Question #1
Q. I am still dealing with ants in my house. What should have been only 2 treatments this year from this company has turned into 6 additional treatments. Every time he comes out he sprays my house! Should I be concern about the safety of my kids? Smyrna, GA
A. Yes, you should be concerned about the amount of treatments inside your home. What should have been 2 pesticide applications has turned into 6. This is dramatically increasing the chances of pesticide poisoning for you and your children. Also, if a professional can’t eliminate your ants, you should question his knowledge and training. Unfortunately, you don’t have to be well trained to apply toxic materials in an individual’s home. Moving on to your safely. Your children probably spend most of their time on the floor, where the applications been applied around your living area. This will increase their exposure to pesticides, especially the high amount of pesticides being used in your house with the 6 previous applications. The pesticides affect your children in exactly the same way they targets pests. Pesticides work by leaving a residue of micro encapsulated beads. The more applications made the more beads that are left behind on a surface. These beads are made to stay around for long periods of time. It is completely by chance that an ant will walk across the beads and pick it up and become affected. This strategy for pest elimination is a poorly planned process. The chances for getting rid of your ants are slim and the nasty side effect is you or your child can pick up the pesticide the same way an ant picks it up, by randomly going across the pesticide. There are several different ways a child can be exposed to pesticides.
1. By absorbing the pesticide through skin on their hands, knees, mouth, etc.
2. Putting items with pesticides on them in their mouth.
3. Inhaling the pesticide.
Inhalation of pesticides is really dangerous. Now I hope that any professional pest technician does not apply the pesticide when kids are around. Children breathe differently than adults. Children take 50% more air each minute relative to body weight than adults do. This action gives them more of an opportunity to inhale pesticides, especially with the increase of incorrect pesticide applications.
Always keep kids away while someone is treating your home; this will decrease your child’s exposure. Try to be aware of toys and items that are around the area where pesticides have been applied. A child still can absorb it through their skin and mouth. Be cautious if pesticides get on your carpet or drapes. When disturbed, the pesticide will become airborne again.
Tip: Always question the technician doing your application. Do not simply allow a sales representative on the phone at the company to answer your questions for him. They are trained to do this, but you want to see how trained the individual in your house is. These are the individuals managing the toxic chemicals after all!
