Question from Michelle
Hi Debra,
I ask this question in the light that we are fighting brain cancer. We are also fighting spiders.
We have done everything possible around the house-changing lighting cans, switch plates, stuffing windows with molding, diatomaceous earth and we are still getting spiders.
I called Ecola and although they pushed their standard pesticide which we will never use, they also mention a “green version” made with “essential oils.”
I asked for the ingredients and they are as follows: thyme oil 20%, 2-phenethyl propionate 14%, rosemary oil 8 % and a combo of polyglyceryl oleate, isopropyl alcohol, wintergreen oil, and isopropyl myristate 58%.
Do you consider this a safe, non-toxic alternative? Thank you very much for your advice and help.
Debra’s Answer
First I want to just be clear that I can’t tell you if any product is “safe” for you.
I can tell you if it contains ingredients that are known to be toxic.
But there is a difference between the ability of a substance to cause harm and whether or not it will cause harm FOR YOU. Many factors about your body can affect how sensitive or tolerant you are to a substance or how well you r body can withstand whatever danger may be present.
That said, here’s what I can tell you about these materials.
Thyme oil, rosemary oil and wintergreen oil are essential oils. They are concentrated oils from plant sources. Some people who are sensitive to these oils react to them, but they are not toxic, per se.
2-phenethyl propionate is a natural substance found in peanuts. It is considered a “low risk pesticide” in the US and can be used here without registration. It is commonly used in natural pesticide products.
Polyglyceryl oleate is not considered be toxic or harmful.
Isopropyl alcohol is rubbing alcohol. It is generally made from petroleum when used as an ingredient. It is not expected to be toxic or harmful.
isopropyl myristate is composed of of isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid, a common, naturally occurring fatty acid. It is not expected to be toxic or harmful.
Based on this information, I would say this is likely to not be harmful. It does not, for example, contain known carcinogens.
It’s about as “not harmful” as a pesticide can be, That said, your body may not tolerate this and other products in ways not accounted for by toxicology.
If I needed a pesticide for spiders, I would use this.
I just use a fly swatter on them. It is a little messy but it works every time. If you can knock them into water with a little soap in it, they drown. In plain water, they get out easily as do other bugs. All sorts of bugs will drown in soapy water. I keep a dish of it on my patio table. Flies like to drown in it and some times spiders go after the flies and they drown also.
I used Lemon Mate spray to get rid of wasps trying to build their nest between my screen door and inside door.
After months of scraping off whatever nest they built daily not deterring them; one spray of Lemon Mate and they were gone.
I believe there are also Orange Mate and Lime Mate available.
Will have to try it on spiders.
Thank you.
I wanted to add a caution. Even so called “green” versions of pesticides may not be safe.
Does the product listing include “inert ingredients”? This is where just about any ingredient, toxic chemicals and pesticides as well, can be hidden, as then they do not have to claim what is really in the product using the umbrella of inert ingredients.
I lived in HUD housing for nearly 10 years, and the last two managers fought with me about using pesticides and “green ” versions, even though I had a reasonable request in about not using chemicals and pesticides because of my MCS.
One applied weed killer to my front lawn, saying no one should have a problem with weed killer, He once had a job with a pest control company, so he should know.
I had to do a lot of researching online, looking at the ingredients of “green products” and otherwise. I suggest everyone do this if you have MCS.
It is better to be safe than sorry. I have had to leave my apartment for months and also go to the emergency room with convulsions/seizures because of applications of pesticides.
When I moved into a top floor apartment years ago the manager was kind enough to leave all the windows open for ten days before I moved in to air out the paint.
Alas, the windows had no screens and the place was filled with spiders when I moved in. I think the drop down false ceiling also contributed to it. The manager had a professional bug spray company come. When I told them about the MCS they declined to use any spray but gave me two suggestions. One was to vacuum daily, including the intersecting walls and ceilings. The other suggestion was to put common drugstore alcohol in a spray bottle. I did do both and did get the situation much improved.
The alcohol spray, not sure if it outright killed spiders, but it disabled them well enough that they were easy to then swat. Of course, you don’t want to be breathing a lot of alcohol fumes, but for me it worked and did not cause me a lot of symptoms. I’ve also heard of folks using hairspray to disable spiders but that would probably be toxic.
Orange essential oil is considered a deterrent. Hard to know if it works but I routinely use that now in the summers. I spray it at the top and bottom of doorways. And around the exterior of my windows.
Good luck. I hate spiders!
Spiders taste buds are in their feet. And they HATE anything citris especially orange so they will not step on it no way nohow so I would get the Orange Mate Mist, spray not arosaul, boy mangled that spelling. They will NOT walk on it. Anywhere you think they are coming in give a little spray and they will leave. I use it on my porch outside and they panich and run. But it does have to be applied at least once a week til the spider breeding season is over, which is right now! If you see webs outside spray them so the babies don’t go near you.
I get essential oil citris and add it to water mix and put it on the super charge and spray every surface with it. They go away.
Hi – we’ve used a product called Orange Guard (hardware stores carry it, or can order it, or you can order online); you have to saturate the area, but it claims to be toxic-free (orange oil is ingredient); we’ve had success for many years and won’t use anything else; kills on contact or prevents unless rained on. Best of luck to you.