Sprayer-Mounted Leaf Blower Wipes Out Mosquitoes

Sprayer-Mounted Leaf Blower Wipes Out Mosquitoes MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Pest Animals A 2-wheeled yard sprayer combined with a leaf blower can be used to make an effective mosquito fogger says Marlin Galde Wahpeton N Dak The leaf blower mounts on a turntable at the back of the sprayer and can be rotated back and forth up to 180 degrees by pulling on a pair of ropes from the tractor The 2-wheeled yard sprayer was originally equipped with a boom on back operated by a small electric pump Galde replaced the boom with a Stihl leaf blower attaching it to a small wooden frame that rides on the turntable Wooden dowels protrude from both sides of the wooden frame and are attached to ropes that run up to the tractor Vertical bolts on both sides of the L-shaped platform serve as rotation stops The sprayer’s hand-operated spray wand fits inside the blower’s plastic discharge tube and is used to “atomize” the spray The tube had to be lengthened in order to make room for the wand so Galde cut a 1-ft length of plastic tubing off an old Sears Craftsman leaf blower and clamped it onto the end of the Stihl discharge tube Then he drilled a hole in it and inserted the wand’s brass nozzle extending it about 3/4 in beyond the end of the tube A hose on the tank hooks up to the wand by means of a screw-on adapter “It works fine and greatly reduces mosquito populations that transmit the West Nile Virus and other diseases ” says Galde “I usually spray in the morning when mosquitoes are still in the grass shrubs and trees I use it on my 2-acre yard and also on my neighbor’s yard It works fast I can spray my yard in only about 10 min ” The last 8 in of the sprayer wand is factory bent at an angle Galde tightened the wand’s nozzle so that it points upward at a 30 degree angle for better coverage in trees and shrubs “The blower sends spray about 20 ft out and about 15 ft up so I can spray right up into shelterbelts ” says Galde “I use Tempo chemical which is quite effective and a little less toxic than some other chemicals ” The entire unit is held in place by a 6-in long 1/8-in dia metal pin so Galde can quickly detach the blower “I usually lock the leaf blower’s handle so that it runs at full rpm’s With the leaf blower running at full speed air comes out at about 180 mph so it kicks the spray out pretty good ” says Galde A wire runs from the electric pump up to the tractor where Galde mounted a toggle switch so he can start the pump without having to get off the tractor Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Marlin Galde 18075 78th St S E Wahpeton N Dak 58075 ph 701 899-1676; marlingalde7@wah midco net

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