Many of our clients often ask us what exactly is green pest control? There is a belief that green pest management only uses natural ingredients, which simply isn’t true, as sometimes chemicals are required to get rid of pests – especially if you have an infestation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines green pest control as “a service that employs an integrated pest management approach while utilizing fewer of the earth’s resources as part of a larger effort to reduce human impacts on the environment.”
In other words, green pest management means effective, yet safe pest control that has little to no impact on the environment, your home, and you and your family’s health.
Focusing on Prevention
With green pest control, the focus leans toward prevention – instead of elimination – because it is easier to keep pests from coming into your home than it is to get rid of them once an infestation occurs.
As such, green programs rely on a much closer relationship between our pest technicians and our customers – the homeowners. We’ll often make recommendations about the interior and exterior environment – such as making sure food and garbage are in sealed containers, leaky pipes are repaired promptly, pet food bowls are removed after feeding, and wood piles are away from the house – to remove favorable conditions where pests thrive and to keep them from invading your home.
The Difference with Green Methods
Green pest control methods use products that only target specific pests, rather than traditional chemicals that cover a broad range of pests. When pesticides are needed, we strive to the use all-natural pesticides and/or biopesticides. These pesticides include active ingredients derived from such natural resources as animals, plants, and bacteria.
Typically, these products are listed as either “exempt,” “minimum risk,” or “reduced risk” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of their low impact on human health, low toxicity to non-target organisms (birds, fish, and plants), low potential for groundwater contamination, lower use rates, low pest resistance potential, and compatibility with integrated pest management. For the most part, these compounds are essential oils or other plant extracts, food ingredients, or other compounds that are known to have insecticidal or repellent properties.
Some common green pest control methods include insect growth regulators (which only target insects and don’t harm any other organisms), baits, traps, and even boric acid.
What is Integrated Pest Management?
Integrated pest management focuses on examining and eliminating environmental factors that allow pests to reproduce and thrive, rather than just eliminating the pests themselves. This is where Eco Pest Control excels. Once we properly identify the pest and determine the quantity and severity of the infestation, we apply appropriate pest control methods and offer continuous communication and inspections going forward. These inspections include prevention recommendations to prevent the pests from returning.
With Eco Pest Control and green pest management on your side, you can feel confident that your pest problem is being addressed while ensuring your family, your home, and the environment are protected.
