Home Gardeners Few pesticides are used in the pure or undiluted form by the consumer. Therefore, the preparation of pesticides so that they can be applied in a dust, granular, suspension or emulsifiable form is referred to as formulation . Therefore, the properties of the carrier or diluent largely determine physical properties and quality of the finished product.
Diluents are usually talcs, clays or diatomaceous earth.
Sometimes wheat flour or powdered nut hulls are used as diluents for special purposes. The quality of formulated dust products can be determined by spreading a small amount of the material on a light-colored, smooth surface with a knife blade. Spots or streaks show that the material was poorly mixed. Improperly blended or mixed dusts will not spread the toxicant evenly on the treated surface. If the dust is unusually gritty, the material was not ground sufficiently.