Integrated Pest Management
We are passionate about protecting your family, property and the environment. We practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which balances three areas: being the least environmentally impactful, the most effective for manipulating pests and the most cost effective.
When we use chemicals we use the least amount possible to give you the best results. Our regular treatments have little to no odor, low toxicity and when properly applied and dry are safe to wildlife, pets and people. If you are concerned about the time it takes to dry, the mixtures we use are in diluted form and you would have to have to drink or come into contact with to large quantities (think gallons) to have any negative effects. We always recommend keeping kids and animals away until dry, as a precaution.
Organic in our approach
Some of the products we use are organic and some are not. The key word to care about in pesticides1 is the toxicity2 of what you are using. Organic chemicals are products of living organisms. Inorganic chemicals are from other sources like minerals in the earth. Synthetic chemicals are made using chemical reactions in laboratories. “Many people mistakenly assume that “natural, organic chemicals” are less toxic than synthetic chemicals. Not true, since there are many poisons that come from naturally existing plants and animals that are more toxic than some synthetic chemicals. So, chemical toxicity is not an accurate measure of “organic.”3
Pesticide Quantities in the United States
It is important also to address the quantity of pesticides being used. We want you to be comfortable protecting your family from pests that carry disease and your investment from pests that do damage. There is so much talk about pesticide usage and pollution we want to give you some facts. In a 2007 EPA US Pesticide report shows 59% of pesticides in the US are used to clean water, 19% are used to preserve wood (think decks), 17% are conventional pesticides used to protect food, people and houses (with the large majority for agriculture)4.
Definitions and Resources Cited
1 A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. - Agrilife.org (Texas A&M)
2 Toxicity is the degree to which a substance can damage an organism. - Wikipedia
3 Quoted from Agrilife.org (Texas A&M)
4 Table 3.3 Pesticides Industry Sales And Usage 2006 And 2007 Market Estimates - Environmental Protection Agency
QUESTIONS
If you would like more information, please call, email or ask your technician.