Is pest control really safe? Here, we will be discussing the dangers and risks that come with pest treatment and safety considerations to prevent or reduce harm.
Is Pest Control Safe For Humans?
You’re exposed to significant risk levels during pest control that could negatively impact your health. This is mainly due to various pesticides that contain harmful chemicals.
Due to this reality, it becomes important to provide the needed protection by limiting your level of exposure.
This article discusses all safety. It doesn’t matter the treatment approach you adopt. Both DIY and professional pest control require strict adherence to safety measures.
There are minimum safety standards or requirements to which everyone should strive to adhere.
Pest Control Hazards You Should Protect Yourself From
During pest control, people are exposed to many hazards that negatively impact health. These result in various kinds of illnesses and injuries.
These include skin irritations that result from burns sustained from the absorption of concentrated pesticides through the skin. Here, the problem begins with exposed skin.
Other hazards you’re potentially exposed to include heat illness resulting from significant time working in hot areas while wearing your protective clothing.
Such protective clothing is best worn under certain temperature conditions. If you need to work in a hot area, it shouldn’t be for extended periods of time.
Eye irritation and likely blindness is another hazard you’re likely to face when protection from concentrated chemicals isn’t provided for your eyes.
With your eyes exposed, it’s likely to contact the pesticide which reacts with it.
Respiratory hazards arise from the inhalation of harmful pesticides. You should know that these pesticides contain all sorts of chemicals that could cause significant harm.
With your nose uncovered, you’re bound to inhale harmful pesticide gases that can sometimes be fatal.
You’re also exposed to the possibility of bites from rodents, insects, and even snakes when treating outdoor areas like crawlspaces. This is a real danger you need to protect yourself against.
For Pest Control, Safety Comes First
While pest issues alone expose you to all sorts of health risks such as food contamination etc., improper application of pest management techniques is likely to cause problems.
The different hazards mentioned above are clear examples of this. Safety involves the adoption of a wide range of measures.
Under hot temperature conditions, you’ll do well to take routine breaks for fresh air and some water. The protective clothing is designed from special materials that could affect proper ventilation.
Short air and water breaks are necessary to cool down body temperatures.
Sometimes, you might be tempted to go in without personal protective equipment due to certain conditions like the one above. It’s important to always wear your personal protective gear at all times for a pest control job.
Not doing so exposes you to all sorts of dangers.
Adequate lighting is necessary as technicians need to see properly to provide effective treatments. This is most needed for dark areas of your home, which may present threats from reptiles.
Every technician or employee needs to be tested for fitness for the respirators they’ll use. This prevents the likelihood of a malfunction which could pose grave dangers to the user.
Safety Gear For Pest Control
When it comes to safety, you need to know the different gears needed for the job. The type of pest problem you’re dealing with will determine the safety gear(s) to use.
There are lots of these gears made by different manufacturers. These include safety goggles with indirect vents and nuisance dust masks.
Other safety gears include nitrile chemical-resistant gloves, half-mask respirators, organic vapor cartridge filters, and shoe covers.
Others include amber safety glasses, full-face respirators, disposable dual cartridge respirators, and coveralls with attached boots.
Some of these safety gears are ideal for DIY and professional pest control.
The objective is to protect from exposure to harmful pesticides by using any of these. As mentioned above, there are different varieties of these safety gears. You’ll need to find one that fits your needs.
Pest Prevention Strategies Might be Helpful
Before you ever decide to use pesticides, it’s necessary to exhaust your options.
This way, you limit the chances of exposing yourself to all forms of hazards due to pesticide exposure. Preventive strategies are entirely safe and include simple actions such as removing clutter.
Others include sealing off entry points, eliminating food and water sources, fixing leaky plumbing, understanding pest behavior, and inspecting items before taking them indoors.
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Decluttering your Surroundings
The condition of your surroundings can be inviting to pests when there’s a lot of clutter.
You’ll do well to get rid of such clutter as they easily serve as hideouts and breeding grounds for pests. This way, there won’t be a need to use harmful chemicals.
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Sealing off Entry Points
Any pest you find indoors came from outside.
Pests are known to exploit any space they can find, no matter how small. So, begin to find and seal all openings in the form of cracks and crevices.
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Eliminating Food and Water Sources
Food and moisture are primary attractions for most pests.
This includes pet food and water. You might want to avoid leaving these overnight as pests come around to feast on such. Proper food storage is also essential.
Consider storing your food in sealed plastic or glass containers.
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Fixing Leaky Plumbing
Leaky plumbing systems provide all the moisture needed to draw all sorts of pests to your home. You’ll need to have such leaks fixed to make your surroundings less inviting to these pests.
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Understanding Pest Behavior
It’s important to understand pest behavior to control them better.
Knowing what attracts them and where they’re likely to hide, you save yourself the stress of using hazardous treatment approaches.
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Inspecting Items before Taking them Indoors
Often, pests are brought about by moving items uninspected into the home.
Secondhand furniture is mostly the cause of your pest issues. Bed bugs tend to use these as temporary hideouts to get to more favorable locations.
Using Pesticides the Right Way
You can enhance pest control safety by using pesticides the right way.
Every pesticide comes with specific safety instructions that need to be adhered to. You’re expected to read through such instructions before you commence application carefully.
These pest control safety measures help protect you and your household from all kinds of hazards related to pest treatment.