Does anyone remember why DDT was banned in 1972? No other pesticide has done more for mankind than DDT worldwide. It has effectively dealt with malaria and a variety of other unnecessary diseases better than any other pesticide in the world.
So why the concern? Well, it lasts a really long time after it is applied. Residual DDT was found as the culprit in the weakening of the Bald Eagle eggs and the decline of our national treasure. Environmentalists will tell you that traces of it have been found in many other species. One should also note that there were already DDT resistant bed bugs in 1972.
So they were right to ban it in my opinion. But now given the hysteria that the US is experiencing with bed bugs, people are clamoring for a stronger chemical to kill them. Really? you want a stronger chemical in your home! That is the last place I want a strong chemical. We have no idea the long term effects of common household chemicals in our house today, much less the harsh insecticides. I cannot imagine adding a pesticide to my child's bed and being responsible for the possible implications for their long-term health.
The EPA is suggesting that chemical treatments of bedbugs should be avoided and non-chemical treatments or prevention methods should be used for bed bugs.
So cook the little bugs and then be extra careful in the future. Heat remediation, the green solution, is the way to go!
- Never use a pesticide indoors that are intended for outdoor use. It is very dangerous and won’t solve your bed bug problem.
- Using the wrong pesticide or using it incorrectly to treat for bed bugs can make you sick, may not solve the problem and could even make it worse by causing the bed bugs to hide where the pesticide won’t reach them.
- Check if the product is effective against bedbugs -- if a pest isn’t listed on the product label, the pesticide has not been tested on that pest and it may not be effective.
- Don’t use a product or allow a pest control operator to treat your home unless bed bugs are named on the product label.
- Before using any pesticide product, READ THE LABEL FIRST, then follow the directions for use. Keep in mind that any pesticide product without an EPA registration number has not been reviewed by EPA, so we haven’t determined how well the product works.