Environmental Pest Control in Richmond, VA

What is Green Pest Control?

There’s been a lot written in recent years about the impact of pesticides on our environment and our health. This increased awareness of the dangers of pesticides has caused many consumers to seek pest control solutions that are also the best environmental choices.

Our Eco-Conscious Products for Pest Control

The terms “green pest control,” “organic pest control,” and “environmental pest control” imply that the service is based on the best non-chemical measures and the use of naturally occurring pesticides that are derived from earth-based materials.

By this definition, the best products that can be used for environmental pest control applications include borates, desiccant dusts (such as diatomaceous earth and silica), botanical insecticides, and pesticides classified in category 25b by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is the EPA category for minimum-risk pesticides.

Depending on your pest situation, some of the best essential oils used for environmental pest control include:

• Peppermint, eucalyptus, and spearmint to treat ants, cockroaches, fleas, gnats, spiders, caterpillars, silverfish, aphids, centipedes, ticks, beetles, moths, other flying bugs.
• Cedarwood to treat moths, aphids, snails, and slugs.
• Lemongrass to treat mosquitos, biting flies, no see ums, chiggers, fleas, and ticks.
• Lavender to treat mosquitos, flies, ticks, chiggers, silverfish, moths, and fleas.
• Sage, thyme, and oregano to treat beetles, flies, and chiggers.
• Tea tree oil to treat flies, fleas, no see ums, centipedes, and other insects
• Lemon, orange, and other citrus to treat ants, cockroaches, biting flies, and fleas.
• Litsea cubeba to treat mosquitos, gnats, and fleas.
• Vanilla extract to treat mosquitos, centipedes, biting flies, and no see ums.

The Dangers of Pesticides

Every year in the United States, more than one billion pounds of pesticides – which are known to cause a variety of health and environmental problems – are sprayed into the environment. These pesticides latch onto air, soil, and water particles and can travel considerable distances. Even worse, they can remain active for many years, upsetting the delicate balance of our ecosystem and creating health hazards.

Researchers have linked the use of pesticides to our declining honeybee population, which has been decimated since 2006. Other pollinators are being impacted, too, including butterflies and hummingbirds. Even the populations of certain lizards and some small mammals are being reduced because of pesticide use. The best answer to this problem is to adopt environmental pest control practices nationwide.

It’s not just pollinators and other small creatures that are being harmed. The World Health Organization estimates there are three million cases of pesticide poisoning each year. Ongoing exposure to pesticides has been linked to specific chronic health issues, including:

• Headaches
• Skin and eye irritation
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Birth defects
• Cancer
• Genetic changes
• Blood disorders
• Nerve disorders

It’s not just people who are at risk; our pets can be harmed, too. Ingesting pesticides – or even being exposed to them – can bring about fevers, vomiting, seizures, and respiratory failure in dogs and cats.

Certainly, it’s best for both the environment and our health to adopt environmental pest control solutions over the harmful pesticides that so many exterminators are using today.

Can an Exterminator Really Be Eco-Friendly?

The answer is not only yes, but the very best environmental pest control companies – such as Eco Pest Control – are also highly engaged in the latest green treatment techniques and technician training.

Because “Eco” is our first name, we must live up to green standards, which include using biological controls – such as scents, tastes, and oils – combined with safer, greener chemicals. So dedicated we are to eco-friendly pest control that we use a uniquely formulated treatment designed to specifically target pests, while being completely safe for people and most pets.