In my Riverside ranch house, as of mid-September, a roach slipping into an outlet brings out a familiar reflex: aim the spray at the openings. The bug went in there, so it seems sensible to send the insecticide after it. I understand the impulse. I have looked at a wall plate and wanted the problem handled right where I last saw it.
But the place a roach disappears is not automatically a place to apply pesticide. Here in California, we still have to deal with the roaches; spraying into an electrical outlet is the part of that plan to drop. That distinction matters when you are standing there with the can in your hand. Putting it down is not giving up on control. It is choosing a different way to tackle the infestation.
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What UF/IFAS Extension says
UF/IFAS Extension warns: “Applying liquid sprays in certain areas may be extremely hazardous. For example, electrical outlets, motors, or exposed wiring pose a potential threat of electrical shock to persons applying water-based pesticide sprays.”…