Before you pick up that can of bug spray or call someone to come to your home and spray for bugs, you should be aware of the dangers involved in using pesticides. Recent studies have produced two good reasons why we should never use pesticides in a liquid or aerosol form indoors in public buildings. Actually you shouldn’t use them in your homes either, but citizens of this country should have the right to do what they want in their own homes.

A recent study of people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease has found that home pesticide use and exposure to pesticides is associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. The study, published in the Annals of Neurology, has found that people who are exposed to pesticides in their homes were 70% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who had not been exposed. Exposure to pesticides used in gardens carried a 50% increased risk of the disease according to the study. You can read the full report of this study in the Technical Report, Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, Vol. 15, No. 7, July 2000.

More recently, the Surgeon General that came out with a study suggesting second hand smoke can be very hazardous to people and smoking should be eliminated in public buildings. Apparently there are a number of chemicals in tobacco smoke that can cause cancer along with other problems. Some of the chemicals in tobacco smoke are; acetone, benzene, chromium, cresol, methyl ethyl ketone, propionaldehyde, pyridine, resourcinol and toluene. All of these chemicals are also part of the inert ingredients in many pesticides. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) only require manufacturers to list the active ingredients on the label. They allow the “inert” ingredients to be a trade secret leaving the consumer and the applicator unaware of the possible danger they are exposed to. Many inert ingredients are considered to be “hazardous pollutants”, “extremely hazardous”, “suspected carcinogens” and “occupational hazards.”

How can the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allow pesticides to be used if they are dangerous? The quick answer is money. The mission of the EPA is to analyze the cost-benefit of different pesticides and register them according to those criteria. They may register extremely dangerous pesticides if they believe the potential economic benefits of the pesticides outweigh the potential human or environmental hazards. If the EPA registers a pesticide, it is legal to use, but it may not be safe. In fact, it is illegal for a manufacturer or a pesticide applicator to imply that a pesticide is safe, harmless or non-toxic to humans and pets, even if used according to label directions. If a pest control company representative tells you the pesticides they use are “safe”, they are violating the law.

Unfortunately, many of the decisions the EPA makes regarding pesticides are politically motivated or are a result of intense lobbying from the pesticide industry. A good example of this is the recent re-registering of methyl bromide. The EPA, under pressure from the Bush Administration, overruled the Montreal Protocol of 1987 that called for a worldwide ban on methyl bromide because it is a major destroyer of the ozone. Consequently, methyl bromide is still being used in the United States, particularly in California on the strawberry crops.

I think a case can be made to eliminate ALL pesticides from indoor use because they contain many of the same chemicals as second hand smoke and because there is an undeniable link to Parkinson’s disease. I think every legislator in every state should take into consideration that liquid and aerosol pesticides are every bit as dangerous as cigarette smoke and should be banned in all public buildings.

There are no insects or other arthropods that are so insidious that they need to be controlled indoors with liquid or aerosol pesticides. All of our perceived pests can be controlled with baits, traps, exclusion and good common sense. Spraying pesticides in a home or business is not pest control; it is pesticide pollution, nothing more, nothing less.

How do you control common pests without spraying a public building or your home? Niban Bait, made from boric acid, is an excellent product for controlling cockroaches. Most ants can be controlled with a homemade bait made from peanut butter (two tablespoons), jelly (two tablespoons) and boric acid (one teaspoon). You can place these baits where the roaches or ants are foraging, making sure to keep out of the reach of kids and pets. All insects and spiders can easily be killed with a mixture of water (40%), alcohol (40%) and dish soap (20%).

There is no reason to expose people to pesticides in public buildings. Any homeowner or business owner can control pests on their property without exposing themselves or their customers to hazardous pesticides. Boric acid, diatomaceous earth, alcohol / water / soap and good common sense are all that is necessary to control most indoor pests.

There is another reason you may want to refrain from using pesticides. The Environmental Protection Agency requires that all pesticides be tested on dogs as well as other animals.