The Evolution of Pest Strips and Holders: Closing the Final Gap with Sewer Assassin
What Are Pest Strips and Holders?
The evolution of pest strips & holders has transformed how professionals manage pests in challenging environments. Pest strips are simple yet effective pest control tools made from polymer materials infused with insecticide. As the insecticide slowly vaporizes, it provides continuous protection in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces. Because they don’t require constant reapplication, pest strips remain a trusted solution for managing pests in hard-to-reach or problem-prone areas.
To make them practical and safe to use, pest strip holders were developed. These holders keep the strips in place and extend their usefulness across different environments. Early holders were basic wire cages or clips, but as the evolution of pest strips & holders continued, their designs advanced to meet the demands of tougher applications.
The Early Uses of Pest Strips
When pest strips were first introduced decades ago, they quickly gained popularity for their convenience and versatility. Homeowners used them in closets to protect clothing from moths or in pantries to defend against pantry pests. Farmers and facility managers placed them in barns, storage sheds, and even animal housing to control flies and mosquitoes.
The appeal was clear: pest strips delivered long-lasting vapor action without the constant labor of reapplying sprays or dusts. That around-the-clock protection made them an easy, low-maintenance solution in places where traditional treatments weren’t practical.
Active Ingredients in Pest Strips and Modern Advances
Over the years, the active ingredients in pest strips have changed. Early versions often relied on organophosphates, but today the gold standard for professional use is dichlorvos (DDVP), found in Nuvan® ProStrips. DDVP provides consistent vapor action and has labeling that allows use in drains and plumbing lines—a critical advancement for addressing pests where they often originate.
Holders Step Up
As pest strips expanded into harsher environments, holders had to become more durable. The old designs made of wire or brittle plastics often failed when exposed to moisture, heat, or corrosive conditions. Modern pest strip holders are now built from advanced materials that can withstand those challenges.
The Sewer Assassin pest strip holder takes this a step further. It’s engineered from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)—a material prized for its strength, flexibility, and resistance to water and chemicals. TPU ensures that strips can perform inside the demanding environment of plumbing systems, where older holder designs simply couldn’t survive.
Sewer Assassin: A Breakthrough Innovation
The evolution of pest strips and holders has reached a new level with the Sewer Assassin®, the first pest control system designed specifically for use in sewers and plumbing lines. Purpose-built to work with Nuvan ProStrips, its TPU holder allows pest management professionals to deploy strips directly where American cockroaches, drain flies, and other pests originate.
This matters because many infestations don’t begin in kitchens, basements, or restrooms—they start deep inside the sewer system. By placing pest strips at the source, Sewer Assassin gives professionals the power to prove, monitor, and control sewer-based pests before they migrate indoors.
Closing the Final Gap
From protecting clothes in closets to controlling flies in barns, pest strips have always been a practical solution. With stronger, more advanced holders, their reach has expanded into harsher and more challenging environments. Now, the Sewer Assassin closes the final gap by making pest strip deployment inside plumbing systems both practical and effective.
For pest management professionals, that means fewer reinfestations, stronger proof of control, and better results for customers—all made possible by a modern holder built to survive the toughest conditions.
Pest Strips and Holders: FAQs on Closing the Last Gap in Pest Control
What exactly are pest strips, and how do they work?
Pest strips are resin or plastic strips infused with insecticide that slowly release a vapor into the surrounding air, providing continuous control against certain flying and crawling insects in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces. The active ingredient, such as dichlorvos (DDVP), evaporates over time and penetrates cracks, voids, and harborage areas where pests hide, delivering long-lasting protection without constant reapplication.
Why were pest strip holders developed in the first place?
Pest strip holders were created to keep strips secured in place, extend their usable environments, and prevent direct contact or accidental displacement in real-world conditions. Early holders were basic wire cages or clips, but as strips were used in barns, sheds, and tougher spaces, more robust holder designs became necessary to withstand moisture, heat, and physical stress.
How have pest strips been used historically in pest control?
Initially, pest strips were popular in closets and pantries where homeowners needed low-maintenance protection against moths and pantry pests. Over time, farmers and facility managers adopted them in barns, storage sheds, and animal housing to control flies and mosquitoes thanks to their around-the-clock vapor action.
What makes modern pest strip technology different from older versions?
Older pest strips often used different organophosphate chemistries, whereas today’s professional standard is dichlorvos (DDVP), found in products like Nuvan ProStrips that offer more consistent, predictable vapor release. Modern labeling also includes specific guidance that allows qualified professionals to use these strips in drains and plumbing lines, opening up a critical treatment zone that older labels did not explicitly support.
Why is the active ingredient DDVP in Nuvan ProStrips so important here?
DDVP delivers a steady, controlled vapor that can move through confined spaces such as drains, sewer lines, and voids, reaching pests that are inaccessible to sprays or dusts. Because Nuvan ProStrips are labeled for use in drains and plumbing when used correctly, they are uniquely suited to pair with Sewer Assassin’s in-plumbing holder design.
