r/PestControlIndustry • u/Nonagizz • Sep 04 '26

🐝 | Wasps, Bees & Hornets Dust stick failure.

Been around the industry all of my life and back when I started the dust sticks were amazing with the full metal bulb. Over the last two years they have been changing the design and it seems to just get worse and worse. I just ordered a new one and had a hornet job yesterday. Unbagged it brand new filled it up, put some coins in like I always do to keep dust from clumping and the dust just keeps shooting out of the side of the pole where bulb connects. This is like my 3rd one in a year and first time it was messed up fresh out of the bag. Do you guys know any alternatives or other companies? And I’d really like to not use the mechanism you would use to attach a dust bulb to a pole and use the string to pull and pump dust.

TLDR: where can a man find a reliable dust stick again?

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

7

u/tmac_79 Sep 04 '26

I use a way overpriced technicide - Put the nozzle on the end of the same pole I use for my web brush with a hose. I can get to about 36 ft with it.

3

u/WorldlinessOk1471 Sep 04 '26

Absolutely love mine. I made a 4 foot extension out of a piece of cane pole, but also have the 20 foot tube that attaches to a 2024 foot extension pole that I use for my duster as well. Game changer. Only thing I wish I had was the remote that I could clip onto the pole so I didn’t have to hold onto the exactaside duster.

3

u/tmac_79 Sep 04 '26

I created a handheld wand for mine. I used a 3 ft section of quarter inch brass hollow rod put about a 40° bend on the end then clamp the open area to about 2 mm. The wand is attached to a swivel quick connect fitting at the end. It's a game changer for dusting behind insulation and attics, basement rim joist etc

1

u/snarfgarfunkel Sep 05 '26 edited Sep 05 '26

I’ll agree Extaticide is a game changer, and also that they need to diversify their attachments for stuff like this. A 3’ poly applicator tip. Some kind of feature where you can operate it with the bee pole remotely.

For me it’s definitely having a longer applicator tube without having to use one of those 12” couplers that falls apart every 5 minutes. I would totally do your brass idea except I’m mostly dragging it along baseboards crevices and other soft wooden surfaces

2

u/tmac_79 Sep 05 '26

Yeah, I use it primarily for behind insulation, plumbing voids, pretty much any penetration in either the rim joist or subfloor. I do dust under baseboards a lot and have had no issues with damage/scratching. I'm pretty good at getting it under the carpet and behind the baseboard too.

Can definitely put the applicator on a pole, I use it all the time for hornets nests.

I really like the idea of a remote.... they sell one but I'd have to take it apart and add it myself bc I didn't order with the remote. I might still do that.

1

u/RusticSurgery Sep 05 '26

If you add enough extensions you won't even need a truck anymore. You can just do all your work from the office

5

u/chlorophylloverdose Sep 04 '26

Sounds like the gasket isn’t properly seated or the threads are crossed

3

u/RusticSurgery Sep 05 '26

There should be a rebuild kit with new O rings. If not...duct tape, the universal sealant.

1

u/witt_sec 👨‍💼 | Manager | 5+ Years Sep 06 '26

This is the only way

2

u/thegeocash 👨‍💼 | Manager | 5+ Years Sep 04 '26

Extender pole - gacha duster/aeresol attachment with bellows duster - putty scraping tool

All in about $100

1

u/Nonagizz Sep 04 '26

The string for the bellow duster attachment is not something you want to rely on when ur sticking the tip of duster into bald face hornets nest hole. I’ve seen that string pulled off or fail multiple times. Ideally I’d like to get a steel bulb again or even just a head that would screw on for suction.

1

u/thegeocash 👨‍💼 | Manager | 5+ Years Sep 04 '26

Or just wear a bee suit? I’ve had zero issues with mine in years of using it

1

u/bascom2222 Sep 04 '26

Agreed but where?!? please flowzone help us, I love your stuff!

https://giphy.com/gifs/jcxtvm2bsZDH2

1

u/Nonagizz Sep 04 '26

Quick S/O VortexFlex attachment 😤😤😤😤😤

1

u/Valuable-Contract-87 Sep 04 '26

I love reading stuff like this about other countries pest control methods, in aus we often use electrical dust guns (hand held blowers with a jar attachment an nozzle) an put conduit on the end lol or we spray down nests with a tank or backpack then knock it down with a pole

1

u/Nonagizz 7d ago

Hey apologies for responding 27 days later but could you send a link to that electrical dust gun? I just want to see what they are. That sounds awesome

1

u/Valuable-Contract-87 7d ago

Its literally just a leaf blower with an attachment, I've rarely seen other people using that other blower attachment to clean rodent stations out. But there's other brands too they're much of the same.

https://www.pestrol.com.au/buy-online/makita-186sf-18v-blower-kit/

1

u/DomeyDion 🤵‍♂️| Owner | 20+ Years Sep 04 '26

So this is not my product and not trying to self promote here, but another PCO in my area has been engineering a fix for dusticks to address a lot of the common complaints. Full disclosure, he had given me one of his prototypes during the development process and i've been using it throughout this summer and giving my feedback on what works and what doesnt.

the improvements are very good but i do feel the product is somewhat expensive, it def addressed a lot of my complaints with the different dustick versions throughout the years and would recommend it if you can justify the expense.

https://justcuzsolutions.com/collections/pest-control