[net.consumers] Use of Pesticides in a house with children

luria@dali.BERKELEY.EDU (Marc Luria) (01/17/86)

We have a big problem with ants in our apartment.  They seem to be
coming from below our building and there is an exterminator spraying
there periodically.  My main concern is about spraying inside the house
because of my one year old son.  He gets into everything, and likes
putting things in his mouth.  

Are the pesticides that one buys in the store like Raid less toxic than
those our exterminator would use?  (He says he has some powder)  The
Raid can says keep children away while wet, is it no longer toxic when
dry?  After the exterminator has sprayed under the house, we find
hundred of dead ants inside the apartment for several days, are these
spreading toxins around the apartment?

Any advice would be appreciated.  

jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) (01/18/86)

> We have a big problem with ants in our apartment.  They seem to be
> coming from below our building and there is an exterminator spraying
> there periodically.  My main concern is about spraying inside the house
> because of my one year old son.  He gets into everything, and likes
> putting things in his mouth.  
> 
> Any advice would be appreciated.  

Formula 409 spray cleaner does a good job of killing ants.  It won't keep
the ants from coming back (like most of the household insecticides do),
but it's perfectly safe to use around children.
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
"Saints should always be judged guilty until they are proved innocent..."

{amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff
{ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff