3 ways to protect yourself from the dangers of pesticides

Pest control products can be pretty effective in the garden and in the home, but they can also wreak havoc on your children. Here’s why these products are dangerous.

Every pesticide comes with a set of instructions and precautions. Some may ask you to wear protective gear and to wash your hands properly after use, but almost all of them will require that you keep away from the affected area for a certain amount of time. This is because the chemicals used in pest control products are very strong.

But why do pesticides use such strong chemicals? Because bugs are that strong. We’ve all heard at one point or another that cockroaches would probably survive the apocalypse. The hard truth is they would – and most other bugs would fare almost as well. Only a conspiracy can account for pesticide packaging omitting to suggest that you should wear a moon suit when using it indoors or outdoors. Why do you think exterminators set up a tent around a home when called in to fumigate?

If pesticides are harmful to fully grown human beings, just imagine the havoc they can wreak on your children’s developing respiratory and reproductive systems, as well as their brains. From poisoning to cancer, the adverse effects of pesticides occur at an accelerated rate and with greater intensity when it comes to children.

So what can you do instead? Try Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, a method for eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides by addressing natural solutions that lessen the prevalence of pests. It can even be a more effective solution. Here’s why: if you can create an environment in which pests won’t want to live, they won’t come to you and you won’t need to use pesticides. But if you do employ pesticides without addressing the inherent conditions in your home or garden that make the environment hospitable to these critters, you’re likely to have a recurrent problem – and to suffer from the adverse effects of pesticides.

Finally, if you must employ pesticides, consider the risks for yourself, your children, and the person using them. Remember to only employ a technician who has been provided with adequate protective equipment by his or her employer.