Pesticides are one of the most potent single hazards in the home. Around 1,400 pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are used as ingredients in consumer products. Combined with other toxic substances such as solvents, pesticides are present in more than 34,000 different product formulations.
For pests in the home, the best offense is a good defense. The first step is to make the house – especially the kitchen – unattractive to insects by cleaning up food spills immediately, keeping hard-to-reach areas reasonably clean, and removing clutter that can hide pests. Store foods attractive to pests, such as flour, in the refrigerator. Water attracts pests, so leaky faucets and pipes should be promptly repaired. Doors and windows should be well screened. Cloths should be regularly cleaned and aired and properly stored in paper or cardboard boxes sealed against moths.
A number of nontoxic substances can be used to repel insects. Generally, they are highly fragrant or volatile herbs or spices. Powdered red chill pepper, peppermint, bay leaves, cloves, citrus oil, lavender, rosemary, tobacco, peppercorns, and cedar oil can repel various types of insects.
Insects can be deterred without resorting to dangerous chemicals. Generally, a poison that is not toxic to humans is mixed with a food that insects find attractive and spread in the infested area. Examples are oatmeal (attractive) and Plaster-of-Paris (poisonous), cocoa powder and flour (attractive) and borax (poisonous). Old-fashioned flypaper – not a hanging strip of insecticide – is an effective trap. These methods may be nontoxic for humans, but there are less violent pest control methods available.
For specific house pests, try these solutions:
For ants: sprinkle powdered red chill pepper, paprika, dried peppermint, or borax where the ants are entering. They find these agents irritating.
For fleas: Feed pet brewer’s yeast in powder to animals mixed with food or by tablets. The fleas will avoid animal secretions that are high in nutrients from the yeast.
For moths: Air clothes well in the sun. Store in airtight containers and scatter sachets of lavender, cedar chips, or dried tobacco in with clothing.
For rats and mice: Again, prevention may be the best cure. Holes in exterior or interior walls should be closed off and storage spaces kept orderly. Garbage should be kept tightly covered. To catch rodents, the most efficient system is the oldest, a cat.
For termites: Any wooden parts of the house should be at least 18 inches off the ground as subterranean termites cannot tolerate being exposed to air and light. They have to build easily visible mud tunnels to get at available wood. However, most existing houses have only about an 8-inch clearance between wooden parts and the ground, which makes the wood vulnerable. Metal shields may help discourage termites, but they cannot prevent infestations.
To treat existing termite infestations, there are a few non-toxic alternatives: the “Extermax” system, available in California; and the use of a particular species of nematodes to eat them, a system available from N-Viro Products, Ltd.
For garden pests: In hardware stores, look for new brands of safer insecticides that use soap and water solution to get rid of aphids or pyrethrum for a number of applications. As more and more people understand the hazards of organic chemicals in the home, market pressure will encourage the introduction of safer products.
Several naturally derived pesticides exist which, in some cases, are less toxic to humans than the organophosphates, carbamates, or organochlorines now widely used. Pyrethrum is relatively non-toxic to humans and only slightly toxic to aquatic life so it may be the best choice for home gardens. Using other pests is a good way to integrate nature into controlling insect populations; Sabadilla controls lice, leafhoppers, squash bugs, striped cucumber beetles, and chinch bugs.
For lawn weeds: Use organic lawn care techniques. Maintenance of your lawn without using any harmful chemicals or toxic products is possible. Natural fertilizers, weed control, and insect control products are used in conjunction with nature to grow a vigorous and healthy lawn.
Why not use chemicals? The simple answer is… they are not necessary. Try treating the cause of your lawn problems instead of the symptoms. Here are the key components to any lawn care program, whether you hire a professional, or do-it-yourself.
Fertilizers: Organic fertilizers consist of compost or composted manure. They provide nutrients to the soil, which feed the root system of your lawn. Chemical (synthetic) fertilizers may feed your lawn, but they can also burn your lawn. For further information on the benefits of using organic fertilizer, check out issues of Organic Gardening. One of their special reports states, “High organic matter content is the primary reason compost and most other organic fertilizers are superior to chemical fertilizers. Chemicals don’t provide the carbohydrates that are essential for a healthy soil food web and some of them are so caustic that they can kill soil organisms and inhibit plant growth.” (Organic Gardening, July/August).
Weed Control: Natural weed control entails some hand weeding while your lawn gathers strength. By focusing on soil health, your lawn gets thicker, stronger, and more weed resistant. Also, over-seeding creates stronger grass through diversity. Chemical weed control entails spraying some form of chemical pesticide on your lawn. These chemicals have serious potential risks to the health of humans, pets, and the environment. Pesticides were developed to kill living organisms, they treat the symptom and not the cause of the problem.
Insect Control: Organic insect control is done using beneficial insects, such as nematodes. They control grubs and over 250 other root pests. Chemical pest control products sterilize soils, killing beneficial microbes, earthworms, and pollinators.
The Patio
Charcoal lighter fluid contains petroleum distillates. Besides being flammable and imparting a chemical taste to food, some petroleum distillates contain benzene, a known human carcinogen.
A simple and much more effective alternative exists for the charcoal lighter fluid used to start the backyard barbecue. A metal, chimney-pipe cylinder, which holds the charcoal above a burning piece of newspaper and relies on the air flow under the charcoal to quickly bring it to glowing hot, is available at most discount stores. It readies the charcoal for cooking much more quickly without the chemical taste and fire hazard of lighter fluid.
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