Links to other informative articles: Chemicals—Friend and Foe?
Links to interesting sites; A Flood of Man-Made Chemicals Chemicals-Friend and Foe? How Toxic Is Your Home? For a Healthier, Safer Home Who Will Clean Up Our Earth?
Washington Poison Center: 1-800-765-6985
Also see The Audubon Guide to Home Pesticides
FOR EMERGENCY CALL 911
Are pesticides
really safe? No product that is labeled to kill stuff, should
ever be 
considered completely safe. That is why they have
caution and
warning labels on them. They are to make us aware that the could cause harm. However, it is worth
noting, that some products are much safer than others. Every year the
general public demands more and more safer products and complete discloser of
their contents. Consequently, manufactures and professional applicators
are constantly searching for smarter safer ways to get the job done.
We at Bugaboo are always on the look out for the safest methods and products available. As we discover them, we want to inform our customers about them, and incorporate them into our service. At the same time, as new reports and information becomes available concerning products that cause harm to people and the environment, we feel obliged to bring it to your attention.
Some of the chemicals that have been in the news and are being seriously questioned to to today are listed on this site under dangerous poisons. More attention is now being given to a classification of chemicals called pyrethrins. While considered all natural, caution still needs to be exercised when using products containing Pyrethrin. Also, they have a limited life span, which is bad when killing bugs, but better for the people and environment around them. We at Bugaboo use pyrethrins quite extensively in our treatments.
Another type of chemical that is very popular these days are synthetic pyrethrins. They are synthetic pyrethrins. They contain many of the safety features of natural pyrethrins, but last much longer.
Baits containing small amounts of ingredients such as Abamectin are becoming extremely popular in controlling many insects.
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons / Really bad stuff
Chlorinated
Hydrocarbons are "Man-made"
insecticides. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, the EPA banned most chlorinated
hydrocarbons (i.e. DDT, aldrin, chlordane) from use in the U.S. because it
persisted in the environment and accumulated in the fatty tissue of animals.
But today the more common types of insecticides used in the pest control
industry and some "do-it-yourself" product contain
organophosphates.
Organophosphates / use caution
You'll
find organophosphate formulations under the common names such as Dursban
and Diazinon. These products kill insects by
causing an irreversible inhibition of the cholinesterase enzyme in the nervous
system. It simple terms, it breaks down nerve communications. Mammals such as
humans, dogs and cats also have cholinesterase and could be harmed by these
chemicals. Organophosphates are
becoming more and more controversial and many environmentalists would prefer to
see them disappear.
CAUTION
WARNING DANGER-POISON
(LD50 of 500 to 5,000 mg/kg)
(LD50 of 50 to 500 mg/kg) (LD50 of 0 to 50
mg/kg)
EPA Toxicity Ratings: Most pesticides are designed to kill something and must be used with care. The EPA requires labeling products with the words "WARNING", "CAUTION", or "DANGER-POISON" to alert consumers to their toxicity. These designations are partially based on the acute "lethal dose 50" (LD50) of the active ingredients—the amount in milligrams per kilogram of body weight necessary to kill half a sample population of mice. The lower the LD50, the more toxic the pesticide. Products with "WARNING" or "DANGER" (products that need a "DANGER" label are restricted in use) can also cause severe burning. Labels vary based on formulations, so read the instructions carefully.