on your skin, you should take off contaminated clothing, rinse skin immediately with plenty of water for 15-20 minutes and call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice.

There are typically no issues mixing different kinds of sprays together, such as an insecticide and fertilizer or fertilizer with herbicide. We always recommend doing a small jar test for compatability when mixing any products together for the first time, unless the product labels expressly address the tank mix you are using.

There are two things I would caution you against with these mixtures. One is if you are using herbicides for your turfgrass and wanting to use an insecticide for mosquito control at the same time. For mosquito control, you want to use a product like Talstar P on ornamental shrubs, tree branches, etc.; however, you should not spray post-emergent herbicides like Drive, Tenacity, or Trimec on these areas since those herbicides would damage your ornamental plants.

We would also be careful about mixing more than 2 herbicides at one time since this could cause extra stress on your turfgrass.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

After mixing Talstar P (Talstar One) there is only enough active ingredient to harm small insects. With that said, if you are killing the critters' prey, then they may leave the area.

Talstar P is labeled to help control many types of flies and can be applied to your lawn. We do recommend that you contact your local cooperative extension office and try to get the fly identified to make sure you are choosing the correct product for your needs.

Talstar P should be mixed at 1 fluid ounce per gallon of water. The lost size does not matter. Each gallon mixed solution will give you 1000 sq feet.

Talstar would be a great choice for flies and ladybugs. Be sure to spray in areas where the insects are known to land or harbor. If you are trying to prevent these insects from over wintering in your home you should spray Talstar P outdoors around your door frames, window frames, vents, eaves, around the bottom of your foundation, and any other crack or crevice where an insect could gain entry once a month August-November.

You cannot spray furniture with Talstar. Talstar P cannot be used as a broadcast spray indoors and would not be a good choice for indoor flea control. We recommend you use Ultracide for indoor flea control. It is our recommendation and industry standard that you vacuum immediately before the application of Ultracide and every day or every other day after the application for the next two weeks. Vacuums can physically remove a decent percentage of flea eggs that are in the carpet, along with much of the organic crud that the flea larvae feed on. A critical part of the diet of the larva is dried blood, present there as fecal material from the fleas that are on the pets. Wherever the pets spend time, they will shed the fecal matter and the eggs, so it is extremely important that you focus on these potential hot spots where the pets sleep. A vacuum also will remove a small percentage of larvae, but the larva is pretty tenacious, and will wrap around the carpet fibers down there at the base of the pile, and hold on for dear life as the vacuum passes by. The pupa is even tougher to physically remove, for it uses fibers as part of its "cocoon". The vacuum will stimulate the flea adults still in their pupa form to quickly emerge as the adult, and at this point perhaps be sucked up in the vacuum. Even if they are not removed by the vacuum, at least they now are exposed and susceptible to your treatment.   After two weeks most infestations require that you do a second application of the Ultracide and continue with the vacuuming. You should use a product that is registered to use on your pets for fleas such as Prefurred or Advantage. Talstar P can be used effectively outdoors for places where your pets may frequent and also moist shady areas. Treating outdoors will help prevent your pets from re-infesting your home.

Talstar P does not work as a systemic insecticide and that seems to be what you are looking for. You should consider using a product that contains Imidacloprid such as the Adonis 2F. Adonis 2F can be used as a soil drench around the tree and the product will be translocated through the tree. You will need to use .2 oz - .4 oz of Adonis 2F per inch of trunk diameter at breast height.

The breeding sites for these flies are so numerous and varied, it is impossible to eliminate them all. These tiny pests are small enough to crawl through the average window screen and fit through cracks and crevices around windows and door frames.

You can help prevent these flies from entering your home by spraying a barrier application of Talstar P paying special attention to window frames, window screens, door frames, and cracks and crevices that may be used as points of entry.  A screen with a very fine mesh (smaller than 16mesh) will help prevent entry. Additionally, it may be helpful to keep ceiling fans and window fans on at high speeds to keep insects out of small areas.

If flies have already entered your home and you need immediate control use Microcare. This product offers a fast knockdown and kill of flying insects, giving you immediate relief.

Talstar works well for both the mature and the immature spider mites. Talstar provides optimal spider mite control when applied during spring to mid-summer. Higher application rates and/or more frequent treatments may be required for acceptable spider mite control during mid- to late-summer. The addition of a surfactant or horticultural oil may increase the effectiveness of Talstar. Talstar applications may be rotated with those of other products  that have different modes of action in control programs that are designed  to manage resistance by two-spotted spider mites. Consult your local Cooperative Extension Service for resistance management recommendations in your region.

You will loose effectiveness and it could damage your spraying equipment over time.

Since Talstar is not labeled to spray on fruit trees or any other edible vegetation we really cannot offer advice on using the product for this type of application. We do have many products from Fertilome and Hi-Yield on our site that are specifically labeled for the use you have outlined. Talstar is not a systemic and it can be used outside of the dripline for your plants and trees.  Talstar is not labeled for grubs because it binds down to the soil and cannot move far enough below the surface to effect the eggs or grubs. We do have Merit Granules that can be used for grubs in your lawn.

We advise to use your solution with 24 hours after mixing to gain full effectiveness of the product. The Talstar P (Talstar One) has a shelf life for up to 3-5 years when stored out of extreme tempertures. Please let us know if you need anything else.