Spray characterization of ultra-low-volume sprayers typically used in vector control.

Numerous spray machines are used to apply pesticides for the control of human disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and flies, and the selection and setup of these machines significantly affects the level of control achieved during an application. The droplet spectra produced by 9 different ultra-low-volume sprayers with oil- and water-based spray solutions were evaluated along with 2 thermal foggers with the use of diesel-based spray solutions. The droplet spectra from the sprayers were measured with the use of laser diffraction droplet sizing equipment. The volume median diameter from the sprayers ranged from 14.8 to 61.9 microm for the oil-based spray solutions and 15.5 to 87.5 microm for the water-based spray solutions. The 2 thermal foggers generated sprays with a volume median diameter of 3.5 microm. The data presented will allow spray applicators to select the spray solution and sprayer that generate the droplet-size spectra that meet the desired specific spray application scenarios.