Laser-diffraction characterization of flat-fan nozzles used to develop aerosol clouds of aerially applied mosquito adulticides.

The importance of appropriate drop size and density for successful mosquito adulticide applications mandates the necessity for accurate determination of drop spectra of a particular nozzle. There is considerable disparity between mass median diameter (MMD) determinations for flat-fan nozzles relative to the horizontal or vertical orientation of the microscope slide used to collect the drops. To remove this ambiguity, the definitive MMDs of flat-fan nozzles used in aerially applied mosquito control adulticides were determined by laser-diffraction-based characterization and analysis.