New Year Resolution

It is time for our New Year Resolutions. My main one is, I am going to help anyone I can, and that includes any schools, any government agencies and any commercial establishments, stay as safe as possible from pesticide exposure. We have to keep ourselves and our children safe from exposure to pesticides.

Here are some things I will recommend. If you have a pest control company servicing your home, ask them what they are using, and if they are using synthetic pyrethroid pesticides, ask them to switch to EPA Exempt pesticides which are considered safe by the EPA. Pesticides with any Signal Word including DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION are not safe. Keep in mind that most pest control companies will say the pesticides they use are safe and many commercial establishments and government agencies believe this. In reality, most people can do their own pest control at home without using toxic pesticides and I will help anyone who wants to do this. If you have a service in the winter, put them on hold till spring. I have actually seen pest control companies spraying pesticides around the homes in the snow and have seen a city agency spraying herbicides on dead weeds in the winter.

If you visit any store or commercial establishment or government building regularly, call them and ask them if they have their facilities sprayed for bugs, and if so, what is being used. If they are using toxic pesticides with Signal Words, then ask them to consider switching to EPA Exempt pesticides or at least notify their customers and visitors before any toxic pesticides are used so you can avoid the building for a few days. If they refuse to tell you the name of the pesticides being used or refuse to post notifications prior to sprayings, then consider going someplace else if it is a commercial establishment. If it is a government agency, remind them that they are paying for the spraying with taxpayer dollars and they should consider the health of their constituents over the benefit of their exterminator.

If you see someone spraying herbicides or pesticides on public property near where you live or work or hangout, stop and ask them what they are using and why and ask them to show you their applicator license. If they refuse and they are a government agency, report them to the agency. If they are a pest control company, call their office and offer to consider legal action unless they address your questions. For instance, the Roundup label tells you what weeds the herbicide will kill and which ones it just suppresses. The applicator needs to know the identity of the weeds they are spraying and if they are killing them or just suppressing them. Most applicators will probably have no idea what they are spraying and the results of the application.

I believe that if commercial establishments, government agencies and pest control companies know that they are going to be carefully watched, they all may start doing things that are safe for society and not just keep doing the spray and pray methods. Spray pesticides and pray you kill something. Keep your family safe no matter where you go. Make sure the establishment is safe to visit. Nobody is going to drop dead from pesticide exposure, but it can build up in your system and cause problems in the future. The synthetic pyrethroids most companies use can cause children to develop leukemia or lymphoma and can cause pregnant women to have autistic children. Nobody needs to be exposed to these pesticides.