his Q&A blog is open for all to participate. Feel free to ask your own questions and answer questions posted by others. I know all of you have a wealth of information and experience on healthy living and you are welcome to share it here. 
Pest Control
Pest Control
I am looking for safe pest control and am considering a product from EcoSMART. Would you be so kind as to look at the MSDS and let me know what you think of the safety of the ingredients in this product:
http://www.xtermpest.com/MSDS/ecoexempt.pdf
Thank you!
This product is made with rosemary essential oil as the active ingredient, plus mineral oil and something called "inert essential oils blend". I'm not exactly sure what "inert essential oils blend" is and couldn't find a definition anywhere (you should ask them what it is), but it looks like some blend of oils as a carrier oil for essential oils, not a blend of essential oils, because both mineral oil and inert essential oils blend say they compose 10-70 percent of the product. Now the rosemary oil is 10 percent. They don't say what the other 10 percent is. So I'm missing data. You need to ask them these questions.
Concentrated essential oils, though natural, can have their own health effects. The MSDS says this product can cause skin irritation, eye/nasal irritation, dizziness, headache, or nausea.
This is not an entirely safe product, but it may be a less-toxic solution depending on what you are using it for.
mosquito aerial spraying
I just learned that starting next week all of Miami will be sprayed during the night with Dibrom from aerial planes to control mosquitos. I understand that Dibrom is an organophosphate pesticide and listed as a carcinogen and potential neurotoxin. I have already called and begged them not to spray it in my neighborhood. Any advice about what to do?
First of all, even if you could get them to not spray in your neighborhood, it wouldn't do much good. Aerial spraying blows with the wind, and you would get it anyway.
Many years ago, we went through this in California with malathion spraying. We just left while they were spraying. Or you could stay indoors with an air filter.
Do what you can to support your detox system, like drinking lots of water, eat organic fruits and vegetables, and take detox drops.
Mice
I have a terrible mice problem. We live behind a golf course, and seem to always have mice. I find their droppings throughout our first floor (mainly the kitchen). I have a toddler and infant who is crawling so I am desperate to find a solution. I have read the section on mice here, but still am not sure if there is a solution. Of course I don't want to use anything toxic, but my husband states an exterminator who will use poison is the best solution. We have discussed even getting a pet, a small dog to keep the mice from coming out. Of course we aren't sure if this will work and neither of us really wants the extra work or expense of a pet. What would you recommend? Is the bait an exterminator uses still harmful if it is hidden away in walls/crevices? This I am not sure of... My husband argues that the kids cannot reach the bait/poison so it's not harmful. If a pet is the best answer, I will get one. I can't keep cleaning every morning and night after mice! Thanks so much!
Here is a good summary of controlling house mice: House Mouse Prevention and Control. It lists all the standard control methods and says to use poison bait only as a last resort.
To answer your question about the safety of mouse bait, you need to find out what the exterminators are planning to use and then we can look that up.
In the MSDS for D-Con, it says to "move to fresh air" if fumes from the pellets are inhaled. I don't feel comfortable having this poison in my house, even if it is in the walls.
But find out what they want to use, and then you will have the real data.
termite tenting without chloropicrin
During a recent home inspection I asked the termite inspector if tenting without the use of chloropicrin was possible. I was under the impression that it had to be added as a warning agent at the beginning of the tenting process, mandated by law. But the pest control representative informed me that if you hire a 24-hour guard for your home you can get the tenting done without chloropicrin. This was encouraging to me as it is my understanding that the long-term health effects of termite tenting are more due to the warning agent chloropicrin than the actual pesticide used. This is due to the fact that chloropicrin is persistent and can remain for months while the pesticide used disappears more quickly and its presence is tested for before you can return to your home. Are any of your readers familiar with this and have you had any experiences with tenting companies allowing you to forego the chloropicrin/warning agent?
Readers, any experience with this?
getting rid of cock roaches and other bugs
I have read that using boric acid is toxic and it should not be used, is this true or not?
What other things should i use and how should i apply each one of the things that are recommended? I need it because i have a servere roach and bug problem in my home.
thanks alot
In my book Home Safe Home I give some general recommendations for controlling pests without pesticides:
* don't give them food
* don't give them water
* don't give them shelter
More details are on pages 136-137.
Here are some links to online resources that give detailed descriptions of how to control cockroaches without chemicals:
* Sierra Club: Hey Mr. Green: Nontoxic Roach Control
* Steve Tvedten's "The Bug Stops Here": Intelligent Controls for Cockroaches
* University of Nebraska: Least Toxic Cockroach Control
* University of Florida IFAS Extension: Least Toxic Methods of Cockroach Control
And here's an nontoxic roach control trap:
Eartheasy: Non-toxic Cockroach Trap
Is anyone familiar with Dri-Out for Termites?
Is anyone familiar with Dri-Out for Termites?
I have looked at Tim-bor, however, I was told that I would also need a soil treatment.
Is Dri-Out as non-toxic/safe as the manufacturers say?
It is a dry micron size desiccant powder that clings to the exoskelton and dehydrates the insect within two hours of contact rather than affecting the nervous system.
According to the MSDS and Technical Sheets, it is a SYNTHETIC amorphous silica, not to be confused with silica such as quartz or other naturally occuring silica. It has a Health Rating of 0.
It does not seem to be carcenagenic.
However, it has a residual effect for years, so I would like to understand the downside.
This was also listed on the MSDS
APPROXIMATE ANALYSIS: SiO2 (Ignited basis) 99.4%
LOI @ 1750 F - 8.5%
Heavy Metals < less than 30 ppm
Lead < less than 10 ppm
Crystalline Silica - not detectable.
http://www.drywoodtermitecontrol.com/PDFs/msds.pdf
This appears to be a nontoxic product by its description.
Non-toxic insect control
Hi Debra:
I teach at a school that uses aerosol bug sprays to kill mosquitoes and other flying bugs that enter the building. As someone with MCS this causes me severe distress every fall and spring. The powers that be at the school said they're willing to use alternatives but are unaware of any products.
Can you recommend any particular products that are safer than standard insecticides and can be used in a school setting? I'm open to any suggestions--otherwise they'll continue to use the standard bug sprays.
I've heard of non-toxic pheromone based mosquito traps. Are these effective and non-toxic? I appreciate any help/information you can give in this regard. Thank you.
The best answer I can give you on this is to type "green schools" into your favorite search engine and contact the organizations that come up.
There are many folks working to make schools greener, and that would include less toxic pest controls.
Schools may have special regulations or issues I am not familiar with.
Readers, any ideas?
mothball odor removal from possible home rental? ASAP HELP!!!!!
I have MCS and have extreme home challenges in finding a non-toxic, affordable home rental that will take my HUD sec voucher.
I know someone willing to rent to me their mother's home who just passed away. It could work in all aspects but old moth ball boxes were discovered sitting in a bedroom and den closets.
I thought I could smell faintly mothballs when first walking in downstairs and did discover the ancient moth ball boxes in these two closets. One closet seemed stronger smelling than the other and did have adverse neurolgical reactivity that made me sick, still recovering 12 hours later.
If I was not going to lose my voucher in finding a single family home to rent that is affordable in the middle of winter, I would walk away. I know mothballs are highly neurotoxic and not good.
From a logical view I wonder if once the mothball boxes are removed, windows opened, shelves cleaned, air purifiers run, baking soda used,etc would thse neurotoxins truly dissipate for me being hyper reactive with MCS.
THere is a product called Smelleze to remove/neutralize mothball odors/toxins do you know if it works. I requested the MSDS info. I suspect it is zeolite and something else in there. ALso, zeolite helps removes VOCS would it be effective enough to pull out mothball toxins?
Any other suggestions in what might help pull out mothball odor/toxins to eventually reduce reactivity/illness for me to live there? OR is it a lost cause and just need to move on though I could lose my voucher by 2/28/10. I suspect it would take months to pull out mothball odors/toxins.
Do you or others have feedback for me ASAP.
THis current mothball home is not overpowering, but faintly noticeable and made me sick. It has no other toxic issues and has wood floors, paster walls, no mold, dry, etc, so if it the mothball toxins are remotely possible with real solutions then it might be worth trying to remedy, but if it seems too complex, I will move on. THanks!!!
I don't know the solution for this one. We've had this question before and there were no answers except "air it out".
One thing I have done in the past is call manufacturers and ask how to "clean up" various chemicals. You want to ask for "paradichlorobenzene removal." Call any mothball manufacturer and let us know the answer.
Finding a house to buy
In the past I used to buy a house built after 1990 because chlordane was used for termite treatment before that time frame. I was under the impression that all houses treated with chlordane are contaminated with chlordane for a very long time.....even 40 years or longer after the treatment. Do you think this is a good guildeline to go by? It makes finding a house a lot more difficult when houses built before 1990 aren't even considered. What's your thinking regarding this? Appreciate any help!
I actually have the opposite guideline for myself. I won't buy a house built after 1970 because of the toxic building materials.
The house I live in right now was built in 1940. Of course, it could have had chlordane treatments up to 1990.
I don't think you should assume that ALL houses built before 1990 had chlordane treatments or that they are still contaminated. When considering a house, I try to find out from the owner what treatments they did and when. Fortunately, the house I'm living in now was owned by the previous owner for about twenty years, so I could get that information.
Keep in mind that the longer it has been since the pesticide was applied, the less of the original application remains.
A house treated in 1988, the last year chordane was used, would now be 22 years after treatment. That would have very little, if any, chlordane left. A house treated in 1970--forty years ago--would likely have no chlordane left.
I'm more concerned about recent applications of pesticides that ones that happened ten or more years ago.
Fortunately, we are now in the zone where no chlordane has been applied for 22 years, so most houses should be safe.
Termite Tenting - Employee Rights?
Do I have any rights as an employee to not be exposed to toxics? The owner of the building where I work has scheduled to have the building tented for termites. I'm very concerned that pockets of gas may remain in my office, especially since I work in a windowless office.
I am also very concerned about the residual effects of the tenting. I have forwarded info I've gleaned on the dangers of tenting to my employer, as well as alternatives. If my employer does not forward this info to the building manager I will approach the building manager myself. If they do not chose a safer alternative, does any one know whether I have any rights, other than to quit my job?
FindLaw: Toxic Exposure in the Workplace
Anyone have any personal experience to share on this subject?
