Everyone knows that the fastest way to get rid of pests in your house is to use pest control services. These guys know what to do for these situations, and they have the equipment, the skills, and the experience in handling these types of cases. Their efforts usually end up appreciated by the homeowners because they helped them eliminate those insects and other pesky creatures that negatively affect their living status in their house.
However, one cannot help but think if the chemicals they use to get rid of those pests can have adverse effects and repercussions around us and the environment. With many people caring towards nature and living a more organic life where they do not use pesticides in growing their crops, this question has been raised so many times by different people to different pest control agencies.
This article answers this question and shares different tidbits of information on everything they should know about the effects of pest control chemicals on people and the environment.
How Pest Control Agencies Work: A Refresher
To understand how the chemicals can affect ourselves and the environment, let’s have a refresher first on how pest control agencies work for their clients.
Pest control agencies receive a phone call or an email, whatever method they choose, and then schedules the homeowner for an appointment. Then, they ask questions about what they should deal with when going there, such as the types of pests the homeowner has at home, the problems they cause, and other relevant information.
This is needed to bring their pesticides and other proper equipment to address the situation in the homeowner’s house as quickly as they can. Then, they go over to their client’s house and assess the situation in person before they prepare the chemicals and needed equipment before they start.
After that, they start by asking you to leave the house for the entire duration of the process. While you are away, they begin by spraying the chemicals on your home, injecting chemicals on your wood posts infested by termites, and checking if there are hives and other mounds for the pests to live. They also destroy these houses, either by natural or chemical methods, and wait for the problems to come out, choke, and die because of the pesticides.
Lastly, they clean the dead animals out, throw them on their trucks, and call you to say that the pest control process has finished. You will inspect their quality of work. You can also ask them about the following steps to prevent the infestation from happening again. They might recommend follow-up sessions to check if your house is doing well or if there need to be any steps taken to ensure your home is pest-free.
Chemicals Pest Control Agencies Use
It is essential to know that pest control companies and agencies have exclusive access to different kinds of chemicals they can use for their pest control appointments.
One of the most common pesticides used by pest control companies is boric acid. This is a naturally occurring substance, and it is also sustainable. It is also affordable and a known choice for homemakers to get rid of pests because it comes in different forms, such as pellets and powder.
The substance has a sweet taste, which can be a hazard for children mistaking it for sugar. The sweet taste also attracts pests, including ants, cockroaches, and termites. It does an excellent job killing all of the creatures mentioned above because they won’t know they are consuming sweet poison.
Another known pest control chemical that is commonly used is Fipronil. It has a variety of uses and a variety of pests that it can eliminate, such as ticks, fleas, ants, cockroaches, termites, crickets, beetles, and weevils. It can also be found in different variants, similar to boric acid. It is known to be less toxic to some people than boric acid.
Piperonyl butoxide is used to augment or supplement your other pesticides. You can see it as more of a booster, as it is known to impact insect metabolism. It makes the other pesticides more effective because it is silent but deadly. However, the EPA classifies this as a carcinogen, so not many pest control agencies use it in their projects.
Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are known to be the most common in pest control chemicals and substances. These substances mimic natural and botanical insecticides, such as chrysanthemum, which can be fatal to insects.
These are remarkably gentle towards humans, but they can be toxic to aquatic creatures. Therefore, pest control companies avoid using these chemicals if the houses have aquariums or koi ponds that can potentially be harmed by these substances.
There are other chemicals used by pest control companies. Still, they are used less often as they tend to cater to more specific infestations. Your pest control guys will bring just the substances they need to address your concerns as effectively as possible.
Adverse Effects on the People and Environment
While we already know that these pest control substances work to varying degrees of success, most of these substances can be harmful to people and the environment. It is essential to know that pest control agencies should only use sustainable and toxic chemicals to pests and not the other living creatures around the house, including humans.
Pesticides can seep through the bodies of water and therefore contaminate our water supply. Suppose there is too much pesticide content on bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans. In that case, it can harm the people using it and the ecosystems living in it.
Chemicals also harm your soil, as it decreases the general biodiversity in the area. It lowers the quality of the earth, making it less fertile for more crops, and therefore affects our food supply and others.
A significant decline in crop yields can also be attributed to pesticides. Nitrogen fixation is hindered by pesticides in soil, and it is a fundamental process because many large plants must grow.
When it is affected, it will soon impact crop yields, and it also kills honeybees. Honeybees act as pollinators, which is essential for crop propagation, reproduction, and pollination.
Lastly, chemicals used by pest control agencies can cause diseases to humans, or even death, especially boric acid. Boric acid tastes sweet even to human tongues. When consumed accidentally by children, leftovers from the pest extermination projects can cause sickness and death.
Final Thoughts
Indeed, pest control agencies are a godsend to homeowners who are constantly plagued by pests wreaking havoc in their homes. While they do such a great job in eliminating insects and other creatures ruining our quiet lifestyles, the chemicals they use can sometimes be dangerous to other animals and us and the environment.
It is essential to know if your pest control agency only uses safe and sustainable substances without negatively affecting those who are not supposed to be harmed by the chemicals. We are not saying that all pest control agencies do that. It is vital to be curious for a better life.
You can be assured that Hybrid Pest Control only uses the safest products as their exterminating substances. Most of their products are less toxic than table salt, which is enough to comfort us that they are genuinely telling the truth.
Their excellent handling of pest control projects, such as getting rid of gophers, termites, rats, and other typical household and commercial pests, are topnotch, which is why many people trust them. You can breathe easily with Hybrid Pest Control as they know what they are doing.
