Thermal fogging is a pest management technique that releases little fog particles with a diameter of less than 50 microns. It is mostly used to control flying and crawling insects (such as cockroaches and mosquitoes) and is carried out by a thermal fogger employing thermo-pneumatic energy.
Thermal foggers, as the name implies, use heat to create fog – vaporising a fogging solution before spraying it out as a fog. A typical thermal fogger in Singapore utilises a heat barrel that is heated to high temperature using petrol. The fogging solution is liquid, and when injected into the heat barrel, it rapidly evaporates. This enables the fogger to create a vast number of particles of extremely small size, which combine to form a dense cloud of fog.
The fogging solution consists of a small ratio of pesticide
mixed with a larger ratio of water-based carrier or oil-based carrier. This solution gets sprayed out of the nozzle during fogging.
Diesel and kerosene are examples of oil-based carriers, whereas ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and propanetriol are examples of compounds used in
water-based carriers. To successfully control insects, both types of carriers must be mixed with a pesticide such as pyrethroids.
To avoid the risks of fire, thermal foggers should not be used indoors since they operate at high temperatures. Furthermore, the burning of fuel in thermal foggers results in the production of hazardous combustion pollutants.
Instead, a ULV fogger is more suitable for indoor pest management!
Oil-based or Water-Based Fogging?
Water-based fogging does not leave an oily coating on surfaces exposed to the fog, in contrast to oil-based fogging.
When compared to oil-based carriers, water-based fogging is not phytotoxic to plants, has less notable odour, and a lower chance of irritation.
However, classic water-based fogging solution produces less smoke than oil-based fogging, and some people believe that less smoke is not as efficient in repelling mosquitoes.
PPE for Fogging
PPE is essential in fogging operations to protect workers from pesticide exposure, ensure respiratory safety, provide skin protection, maintain visibility, comply with regulations, and promote public safety awareness.
Personal Protective Equipment for Fogging: Essential Components
Respirators
- Prevent inhalation of harmful vapours.
Safety Goggles or Face Shields
- Protect eyes from splashes and chemical exposure.
Heat-Resistant Gloves
- Avoid skin contact with high temperatures.
Long-Sleeved Clothing and Protective Suits
- Provide additional skin protection from chemicals.
Safety Shoes
- Preferably ankle-high and made from anti-slip materials.
- Protect against spills, punctures, and injuries from falling objects.
Additional Considerations
- Select PPE Based on Chemicals Used
- Refer to the product’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for specific requirements.
Proper Training
- Ensure individuals know how to correctly don and doff PPE to maximise safety.
Maintenance of PPE
- Regularly check and maintain all equipment to ensure effectiveness during fogging activities.
Where (and Where Not) to Fog?
Knowing that adult mosquitoes prefer to rest in cool, damp, and shady areas, you can easily determine where to fog. These include ornamentals, shrubs, mulch beds, shady grassy areas, trees, and vegetation up to 3 metres high. Treatment should also include building foundations and shaded areas on buildings such as under eaves and overhangs and beneath decks. Some places to avoid treating include vegetable or herb gardens, as well as near fishponds.
Is Thermal Fogging Safe?
The fogging insecticides approved for use by the National Environment Agency (NEA) have no long-term environmental impact, and the doses employed are minimal and considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).
When mixed at the correct ratio, the active ingredients in the pesticide can only kill insects like mosquitoes but occasional exposure is harmless to humans and mammals.
Downside to Fogging
Fogging is a method for controlling adult mosquitoes but not sufficient to stop mosquito larvae from becoming adults. Instead, larviciding is a more effective strategy for larval control.
Fogging can kill any insects that come into direct contact with the fog – that includes male mosquitoes that do NOT bite and even non-target insects such as bees and butterflies. Pesticides are very harmful to untargeted insects and may have a negative impact on beneficial insects’ populations, which in turn might leave an impact on food production due to a lack of pollination.
Because the pesticides used in fogging do not leave a long residual effect, only when the chemicals come into direct touch with mosquitoes does fogging work. Furthermore, to limit the mosquito population, thermal fogging must be repeated every week.
In2Care Mosquito Station as an Eco-Friendly Alternative to Fogging
In2Care mosquito stations offer greater, wider, and long-term mosquito control in the outdoors.
The active ingredients in the trap/station contain an approved fungus that kills the mosquito several days after exposure which helps prevent disease transmission. The adult mosquitos visiting the In2Care mosquito trap will disseminate larvicide to other breeding places around the vicinity before the fungus takes its toll on them. In this approach, the In2Care trap decreases mosquito populations and continuously maintains them low.
Because it is family-friendly, pet-friendly, does not need power supply and does not produce combustion pollutants, it is a greener and more effective alternative than thermal fogging. It also has no negative effects on other helpful insects such as bees and butterflies.
Each trap effectively covers an area of 400 square metres which equals 4300 square feet. The In2Care Trap/Station offers effective long-term 24/7 mosquito control with reduced need for additional periodic chemical spraying.