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Does Rain Affect Pest Control?

Writer's picture: All Things Pest ControlAll Things Pest Control

Updated: Nov 19, 2024

Despite having high pest activity all year-round, the peak of Mackay's pest activity often coincides with our tropical wet season.


Mackay has an average of 160+ days of rain equating to an annual rainfall of 1585mm. A large proportion falls in the months December through to March (peak times for pest activity).


We've answered the most common questions asked when a pest control treatment coincides with rainy weather.


If it is overcast and raining, can my pest control treatment still go ahead?


Occasionally pest control treatments happen with an afternoon storm or rainy period and clients biggest concern are their treatments will be ineffective. In almost all cases, rain has no affect on our treatments - whether they are applied before or after rain!


Don't let a rainy day put you off rescheduling your pest control just yet.


There’s 4 reasons for this –

  • Most homes throughout the Mackay region have eaves and guttering that overhang wall edges, protecting where treatments are applied – so, unless the rain is coming in sideways with strong wind gusts blowing directly against the walls, it’s not going to have any affect and the treatment can proceed as usual.


  • Pesticides are fast drying and insoluble. In fact, when applied to a dry or slightly damp external surface such as a wall, the liquid pesticide will adhere to the surface and dry on impact or within minutes. 'Insoluble' meaning, once applied and dried, the pesticide cannot be washed away or diluted by a downpour of rain after its application.


  • Granular treatments for pests such as ants, ground spiders, fleas and lawn grubs are specially formulated pellets which actually need water to activate. When the rain makes contact with this treatment, the insecticide can penetrate into the soil deeper and destroy any nearby insects. In cases of dry periods or sandy areas, we'll often advise our clients to soak their yard (before or after) our treatment to assist in making it the most effective.


  • When it's wet and the ground’s soft and damp, most pests, especially ants & ground spiders, will actually come out from hiding underground because they’re looking to escape the moisture from their nests. This results in the treatment being more effective, as we are applying the treatment directly to the pests!


When should I cancel my pest control treatment?


There will be some exceptions depending on the treatments being done, but for most cases, you won’t need to reschedule your appointment.


If your pest control treatment falls on a rainy day, consider getting the internals done (and the external finished when the weather has cleared). This gives your home protection from all the pests making their way inside away from the wet weather!

Obviously if you’re only having the inside of the property treated there is no need to cancel due to rainy weather, but there are a few things you need to be aware of if it’s been raining and you intend on having the outside done.


  • As mentioned above, many of the insecticides that we use are insoluble and won’t be washed away by rainfall, however if it’s been raining heavily for days on end and the weather only looks to be getting worse, then it might be best to reschedule those external treatments.


  • Pesticides need to “bind” to the surface it is being applied to. If you have pools of water over your paths or your external walls have water running off them, our technician will advise a treatment to the protected & internal areas only and then pop back to complete external areas once the weather has improved.




In Summary


If poor weather prompts a reschedule we highly recommend proceeding with your internal treatment anyway to give your home protection from the pest activity that will ensue from the rains outside.


Then, once's the weather clears up we can finish the external area without needing access to your home.


When treating the outside of the home, especially when spraying, we apply a thin film of insecticide spray. The product dries within 10 minutes, so if it rains a short time later, it won’t affect the treatment.


Any treatments performed at ground level, work best if it’s damp. In fact, in the drier months for certain treatments we’ll usually advise, “If it’s not damp, give it a bit of a hose as this helps our treatment soak in.”


So, in summary it really depends on the type of treatment as to whether or not the treatment might need to be rescheduled or affected in any way, but typically this isn’t the case.


All Things Pest Control will always contact you beforehand or the technician will discuss this with you on the day if a reschedule is required. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give our team a call today.



All Things Pest Control logo with house and 3 circles with a spiders, cockroach and termite. Award decal for best business in Mackay
Mackay's Best Pest Control Business since 2017!

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2 коментарі


Andrew Tate
Andrew Tate
a day ago

Thanks for sharing these insights about pest control! If anyone is looking for reliable pest control in Vancouver, check this out!

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seo working
seo working
31 січ.

If you’re dealing with a bee infestation, it’s essential to act quickly and contact professionals. For expert services in bee removal Toronto, Pesticon offers reliable and safe solutions to ensure your home or business is free from unwanted bees.


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