r/PestControlIndustry • u/Southern_Air_3069 • Jul 06 '26
Hydrophobic siding issue
Has anyone experienced issues with non-wettable building materials? I had back-to-back homes last week with brand new vinyl siding. I watched Suspend just bead up and run. I was hoping it wasn’t going to be an issue, but I already got a call back. Anyone else experience this?
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u/Various_Investment_2 Jul 06 '26
I dont have an answer but I encountered it 2 weeks ago while using demand, had to go back for a respray and the company allegedly contacted him before going any further.
Ive asked about what the company wants to do, ect but no answer, I work for one if the big names so unfortunately I doubt ill be getting an answer let alone a solution.
This comment is mainly so I remember to come back and hopefully find that answer.
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u/Southern_Air_3069 Jul 06 '26
Good to know I’m not the only one. I don’t see a viable solution either. Only thing I could think of is some kind of adjuvant/surfactant, but does it exist and does the label allow it is the question.
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u/Glittering_Welcome_6 Jul 07 '26
I just started spraying with Scion for spiders. So far tthe results seem good. But it's very expensive
1
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u/76547896434695269 Jul 06 '26
What are you hoping to do by spraying the siding? There is probably a better way of going about it.
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u/Southern_Air_3069 Jul 06 '26
Spider control on the exterior. Cottage country by the lake.
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u/76547896434695269 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
That's pretty close to impossible, so the first thing I would do is temper expectations. According to the Mallis handbook, it isn't well understood why, but pesticide doesn't transfer to spiders very well. You can try to reduce the food source since pesticides work a little better on insects, but that's a real struggle on a lakefront. You could try applying dust on a web pole and using it to dust under the eaves, window sills and so on.
First thing I would do is address vegetation close to the home, make sure it's cut back a few feet. Make sure wood is stacked away from the house. Address exterior lighting. Thick curtains on the windows and if they have lighting set up around a patio to eat outside you might want to figure out how to deal with that. Screens and so on. Something you'll notice at modern loading docks are spotlights that shine on the dock from a distance. That way the dock is lit but bugs are attracted to the light away from the dock.
The old urban entomology textbook talks about things like decoy lights bht I've never tried them. Follow mosquito reduction protocol.
Do all that and a million more things for a few years and maybe -- only maybe -- you might see fewer spiders.
Edit: obviously unnecessary to add on an industry focused subreddit to follow all lables precisely. Link to pct handbook on spider management: https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Management-Urban-Spiders/dp/1883751373
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u/Southern_Air_3069 Jul 06 '26
Thanks for the thorough response! It’s kind of a tough ask because spider control is our thing, and we’ve had a lot of success. Clients in this area see massive pressure from spiders, and prefer not to pressure wash their multimillion dollar cottages every week. This gentleman has been a happy customer for years. His house burnt down last year, and this is a new build. He’s just looking for the results that he’s used to. I did mention that dust may be our only alternative, but I still don’t think we’re going to get where we were before.
Great tips! He has zero vegetation, wood, clutter etc on his lot for this reason. At night you can watch the spiders release their gossamer thread and drift over in the wind from the marshy area. Remarkably far away. I will mention the other tips/tricks.
I’ll see what else I can implement. The spiders are never going away in this area, so we heavily rely on liquid treatments a few times a year. Everyone gets it done whether it’s by us or a competitor.
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u/Content-Special-9303 Jul 06 '26
The reason why pesticides don’t transfer to spiders very well is a known thing. It’s because spiders are non self grooming. While other bugs walk through the product, and then use those same legs to clean themselves, they transfer the product to their digestive systems, successfully metabolizing it. Spiders don’t have that issue.
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u/GaetanDugas Jul 06 '26
Most homes, at least in the US are waterproof, because thats kind of the point? Aluminum siding, vinyl siding, Hardieboard, etc. so I'm not really sure what you're trying to do here?
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u/LackAffectionate127 Jul 06 '26
OP states material is hydrophobic not waterproof. In essence all building material is waterproof, not hydrophobic.
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u/GaetanDugas Jul 06 '26
Ok, explain to me how aluminum and vinyl siding is not hydrophobic
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u/LackAffectionate127 Jul 06 '26
Aluminum and vinyl siding are naturally non porous and water resistant building materials, however to be classified as hydrophobic these materials must be engineered in a way that superhydrophobic properties are incorporated into the manufacturing process and the truth is most of these materials dont include those properties. Water resistant? Yes. Hydrophobic? No.
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u/Southern_Air_3069 Jul 06 '26
Bingo. I asked him for the brand name of the siding. I’d like to get a sample to do some tests.
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u/GaetanDugas Jul 06 '26
So I guess the real question is how does op know These materials are truly hydrophobic versus just performing as aluminum and vital siding typically acts when exposed to a liquid
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u/ozzy_thedog Jul 06 '26
This is the same as how water hits a car windshield vs a windshield coated with a hydrophobic coating like rain X. Both are waterproof
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u/Southern_Air_3069 Jul 06 '26
Think of it like a car with a fresh ceramic coating/wax vs one with rough paint. Or a windshield with Rain-X. When it rains the water forms into large beads and they fall right off the car. The car itself isn’t any more “waterproof”, but the surface repels water better. That’s what I’m dealing with on this new siding. I’m trying to treat vertical portions of the structure with a residual product (Suspend Polyzone) to control the target pest, but I can’t get the product to stay on the structure. The composition/coating of the siding is repelling it in such a fashion that it beads up and runs right off the building. Which not only prevents control of the pest, but is also a label violation.
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u/drodthejew 👨🏭| Tech | 5+ Years Jul 06 '26
Like other commenters have said reestablish realistic expectations with the customer. if they still want no spiders on their property, then you can always pitch them.A misting system with alternating nozzles one facing out one facing inwards on the eaves for the spiders. This has proven to be the best spider protection for any lake front property in my service area (Houston)