Keep Kids and Pets Safe

The Biggest Risk

Most calls to poison control centres involving pesticides are incidents where the exposure happened at home. Accidents happen:

  • When pesticides are stored improperly
  • When pesticides are spilled

The biggest concern with improperly stored pesticides around homes is accidental poisoning of children.

Pesticides are more toxic to a child than to an adult
The same amount of pesticide will be more toxic to a child than to an adult. To have the same concentration of that pesticide in her body, a child needs only a fraction of what would be of risk to an adult.

Using less toxic treatments

Some treatments are less toxic, but if the treatment is formulated as a bait and left out in the home garden, it’s still a risk to children and pets. Apply baits out of reach of children and pets. Always follow directions on the label.

Some baits attract not just the target pests… but will also attract your PETS! Read the label and know what the risks are to your pets. A pesticide such as metaldehyde (slug bait) may not be toxic to bees and other insects, but it can be fatal to dogs and cats, which are attracted to this bait.

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