Talstar P Professional Insecticide - Questions & Answers

There are many products on the market that have a long lasting residual. Unfortunately, all of them will only have very limited results. Stink bugs move into structures to overwinter. They usually squeeze into wall voids, false ceilings, attics and other areas that are inaccessible to people and insecticides. As the heat kicks on in the house, the stink bugs warm up and start becoming active and emerge from hiding, driving residents nuts. Because most folks usually have no idea where the bugs are harboring you can only treat around baseboards, door frames and window frames and hope the insects will emerge where you have sprayed. After they contact the treated areas, it can take several hours for them to die. It is still worth spraying now to get rid of some of the bugs, but you will keep seeing them until spring when they will emerge en masse and leave the building. They do not eat, mate or lay eggs while indoors so need to worry about any damage or future baby stink bugs. This year you can be proactive by stopping these pests before they move in for the winter. You can use 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.

Talstar P is effective for fire ant control.  Per the product label, "Fire Ant Mound control is optimized by combining broadcast applications that will control foraging workers and newly mated fly-in queens with mound drenches that will control existing colonies. If the soil is not moist, then it is important to irrigate before application or use a high volume application. Apply broadcast treatments at 0.5 to 1 fluid oz. per 1,000 square feet. Use enough finished volume to penetrate thatch or sod. Treat mounds by applying 1 oz of Talstar P per mound in 1 to 2 gallons water by sprinkling the mound until it is wet and treat 3 feet out around the mound. Use the higher volume for mounds larger than 12”. Treat mounds with sufficient force to break their apex and allow the insecticide solution to flow into the ant tunnels. For best results, apply in cool weather (65 - 80 F) or in the early morning or late evening hours."

Cicada Killers are actually benificial insects and will not harm you, your son or your dog. They are not aggressive insects just ominous looking because of their size, and you would literally have to take one and force it on your skin to get it to bite you. If you are wanting to eliminate them, the best way to treat is to use a dust in each hole in the yard. This may seem extremely time consuming and tedious but it is truly the most effective and thorough treatment method. Dusting the holes with something like Tempo 1% Dust will allow it to flow through the nest better than a liquid. You could also use the Talstar P or the liquid version of Tempo-Tempo SC Ultra-since it has a quicker knock down to control the surface areas they could land to help control new ones that enter the area. Dust the holes and treat plant/lawn surfaces with Tempo every 30 days through the season. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Talstar P (Talstar One) will kill bees and wasp that come incontact with the treated area. However, if you know where the nest is in the wall it would be best to use a dust. you can use a hand duster to apply a dust product such as Tempo Dust into and around the area where the bees seem to be gaining access to your home. Over a period of a couple of days to a week (timeline will depend on how many bees are contacting the treated area) this will kill off the colony that has taken up residence in your home. Any insecticide applications should be done very early in the morning or very late in the evening when the bees are less active. After the bees have been eliminated it is important to remove the bee hive from the void where the bees were nesting. Failure to remove the hive can lead to mold issues and secondary infestation from hive beetles and other insects. If the bee hive is in an area that is not easily accessible you may want to consider hiring a professional pest control operator.

Talstar Granules are not labeled for termites and would most likely not penetrate deeply enough in the soil to treat for termites. The only other granule product that can be used for termites is the Premise Granule but these granules are only for spot treating an active infestation and they do not offer any long lasting residual control. Currently non-repellent insecticides such as Termidor SC and Dominion 2L are the preferred products for termite treatments. Non-repellent insecticides cannot be avoided by termites because they cannot tell that it is there. The exposed termites then remain unaffected for a few days, before sudden death occurs. In the meantime, the exposed termites are able to spread the non-repellent chemical to unexposed termites by physical contact when they feed or groom the other termites, resulting in a domino death effect which wipes out more of the colony.

Yes, Talstar P can be used for fire ant control in the type of sprayer you described, but you will also need to do mound drenching. According to the Talstar P product label, "Fire Ant Mound control is optimized by combining broadcast applications that will control foraging workers and newly mated fly-in queens with mound drenches that will control existing colonies. If the soil is not moist, then it is important to irrigate before application or use a high volume application. Apply broadcast treatments at 0.5 to 1 fluid oz. per 1,000 square feet. Use enough finished volume to penetrate thatch or sod. Treat mounds by applying 1 oz of Talstar P per mound in 1 to 2 gallons water by sprinkling the mound until it is wet and treat 3 feet out around the mound. Use the higher volume for mounds larger than 12”. Treat mounds with sufficient force to break their apex and allow the insecticide solution to flow into the ant tunnels. For best results, apply in cool weather (65 - 80˚F) or in early morning or late evening hours."

The active ingredient in Talstar P is bifenthrin. When treating for bed bugs, a thorough application should be made to crack and crevices where evidence of bed bugs occurs. This includes bed frames, boxsprings, inside empty dressers and clothes closets and carpet edges, high and low wall moldings and wallpaper edges. Do not use this product on bed linens, pillows, mattresses or clothes. Remove all clothes and other articles from dressers or clothes closets before application. Allow all treated areas to thoroughly dry before use. Not recommended for use as sole protection against bedbugs. If evidence of bedbugs is found in/on mattresses, use products approved for this use. The mixing rate of Talstar P is 1 fl oz per gallon of water. Be sure to do treatments every 10-14 days until you do not see activity for 30 days. 

Please check out our Bed Bug Guide for tips on how to treat and prevent bed bugs in the future. 

Talstar P is one of the best general purpose insecticides for indoor and outdoor use. It is labeled for over 75 insects, leaves a 30 day residual outdoors and a 90 day residual indoors.  Mixing at .5- 1.0oz per gallon of water, it is a very easy product to use. 

Outdoors, Talstar P can be sprayed as a perimeter treatment (3ft up & 3ft out from foundation), around windows, doors, bushes, plants trees, broadcasted over the entire lawn. 

Indoors, Talstar P is to be applied as a crack and crevice treatment along baseboards, windows, doors, behind appliances, under sinks, toilets, around water pipes. 

General Pest Control Article and Video Here 

Talstar P is our most popular selling product for mosquito control.  It is a liquid concentrate that you mix with water and apply using any hand pump sprayer or backpack sprayer.  The key is to apply it to all shrubs, trees, and other foliage around the house or patio you are trying to provide relief at.  It should be directed not only on top of the leaves and plants, but on the underside of the leaves as well which is where the mosquitoes hang out.  It should be applied every 30 days for optimum control.  It is also very good for bees and wasps, however you would not want to apply it or any other product directly to play sets where children will touch treated surfaces.  Also, Talstar P is labeled for over 100 different insects and will work in just about any situation. 

Talstar P is not labeled to treat for mites in general and would not be recommended.  For treatment in the home, we recommend you frequently vacuum all carpet and upholstery and dispose of the bag or vacuum contents in a sealed bag outdoors. Spray Sterifab on couches, chairs and other upholstered furniture where you may spend time resting. Use MotherEarth Dust in all cracks and crevices around the perimeter of the room. Apply a thin coat of MotherEarth dust to rugs and carpets. Rake (not sweep) nap back and forth, causing dust to enter rug or carpet. Let product sit overnight. Repeat application as necessary and vacuum every 3 - 4 days for effective control. MotherEarth dust does not have a fast knockdown, it can take several days for insects to die after they contact the dust. Onslaught can be used for a faster knockdown. Thoroughly apply as a fine particle broadcast spray using a hand pump sprayer to infested rugs and carpets and other cracks and crevices around the perimeter of each room. Put all clothes through the dryer on high heat to help kill mites and their eggs.We have had many customers use the above recommendations with great success. Most customers report that it can take several months to get rid of all of the mites.