Don't Be Bugged By Pesticides

Bet you didn’t know that even though kids weigh less than adults, they drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults per pound of body weight. That’s why kids may be exposed to more pesticides than adults.

What are pesticides and why are they used? Well, when bugs or other living creatures invade our homes, our backyards, our playing fields or our crops, we call them pests. Pesticides are used to kill these pests. Examples of pesticides include bug spray, pet flea collars, rat poison, and weed killer.

Pests such as fleas and ticks on the family dog, cockroaches in cupboards, weeds in the garden, and ants at a picnic can be a real pain. Some pests like ticks may even carry diseases including Rocky Mountain spotted fever which causes headache, muscle pain, fever, and a very nasty rash.

Pesticides are all around us! The more you know about them, the better you can protect yourself and others. You can be exposed to pesticides in lots of ways. Food may contain pesticides because farmers use them to protect crops from weeds and bugs. Kids may be exposed at home and at school when pesticides are used to kill cockroaches, ants, or rodents. Pesticides are also found in flea and tick powders, which are used on the family dog or cat. You may also be around pesticides when playing on lawns and fields that have just been treated with a pesticide. The government limits the amount of pesticides that can be found in food so there’s no excuse to stop eating your green beans and peas. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet.

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a way of controlling pests by using the least toxic method first. For example, the first step in keeping pests away is making sure food is stored in air-tight containers. Baits and traps are also great ways to control pests without exposing people to pesticides.

TIPS

Prevent pesticide poisoning in your house. Work with an adult in the house to make sure that pesticides are kept in their original containers and stored in locked cabinets or other places that are out of reach of small children like your younger brothers and sisters.
If you must use pesticides, be sure to use them with care, under adult supervision, and remember to READ THE LABEL FIRST!
Never play with pesticides or pesticide containers.
Never play on lawns that have been recently sprayed with pesticides. Make sure your pets stay away too.
You can cut back on the need to use bug spray by staying inside when mosquitoes or other bugs are most active and if you go outside, cover up by wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
Always wash and scrub fruits and vegetables under running water. After washing, peel fruits and vegetables when you can. Throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables. Also, have an adult trim the fat from meat and skin from poultry and fish because some pesticides collect in fat.

ACTIVITIES

Have your family sign a household pledge to get rid of pests using the least toxic methods possible. If pesticides are needed, make sure they will be used in a safe way. Start your pledge here.

Talk to five friends about what they can do to stop pests and pesticide use at school. Here are some tips for school:

Keep your school lockers and desks clean; don’t store food in your locker.
Clean up after yourself in the cafeteria.
Clean up spills and crumbs right away.
Report any leaky faucets.

List your five friends here.

Find out how your school controls pests. Is there an IPM system in place? Learn more about IPM and write an article about it for your school newspaper.

Info

For more information on pesticides, visit EPA’s pesticides Web site at www.epa.gov/pesticides.

Don't Be Bugged By Pesticides

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