6 Tips to Protect Your Family with Kid-Safe Pest Control

Pests and pest control services can have many family health implications. When arranging pest-control procedures, it’s important to plan ahead and keep safety first and foremost to ensure your children are unharmed by disease-carrying pests and pesticides. Pet- and kid-safe pest control should be everyone’s priority.

Maintain a Kid-Safe Environment: Pesticides vs. Pests

When we see a roach or evidence of roaches, our first instinct is to grab a can of bug-killer and spray liberally on floors and in corners. Stop and think before you spray.

Children’s bodies are “in-progress.” Children are all over the floors for much of their development; babies and toddlers crawl; older kids sprawl. No matter how hard you try, you can’t keep their hands completely clean. Over-the-counter bug sprays can damage young immune systems and developing physiques when used improperly.

Not all pesticides are created equally. And not all store-bought pesticides kill every type of invasive pest. Be sure to read the label. Environmental hazards will be listed and the words “caution,” “danger,” and “warning” are clues to the spray’s toxicity to pets and people.

Kid-Safe Ways to Debug Your Home

All of us must share Planet Earth with undesirable bugs. But we don’t have to share our homes and families with them. Pesticide Research Institute says some ways to keep pests and rodents at a manageable level while keeping your home pesticide-free include:

1. Ants, roaches – Try to pinpoint these pests’ entry points, then seal the openings. Eliminate food sources by cleaning crumbs and spills immediately. Store sugars and sweet foods in the fridge. Keep pet food off the floor between feedings and rinse cans and bottles before putting them in the trash or recycle bin.
   Tip: Squirt ants using a spray bottle of soapy water; you’ll kill the ants and eliminate the trail for following ants.
2. Bedbugs – Keeping your luggage and clothing off hotel room floors is a good habit to practice. Eliminating a bedbug infestation is difficult at best. This is one with which you should seek advice from your local pest professional.
3. Fleas – Keep grass cut short and block your pet’s access to shaded areas (fleas don’t like direct sunlight). Vacuum often during summer months, and you can vacuum your pet, too. Bathe pets more often during summer.
4. Lice – Teach your kids to avoid hair contact with others. Removing lice without harmful pesticides is fairly easy.
5. Mice, rats – Keep these rodents outside your home by eliminating food sources. Screen windows, doors, and seal other entry points.
6. Mosquitos – Screen windows and doors and eliminate any pools of stagnant water. Repellants using citronella oil or lemon eucalyptus are not toxic.

Eco-Friendly, Kid-Safe Pest Control Professionals

The EPA says infants and small children are most likely to suffer long-term harm when unsafe pesticides are used. In this part of Arizona, you have a top pest control company.

Budget Brothers Termite and Pest Elimination is a family-owned and operated company serving the Phoenix-Scottsdale-area. Just like you, we have family here and value their safety and well-being.

You may need a one-time solution or a regular pest control service. Or, if you’re building new this year, you might also consider a construction pretreatment for your new home.

When you have questions; we have answers. When you have pest control problems; we have solutions. Contact us to learn more about kid-safe pest control options.