Health

• Kids
• Pets

Kids

Beyond bug bites and poison ivy, insects and rodents carry, cause and irritate serious illnesses that are particularly risky for children. A closer look shows that controlling the creepy critters is more than a cosmetic cause – it keeps your kids happy and healthy.

The Facts

Lack of pest control can increase threats of specific insect-borne disease, allergies and skin irritation, and other hazards caused by unwanted guests in our homes, lawns and schools. For example:

• Mosquitoes carry with them the threat of contracting West Nile virus or Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), both of which are found in North America. EEE represents one of the most severe mosquito-borne diseases with a 33 percent mortality rate.
• Studies show allergens from rodents like mice and cockroaches are a significant cause of asthma in children (particularly in urban areas) making control of these pests in schools and homes even more important.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to dust mites and cockroach allergens as two of the most important asthma attack triggers.
  • In 2008, the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health released a study that found the likelihood of young children developing wheeze, hay fever, and eczema was significantly increased among children exposed to antibodies of cockroach and mouse allergens.
  • A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology cites mouse allergen as a significant contributing factor in the increased rate of childhood asthma.
  • Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated 36 percent of asthmatic children involved in the inner-city study reacted to a cockroach allergen.

Choose Right, Use Right

Only products tested through a rigorous process and found to pose no harm to human health can be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most of these approvals involve 120 different tests and studies due to the diligence of the EPA testing program. Extensive research and solid science show pesticides pose little or no risk to the health of children or adults when used according to label instructions.

Just as with any household product or medicine, pesticide and fertilizer products must be used according to the product label to ensure the safety of your family.