How to Safely Protect Kids During Pest Control
While pest control is necessary, there are some situations where pesticides and other methods of pest control can be a danger for children. Make sure you are safely ridding your home of pests, making it a safe environment for your family. Follow these tips for keeping your children safe from these dangers.
Prevention First
While you should have your home regularly sprayed for pests, taking steps to prevent pests from entering your home in the first place will be vital. To help keep bugs and rodents far away from your home, it is important to:
Seal the cracks. You’d be surprised how small a crack pests need to enter your home. Examine the exterior, especially around doors and windows and seal off their entrances.
Keep food away. Pests are looking for a good food source. Keep the food in your house sealed up to avoid pests. Instead of leaving dog food in the bag, put it in an airtight container to keep pests away.
Reduce the clutter. Clutter is an easy source for pests to make nests, hide, and settle in. Keeping your home and yard clean will take away this option.
These prevention steps can reduce your need for advanced pest control.
Don’t Use Old Pest Control Products
There are some older pest control products that have been found to be dangerous. If you still have any pest control solutions that contain chlorpyrifos or diazinon, throw these out immediately. This is especially important if you have children and even more so if you are currently pregnant. DIY pest control can be dangerous, and potentially not as effective as choosing a pest control company that uses effective yet safe methods.
Traps
Depending on your situation, sticky traps or snap traps may be used to get rid of pests in your home. Sticky traps work on both rodents and some bugs, keeping them from infesting your home. While effective, both of these can pose a potential danger to your children. Keep these traps away from younger kids in a place they won’t be able to access. Teach older children about the dangers of these traps, make sure they understand not to go near or touch them. By following your guidance on this your children will be better protected.
Take the necessary measures for pest control in your home, but do so in a way that will keep your children safe. Ensure you aren’t using unsafe and lethal pest control methods to rid your home of bugs and rodents.