The Andersons Duocide

Where do you get it? #

The Andersons Duocide Lawn Insecticide Control (18 lb.)

Why should you buy it? #

Duocide Insecticide Control has carbaryl (for grubs, fall armyworms, sod webworms, cutworms, etc) and bifenthrin (for beetles and other insects) which will kill above and below the surface of the lawn. There are almost no true dual action insecticides like this so this is the more effective and only insecticide I use now. You can read more about grubs in the “Grubs! The insect you must kill before they kill your grass” section and Fall Armyworms in the “Fall Armyworms! The other insect that will kill your bermudagrass” section.

A grub preventative such as Chlorantraniliprole 0.08% (Scott’s GrubEx) only gave me about 65-80% grub control. I could lift up sections of grass and still find live grubs. So still had a lot of grass damage caused by them eating the roots of the grass underground. Duocide fixed the issue that the Scott’s GrubEx could not so it is now the only insecticide I use. Follow the schedule when applying this and you will not have grub or armyworm damage to your Bermuda grass.

What’s in it? #

Carbaryl and Bifenthrin are the 2 active ingredients. It’s a one-two knockout punch for all types of insects that can harm your lawn as well as mosquitoes and fire ants! Two horrible insects we all have to deal with in Texas lawns! It can be used in and around flower beds, on and around ornamental plantings, and around the outside of buildings.

The granules themselves are very tiny using the DG (Dispersing Granule) particle technology which causes it to dissolve upon contact with water very quickly. DG particles disperse quickly and completely when watered, moving directly into the soil. In a heavy rain or over-irrigation, conventional granule particles may float and be carried off the intended application area, or be deposited in low lying areas, where they may cause ineffectiveness. Duocide does not have this problem.

Carbaryl #

Carbaryl is a man-made pesticide that is toxic to insects. It is commonly used to control aphids, fire ants, fleas, ticks, spiders, and many other outdoor pests. It was developed in the 1950’s by Union Carbide and there are over 190 pesticide products in the US that contain it. You may have heard it called Sevin by Bayer Company a long time ago which is the trademarked name. Bayer bought Aventis CropScience in 2002 which included the Union Carbide carbaryl patent.

Please do note that the Sevin trademark name was sold to GardenTech and they reformulated their granular product with Bifenthrin instead of Carbaryl. Bifenthrin alone will not work on grubs since it will bind to the grass and never get down to the roots where the grubs are. The only known pesticides that will kill grubs are Carbaryl and Trichlorfon (also known under the trademarked name Bayer Dylox). You may also see grub preventatives like Imidacloprid which are systemic insect control, meaning the grass has to absorb it and then bugs eat the grass. Imidacloprid will take some time to work for this reason. It works as an appetite suppressant for newly hatched grub larvae which should be used around Spring time only. It will not kill them and just makes them starve to death early which is why it is considered a preventative and not a corrective/curative (aka instant killer). Carbaryl pesticides will work immediately on contact are sometimes very hard to find. This is why I love using Duocide when I really need to kill all the grubs in the lawn quickly before they cause severe damage in the late Summer or Fall.

When insects eat or touch carbaryl, it overstimulates their nervous systems. Nerves pass along signals to other nerves using the signaling chemical, acetylcholine. When it reaches its target, it has a stimulating effect on these nerves. Normally, an enzyme then quickly breaks down this signaling chemical. This allows nerves to return to rest. Carbaryl prevents this enzyme from working properly. This keeps affected nerves stimulated continuously, resulting in the inability to contract breathing muscles, ultimately causing the death of insect pests. You will notice grubs sometimes come to the surface and wriggle around as they die.

Carbaryl also acts as a growth regulator but its effects are minimal on properly fertilized and watered Bermuda grass.

Be careful using it around honeybees as it will kill them. They also unfortunately kill beneficial earthworms in your lawn’s soil.

Bifenthrin #

Bifenthrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family. Pyrethroids are manmade versions of pyrethrins, which come from chrysanthemum flowers. Bifenthrin interferes with the nervous system of insects when they eat or touch it. It was developed in the 1980’s and there are over 600 pesticide products in the US containing it so it is extremely popular and effective. You may have heard it called Talstar, Bifen, etc.

Bifenthrin works on bugs on top of your soil so anything that lives in your grass like Fall Armyworms, Sod Webworms, Fire Ants, Mosquitoes, Spiders, Crickets, etc. This is why Bifenthrin alone won’t do anything against White Grubs.

Be careful using it around fish and honeybees as the Bifenthrin will kill them as well. Be very careful when spreading around ponds.

How do you use it? #

Duocide will arrive in a small black 18 lb bag like this:

Here is a zoom in on the label telling you what rate to lay it down for the insect you are trying to kill:

Here are the spreader settings you should use. Choose the amount of product needed from the table above to kill the insect you are targetting and then set your spreader as below to match that rate. Grubs will need the medium or high rate because they are hardier and live lower in your soil: