Eco-Friendly Pest Control | Pest Be Gone Pest Management

There are dangers to using harsh pesticides in and around your home. This is why a lot of homeowners have shown a preference for more eco-friendly options. Environmentally-friendly pest control techniques and measures are not only safer for you, your pets, and your home, but they’ve also been shown to be more sustainable in the long run.

What’s the Problem with (Traditional) Pesticides?

The reason why more eco-friendly pest control solutions are much more sought-after these days is that folks today are generally more aware of the hidden dangers brought about by excessive use of pesticides and other chemical-based pest products.

1. The Environmental Impact of Pesticides

More traditional pesticide solutions can remain in the environment for a few days or even for many years. And these have found to be the root cause of many big problems in our delicately balanced ecosystem.

Harsh chemicals found in such pest control methods, for example, have been linked to plummeting honeybee populations or killing off “friendlier” animals that help pollinate other plants, or naturally control the insect population in a given area.

2. The Health Impact of Pesticides

The World Health Organization estimates there are 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning each year and up to 220,00 deaths (mostly in developing countries).

Chronic pesticide exposure has been linked to specific chronic health issues, including:

Birth defects
Cancer
Genetic changes
Blood disorders
Nerve disorders

In addition, Other short-term issues associated with pesticide exposure are:

Headaches
Skin and eye irritation
Dizziness
Nausea

Even for pets, ingesting or exposure to pesticides can cause issues ranging from fevers and vomiting to seizures and respiratory failure.

These are just two main reasons why more have preferred to employ environment-friendly measures of pest control solutions in lieu of more traditional (more toxic) methods.

Active Ingredients in Environmentally Friendly Pest Control Solutions

Thanks to advances in green pest control technology, the market now has a fairly wide range of more non-toxic applications for managing insects, mold, and other common nuisances.

Organic pest control products are generally a lot less damaging to the environment and are a lot less toxic as well to non-targeted insects. This also means they’re less likely to be a danger to mammals and aquatic life compared to other products with a “scorched earth” approach to controlling pest populations.

Bicarbonate solutions such as baking soda are also used as fungicides for indoor ornamental plants as well as garden crops and turf.
Botanically-derived pesticides. These popular plant-based solutions are derived from floral extracts. Some of the top eco-friendly pest control brands might contain neem oil (a naturally-occurring pesticide from neem trees), pyrethrin (which are extracted from chrysanthemum flowers), and imidacloprid (which acts as a neurotoxin for insects).
Horticultural oils. These are some of the newest products developed for pest control use. Also called paraffinic, petroleum, or mineral oils, these serve to smother soft-bodied insects, and are suitable for garden and home use.
Insecticidal soaps. Soap solutions have potassium salts of fatty acids and kill by dehydrating more soft-bodied insects (like aphids, mealybugs, mites, whiteflies, and others).
Products derived from microbes. Pest control products with bacillus thuringensis, bacillus subtilis, steptomyces lydicus, spinosad, and beauvaria bassiana are also suitable and are effective against brown patches, dollar spots, powdery mildew, grey mold, root rot, crown rot, and more.
More traditional pest control methods. The use of substances such as liquid copper fungicide, diatomaceous earth (DE), lime sulfur sprays or other sulfur-based plant fungicides also fall into the category of more eco-friendly garden pest control products
Other 25B products. The EPA has a list of government-approved minimum risk pesticides that are not required to have FIFRA* registration.

*The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) provides for federal regulation of pesticide distribution, sale, and use. All pesticides distributed or sold in the United States must be registered (licensed) by EPA.

Best Eco-Friendly Pest Control Practices

As a general rule, you should always use the least toxic method available to you. Whether it’s for controlling pest populations at home, in your garden, or among your crops, the products we’ve already mentioned above are some of the most effective natural control treatments available.

With proper preparation, you will rarely need to go beyond these measures already mentioned. That said, however, here are but a few of the more pest control practices we encourage to minimize the influx and proliferation of pests in your home and garden:

1. Plant Natural Pest Repellents in Your Garden.

Some of the best plants for pest control you can look into include mint, basil, lavender, rosemary, and other similar herbs. Many of these make good companion plants, keeping away pests while attracting more beneficial insects.

Other plants worth considering for their pest deterrent properties include petunias, chrysanthemums, lemongrass, clover, eucalyptus, lavender, or marigolds.

2. Spice Up Your Window Sills

Pests look to enter your home via small cracks and openings around your door and windows. Sprinkling a mix of spices where bugs and insects frequent can certainly help.

Cinnamon, paprika, cayenne, salt, turmeric, and black pepper are just a few common seasonings that can help deter pests around your home.

3. All-Natural Home Cleaning Solutions

Another approach is to create your own home cleaning solutions. Mix a 1/2 cup of vinegar into 2 cups water and add a few (10-15) drops of peppermint or eucalyptus essential oils for a particularly effective DIY cleaner and bug repellent.

Using a mixture like this removes food remnants and smells so bugs, insects and creepy crawlies won’t find a reason to stay.

4. Food Waste as Natural Pest Repellents

Some of the more interesting methods we know of involve citrus peels, coffee grounds, and cucumber peels.

Orange, lemon, and lime peels can be added directly to the garden to not just help fertilize plants but to also repel insects. Meanwhile, coffee grounds keep away ants, mosquitoes, and wasps, while cucumber peels left around suspected points of entry help turn pests away.

A Word About Eco-Friendly Pest Control Companies

By opting for a more environmentally friendly pest control company, needless to say, you’re making a choice for the planet as well as for your home and garden

Eco pest control companies use compounds and methods that are safer and greener — solutions that get the job done without putting too much of a strain on the local ecosystem.

Pest Be Gone Pest Management is one such neighborhood company. Ask about our green pest control service packages for residences and for commercial establishments. For inquiries and appointments, give our capable team a call today at (916) 257-4942.