With all the harsh chemicals out there today, people want all natural pest control products for their homes. Generally, natural pest control chemicals are safer for humans and pets than synthetic ones. But they’re not always regulated the same. This article explores the toxicity hazards of organic insecticides & considerations for using them.
Does All Natural Equal Non-Toxic?
A toxic chemical is anything that can cause harm by ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin.
Acute Toxicity vs. Chronic Toxicity
You might be afraid that pesticides will make you sick, burn your skin, or irritate your eyes. These are examples of acute toxic effects. Acute toxicity refers to short term injury or harm resulting from exposure.
Other folks seek natural pest control products because they’re worried about the long term effects of pesticides. Chronic toxicity refers to carcinogenic, mutagenic & teratogenic or other effects and ailments that develop over time. People who don’t regularly handle pesticides are not likely to experience chronic health effects (from neither natural or man-made chemicals).
Natural Pest Control Scenario:
Let’s say you are completely overrun with spiders in and around your home. But you want organic all natural pest control because you’re concerned about toxicity to yourself and your small dog.
The Dose Makes The Poison
The plant nursery sells you an organic pesticide spray called “Best Spider Repellent“. Which contains 0.5% thyme oil and a few other natural ingredients. It was advertised as all natural, so you’re good to go right?
Using All Natural Spider Repellents Outdoors
The “Best Spider Repellent” will help repel spiders outdoors. The thyme oil is full of volatile organic compounds like thymol that repel spiders and can kill them on contact. You will have some spider control relief directly after you spray outdoors. In the breeze over a few days or weeks these VOC’s will vaporize and drift away, becoming ineffective.
Using All Natural Spider Repellents Indoors
Now you’re thinking “I’ll just apply my organic all natural spider repellent inside along my baseboards.” So you spray about 10 oz. of the 0.5% thyme oil solution along the baseboards. You spray a little in your basement, living room and bedroom where you’ve seen spiders.
This releases about 0.05 ounces of pure thyme oil into your home.
The odor may surprise you.
Just one-twentieth of an ounce of pure thyme oil sprayed indoors is equivalent to about 15 aromatherapy sessions at once.
The “aroma” is the organic chemicals in the essential oil, volatilizing and vaporizing into the air, exposing you and your pets.
Some essential oil products that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers “minimum risk pesticides” contain over 20% thyme oil. Yikes!
Importantly, neither the EPA or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates organic essential oils labeled for use in aromatherapy or other non- food, medicine, cosmetic, or home-made pesticide usage.
Are Essential Oils Toxic?
Yes. We measure lethal doses by measuring the substance’s concentration that is lethal (usually orally) to 50% of the affected population. The oral LD50 of pure thyme oil is 2840 milligrams per kilogram. So for an 80kg (176lbs) adult person, 227,200 mg of pure thyme oil might kill half that drank it.
That’s almost exact 8 ounces or a whole cup. But it seems unlikely an adult could physically consume that much thyme oil. Nevertheless, all natural pesticides with essential oils have the potential to be toxic if ingested or inhaled in large quantity.
Minimum Risk Pesticides
Minimum risk pesticides, or 25(b) exempt natural pesticides don’t undergo any of the extensive testing that EPA registered pesticides do. So natural pest control products for the home is essentially an unregulated industry.
Who Regulates Natural Pest Control?
- The EPA registers most pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
- Natural pesticides are considered 25(b) exempt because they are generally considered safe.
- Some of the active ingredients of 25(b) exempt pesticides appear on the FDA “GRAS” (Generally Regarded As Safe) list. Which means that they are commonly used in food products.
- However, some natural, organic pesticide ingredients appear on the EPA’s TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) list.
On organic farms, USDA National Organic Program oversees the use of natural pesticides.
OMRI is a private non-profit that reviews pesticides and fertilizers for their toxicity.
When is it Safer to use Registered Pesticides?
If you have a persistent pest issue in the home like bed bugs, fleas, cockroaches, rats or ants, unless you are a trained professional don’t expect to get control with over-the-counter natural pest control products. You will end up using more chemicals (albeit natural), and increase your family’s toxic exposure.
This is especially true if you have birds, fish or people with respiratory conditions in the home.
One unfortunate customer seriously injured her bird pets by using a lemongrass oil product for bed bugs which offgassed potent chemical vapors.
Most EPA registered insecticides for use in the home do not have fumes or vapors, unless that is their mode of action.
In Conclusion
Use caution as with any pesticide. Sometimes all natural ant repellents can cause your ant problem to actually get worse. But borate baits can be safe and effective against ants.
Always do your research and learn IPM to reduce pesticide usage.
Beware natural rodent repellents unless you are using scents rats hate as part of a bigger strategy.
To get a customized IPM strategy for your Portland rodent, spider or ant control issue, don’t hesitate to call.
