Should You Pick a Pest Company with Natural Products?

Guest Post by Rachel Bodine

Most people don’t want bugs invading their home or garden. But the warning labels on most pest companies’ products may make families with kids and pets think twice before hiring someone to spray their yards with pesticides.

Lately, there has been a growing focus on using organic and natural products, in everything from food to skincare, to reduce the number of harmful chemicals entering our environment. Even car companies have started to manufacture cars that run on alternate fuels or electricity, cutting back on the emissions we breathe in every day.

Pest companies have taken notice of this important trend in being environmentally friendly, and there is an increasing number of companies offering natural pest products. Some of these products are also available in stores for those who want to get rid of pests themselves.

Which leads us to the question, should you pick a pest company that uses natural products to eliminate your pests?

Let’s jump right into looking at the benefits of natural products.

Safer for kids and pets

Generally, companies have designed natural pest products to be relatively harmless to people and pets in order to cut back on the number of dangerous chemicals still circulating the pesticide market.

So what are some examples of natural pesticides that pest companies may use to help reduce the pest population in your home or garden?

Some natural ingredients that are toxic to insects have no effect on people or pets, such as sprays like Orange Guard, which uses orange peel extract to repel and kill bugs. Sprays that use non-toxic ingredients like orange peel are much safer to use around kids and pets, especially when you are spraying pesticides inside the home.

Another example of a natural product that is frequently used around homes is diatomaceous earth, which works by drying out bugs’ exoskeletons and killing them. While diatomaceous earth shouldn’t be breathed in, it is safer to use around children and pets than other pesticides. Still, it should be placed where children and pets won’t play in it.

Natural pest companies may also use traps for bugs or animals, which would eliminate the need for pesticides altogether.

These are just a few examples of natural products that may be used to get rid of pests. Let’s move on and take a look at how natural products impact the environment compared to the unsafe pesticides.

Safer for the environment

The chemicals that companies put in your yard to kill pests don’t just stay put. The pesticides also soak into the ground or are carried off by the wind to spread into the surrounding environment.

This spreading of pesticides can contaminate water supplies and harm wildlife, which is why there are multiple warnings about the proper use of pesticides and the proper disposal of containers. If chemicals aren’t safe for the surrounding environment, they can end up killing plants you wanted alive, or harming the ecosystem by killing off bugs and animals that weren’t the initial target.

Unfortunately, all too often the continuous use of dangerous pesticides is killing off useful bugs, such as the ever-important honeybee.

If you are treating a garden, a natural product will also prevent you from ingesting harmful chemicals with your salad. And as a plus, pests that have developed a resistance to the usual chemicals in pesticides can usually be scared off by a natural product they haven’t been introduced to before.

While the bad news is that pests can also develop a resistance to natural products, a natural pest killer is a great option if the chemical you were using before doesn’t seem to be working anymore.

How do I confirm a pest company is actually using natural products?

Thinking of picking an environmentally friendly company? You want to make sure you aren’t choosing a company that claims it offers natural pest control but has chemicals that aren’t truly safe for the environment.

A good indicator that a company is using products that aren’t safe is warning labels. A product may say organic or natural on the front but then has dire warnings on the back about kids and pets because it contains ingredients that are unsafe.

Of course, some natural products aren’t completely safe, such as boric acid, but they are generally safer than most manufactured chemicals. Whenever you pick a natural pest company, make sure to ask what they use, what the chemicals’ effects are on the environment, and how safe the pesticide is for use around children and pets.

Pest companies may also have methods that require zero pesticides, such as advice on how to reduce bug activity around the home by blocking entries or making the home environment less desirable to pests.

The bottom line

In short, if you have the option, natural pest products are always the better choice.

With companies manufacturing less harmful chemicals to fight pests, picking an environmentally friendly company helps to reduce the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and keep your children and pets safer.

So when bugs come out in full force in the summer and start ruining your tomatoes or hiding in the corners of your kitchen, make sure to look for a pest company or product that uses natural products.

Rachel Bodine is a content writer for CarInsuranceComparision.com. She majored in English and resides in Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh with her dog and two rabbits.