How Safe are Pest Control Techniques for Babies, Toddlers and Children?
Having a pest problem in your home can be a big inconvenience, especially if you have a baby or toddler. While DIY pest control seems like the most efficient solution, these products can pose a health risk to babies and young children if too harsh or not applied properly.
Our aim in this article is to educate you on the risks that come with using DIY pesticides and how to choose the best pest control treatment, so your children can stay safe!
How Pesticides Affect Babies and Children
Unfortunately, babies and children are a lot more sensitive to the toxins that can be found in pesticides, and particularly sensitive if they have health issues such as asthma or allergies.
It is for this reason that you should seriously consider whether or not DIY is the right choice for you:
- A baby’s organs, brain and nervous system are in the development phase, therefore, chemicals can affect their health in the early ages and cause issues in later life.
- Infants take more breaths per minute than adults, which is why their exposure to toxins increases faster than the exposure of adults.
- Similarly, babies have more skin relative to their body weight.
- Their food and water consumption is relative to their body weight. That can lead to a higher pesticide residue per kilogram of body weight and more health problems.
Overall, an immune system of a child is far weaker than yours, so you need to take extra precautions.
Children playing
How to Minimise Health Risks if You Choose to Use DIY Products
It is not advisable to use pesticides around people, especially if children and babies might be endangered. However, it is possible to eliminate fleas and other pests on your own and if you decide to use DIY products, we suggest you follow these tips:
- Make sure to read the label before you even open the product. The product should be approved for the intended use and applied properly, according to the label’s directions.
- Buy a product that has lower levels of toxins to reduce health risks.
- When using flea bombs, check if your floor, carpets and other furniture are fully dry before entering your house again, and ensure that your rooms have been aired out.
- Keep your children far from the treated areas as long as possible. Cover food or remove kitchen utensils before the treatment. You may find more specific measures written on the label.
- Try to place mice or ant baits out of reach of kids or in some kind of hidden or locked station.
- Never take mothballs outside of the containers.
- Use the original pesticide containers when storing, and don’t store near food items.
- Store pesticides out of children’s reach.
- Wash clothes used to apply pesticides separately from other clothes.
The Benefits of Professional Pest Control
Nobody wants to expose their children to harmful chemicals which is why Suburban Pest Management is the right choice. We are experts in pest control and ensure your family’s health by:
- Using pesticide products which are safe around humans
- Minimising impact on the environment – Taking care of your family members is as important as taking care of your fellow citizens and the whole planet. At Suburban, we use chemicals which have the least influence on our environment
- Having appropriate licences and the highest levels of training
- Advising you of preventive measures – SPM’s experts will advise you on what preventative steps you can take and they can help you implement them for good.
Hiring a professional might impact your family’s budget in the beginning. However, compared to potentially impacting your child’s health through the use of some DIY products, the decision is a no brainer.
DIY versus Pest Control Experts
We hope the tips we have provided will help to keep your children safe when ridding your home of pests. If in doubt, always use a professional pest control company who can provide pest control that is efficient, and won’t harm babies, toddlers and children, or the environment.
Here at Suburban Pest Management, we have more than 25 years’ experience in the pest control industry and thousands of satisfied and healthy customers.
The same products we use in your home, we use in childcare centers, schools, and medical facilities. So you can rest easy knowing the products we apply are harmful for the pests, but not for your family.
On top of this, included with every SPM service is our detailed pest assessment or what we call a DPA. This helps identify any current infestations that could be hiding in your home, as well as giving advice on how to minimize the risk of any future infestations.
Suburban Pest Management pest control technicians are aware of the responsibility that is associated with their job and they knowhow to do it efficiently. You can rest assured that they will treat your family like their own!
