Further evaluation of spray characterization of sprayers typically used in vector control

This work reports droplet-size data measured as part of a collaborative testing program between the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and the US Navy, Navy Entomological Center for Excellence. This is an ongoing relationship that seeks to test new and revised spray technologies that may potentially be used by deployed personnel. As new equipment comes to market or when existing equipment is modified they are all integrated into this annual testing. During the 2011 equipment evaluations, 24 sprayers were operated across their range of available settings (pressure and flow rate), using both water and oil solutions. Droplet-size data as measured with laser diffraction ranged from 4 to 223 microm (volume median diameter). Generally, as the spray rate increased, droplet size increased, and as the pressure increased at a given same spray rate, droplet size decreased. This information allows users to set up and operate these sprayers in a manner such that a particular droplet size is applied optimizing efficiency and efficacy of applications.