When you call an exterminator to your home, you don’t really know what he’s spraying there. In my experience most people don’t even ask, and if they do ask they don’t ask to see the container from which I take the substances I spray in their kitchens, children’s rooms, and so on.
Unfortunately I have come across cases in which people who claim to be exterminators and use substances prohibited from use in the home (usually substances used for agriculture and are intended for use in open areas). These substances are in fact efficient in pest control in the home, and usually they are more efficient than the substances used by a licensed exterminator. However, their toxicity and the danger they pose to humans are much greater than the substances that are permitted for home use.
Following are the main active substances that are used by exterminators and are approved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. At Juk Barosh we use these substances only:
- Pyrethroid – A substance that is a chemical derivative of a plant molecule and has low toxicity levels to humans but is extremely effective against insects (many exterminators use this substance and present it as herbal / natural / organic pesticide).
- IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) – This substance is an insects’ hormone that prevents them from developing from one stage to the next (i.e. from egg to larva, larva to cocoon, cocoon to full grown).
- Boric Acid – A Mineral that is very harmful to insects but is not very harmful to humans. This substance is found in gel bait used against cockroaches and ants.
- Anticoagulants – A substance used for rodent control; it prevents blood clotting and ultimately causes the rodents’ death.
- Organophosphorus – A pesticide that is prohibited from use in pest control in the home except for the control of termites.
In conclusion, when calling an exterminator to your home, I recommend you ask to see his exterminator’s license, as well as ask him to show you the container from which he takes the pesticide. Make sure that what you were told matches the label on the container; the law requires that every container used to store pesticides is clearly labeled with the type of active substance it contains.
לייבנט – סוכנות דיגיטל לעסקים