The importance of using approved products
The exterminator’s job is to apply the products and treatments required to effectively get rid of insects and other unwanted parasites.
Health Canada evaluates the risk of pesticides before authorizing their use in Canada. Health Canada only allows the use of pesticides that meet the department’s environmental and health protection standards.
In addition to conducting the pre-registration evaluation of pesticides for safety and effectiveness, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) also monitors pesticide use through a series of education, compliance, and enforcement programs. As part of this work, all registered pesticides are re-evaluated every 15 years, using the latest scientific methods to determine if they continue to meet Health Canada’s health and environmental standards.
Risks associated with homemade pesticides
Health Canada is advising consumers to be aware that preparing, storing, and using homemade pesticides may pose health and environmental safety risks, and reminds Canadians that any pesticide should be used judiciously, be it conventional or homemade.
Homemade pesticides do not undergo any scientific evaluation and do not have label directions that the user can follow to ensure safe use or the desired pest control result. While some recipes, such as mixtures of soap and water, are not likely to pose human health risks, other recipes may pose health or environmental concerns. For example:
- Recipes that require cooking, such as boiling rhubarb leaves or chrysanthemums to extract toxins, or recipes for extracting nicotine from cigarettes, are potentially dangerous.
- Recipes that include gasoline and kerosene as ingredients may pose health or serious environmental concerns if not handled or disposed of properly.
Other possible risks associated with the preparation and use of homemade pesticides include:
- inhaling harmful fumes
- irritating your eyes and skin
- ingesting contaminants or harmful substances due to improper preparation, labelling, and storage
- contaminating your clothing
- contaminating cookware and utensils normally used to prepare and serve food
- the environmental impact of use and disposal
Never use, or allow anyone else to use, a pesticide indoors that is meant for outdoor use. Using the wrong pesticide or using it incorrectly to treat bedbugs can make you, your family, and your pets sick. It can also make your home unsafe to live in – and may not solve the bedbug problem.
Mike Roy Pest Control’s professional exterminators use approved products to safely and effectively remove unwanted insects and other parasites. Don’t take any unnecessary risks! Call us today at 819-329-1456.