How effective are backyard misting installations?
They can be effective, but there are better and much less expensive solutions in the marketplace. Pesticide misting systems are a hybrid irrigation system that was invented by the landscaping industry. It is not an abatement strategy used or endorsed by U.S., State, or local governments, nor traditional environmental vector management professionals in the field or researchers in academia. Environmental public health moved away from the overuse of pesticides 3 decades ago with a better understanding of the science behind mosquitoes. Technology has advanced the limited use of effective, long-lasting insecticides with an integrated abatement strategy. Misting systems can needlessly spray non-target insects and animals, can be misdirected by shifts in weather, and require the storing of large amounts of EPA-registered pesticides on-site. That being said, it is a product that is being sold to the high-end residential market. There are probably happy consumers and also consumers who are not
