subject: When Eliminating Pests In Your Home, Chemicals Are A Last Resort [print this page] When Eliminating Pests In Your Home, Chemicals Are A Last Resort
Getting rid of unwanted pests can be a daily chore for some people. No matter what the pest, rodents, weeds, or insects, farmers and non-farmers alike have to deal with this issue all the time. Many are finding that by using management skills to work together with each other the levels of pests problems can be reduced to a tolerable level. For example there are certain times of the year when you can plant crops in order to avoid peak times for some pests, you can shape soil in order to reduce weeds and water crops at particular times so they remain dry during humid nights when disease could take hold.
However, there are times when insect problems are out of control, and using chemical insecticides might prove to be the best option and can be the most beneficial. There are many different pesticides which have already been eradicated due to federal health laws, and many more on the way out. It is vital that those in the pest control or farming industry stay informed of these new regulations and avoid using pesticides that are no longer deemed appropriate. This article provides you with a partial list of products that have been removed, and a list of those still around. One pesticide, chlorpyrifos (aka "dursban"), has been taken off a lot of store shelves because of its chemical properties.
Manufacturers are no longer allowed to sell dursban to any market, homeowners included, so there might not be a whole lot left of it. Although it can no longer be sold anybody who still has some can legally continue to use it. One of the areas that seems to take a hit with the banning of this chemical is the control of borers. This chemical has been one of the most heavily used to fight tree borers, particularly in the southwest, which have been shown to be one of the most insidious problems in the state.
However, there is a product called permethrin esfenvalerate that could replace it. Entomologists at Colorado State University have studied the effects on permethrin esfenvalerate on tree borers and have found it to be equivalent - or sometimes even better - than organophosphates such as durasban for controlling these insects. These products have been found to be highly effective as well as much less hazardous than dursban or even diazinon, making them excellent chemical substitutes.
The EPA is currently in the process of getting rid of diazinon as well. By 2003, the formulation and sale of this product to retailers was supposed to have been suspended. If you take care to follow the instructions on the label, these products are not dangerous. The top spider mite controller Kelthane was also under scrutiny. Any residential use of Kelthane has since been stopped. Kelthane has been the top solution for spider mites as used on vegetables and ornamental plants for many years. Both vegetables and ornamentals can be aided with the use of insecticidal soap and horticultural oils.
The EPA has initially carried out an EPA risk evaluation on lindane. Learning any information regarding the site on lindane's existing legal utilization has not been very fruitful. The telling sign could be that it seems to have been pulled from stores though. This most likely means that it is no longer allowed for home use. Lindane again was used for borer control by homeowners. In the end, while chemicals are a popular and effective method of combating pest invasions, they should only be used when other methods do not work and after the necessary management practices have been used and it is determined that the pest encroachment is going to cause unacceptable damage.
