Question from dd

I have a severe ant and roach problem and I want to know which things are the best to use, so I can get rid of them for good.

Thanks a lot.

Debra’s Answer

This question is completely answered in the pest control chapter of my book Home Safe Home.

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Question from HEG

Hi Debra and readers, I don’t use wifi, but I do have an internet cable that runs under my bed to my computer on the other side of the room from the cable/internet connection. Therefore, it is probably about 2-3 feet from my head when I sleep. I was wondering if you think this would be of any concern and if I should run the cable around the other side of my bedroom instead? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

I would run the cable as far from your bed as possible.

I don’t have a computer in my bedroom at all.

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Question from lohrn4

My husband KNOWS I am against using chemical poisons anywhere in or near my home, so he hides the RAID. About a week ago it finally started raining (nonstop) in sunny California and the ants started pouring in. This morning, before I got up, he sprayed my kitchen and “cleaned” the counters, opened windows and doors (it’s cold outside). But when I came home after dropping him off at work, I could smell the RAID. He also sprayed in a cabinet that has dishes and such things as my juicer and blender. What is my best solution for cleaning everything, even for items that have intricate pieces to them or are not supposed to be immersed in water? Thank you, Ali

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know the answer, but I can tell you how to find out.

Every pesticide has a substance used to “clean up” the pesticide. Contact Raid and ask them how to do this.

I did this once before and the clean up substance turned out to be ordinary household chlorine bleach. Though the bleach was toxic, it did remove the pesticide and then the bleach quickly dissipated.

So call Raid and find out what to do.

Question from revkwd

What can you tell me about the safety of this product? I have a new puppy and am also green and concerned about anything toxic. Thanks in advance for any help. Rev kwd

Debra’s Answer

What you want to do to find out the safety of this product is consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). You can find it by searching “Bonide systemic house plant insect control MSDS” in your favorite search engine.

Bonide systemic house plant insect control MSDS

It says the pesticide is Imidacloprid.

Under HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION it says:

ROUTES OF ENTRY: Inhalation, Eyes, Skin, Ingestion.
EYES: Causes moderate eye irritation.
INHALATION: Avoid breathing dust or vapor.
SKIN: Harmful if absorbed through skin. Avoid Contact.
INGESTION: Harmful if swallowed.

It also says there is no antidote to treat poisoning by this pesticide.

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Question from TZ

With the recent epidemic of bedbugs that is spreading across this country, I was wondering if any knows of a non-toxic way to get rid of them.

Debra’s Answer

There is a product made from cedar oil at the Cedar Oil Store that will KILL bedbugs. It’s just cedar oil and nothing else.

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Question from vibranthealth

I have severe mcs and mold sensitivity. I recall reading that front load washers can have a mold problem. Is there a specific brand/model of washer and dryer that anyone would recommend for me? Many thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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HealthyStuff.org tested over 3,300 home improvement products. Here’s a summary of what they found:

Heavy metals and other additives are commonly found in residential flooring and wallpaper. These chemicals include lead, cadmium, flame retardants, tin compounds and phthalates — harmful chemicals that are linked to asthma, reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer.

Home improvement products are largely unregulated for chemical hazards and contain hazardous chemicals additives, called phthalates, at levels prohibited in children’s products by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC prohibits the presence of 6 phthalates in children’s products at levels greater then 1,000 ppm. Download flooring phthalate test results.

PVC building materials were 7-times more likely to contain hazardous additives, compared to non-vinyl alternatives tested in this study. All PVC materials tested – 1,350 of 3,019 contained hazardous additives; Non-PVC materials – 18 of 273.

Over 1/2 (53% – 1,234 of 2,312) and 15% (119 of 793) of flooring had one or more hazardous chemical additives.

Levels of hazardous chemical additives in flooring and wallpaper are commonly found in household air and dust at levels 5-100 times higher then outdoor concentrations.

There is no adequate system in place to regulate or restrict these chemicals, whether they are made in the US or abroad. Changes in the law are needed to keep lead and other toxic chemicals out of home improvement products.

Read more at www.healthystuff.org/departments/home-improvement/about.findings.php.

At HealthyStuff.org you can search thousands of brand name products to find what toxic chemicals they contain. You can also search for products that contain low levels.

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