11. Skip the poison
I will not use synthetic pesticides – period.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Rodenticides are chemicals used to poison rodents (rats and mice). These products, especially second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, are super-toxic and cause the poisoned animal to bleed uncontrollably, dying a slow, agonizing death. Other animals (raptors, foxes, mountain lions & even family pets) who consume these poisoned rodents are impacted the same way. In the US alone, 44% of dead birds, mammals and reptiles were found to be killed by these super-toxic rodenticides.
Insecticides are chemicals used to poison insects. Insecticides are responsible for the largest number of pesticide poisonings in the United States. Neonicotinoids are the world’s most used class of insecticides but their use is very inefficient since only 5% of the active ingredient is taken up by the crop plants with the rest being dispersed into the wider environment. When neonicotinoids are actually absorbed by the plant, they are very toxic to bees and other pollinators.
Herbicides are chemicals used to poison plants such as weeds. The most used herbicide in the US and the world is glyphosate (Roundup) which is now owned by Bayer AG. On 7/20/20, the Court of Appeal of the State of California ruled that there was “abundant” evidence that glyphosate, together with the other ingredients in Roundup products, causes cancer in humans, which agrees with the World Health Organization evaluation. One study showed trace amounts of glyphosate in many commercial food products including cereals (Cheerios), crackers (Triscuits), cookies (Oreos) and chips (Doritos). Atrazine is the second most used herbicide in the US and is the most commonly detected pesticide in US drinking water. A study of Atrazine has been shown to cause sex-reversal (chemical castration) in male frogs that were kept in water contaminated with small quantities of the chemical (2.5 parts per billion).
TAKING ACTION!
If you have a serious rodent, insect, or weed problem, here are many safe alternatives that are natural and much better for the environment and humans than the use of pesticides.
Rodenticide alternatives:
The first option involves housekeeping activities around your home with these National Park Service recommendations:
Reduce food sources for rodents
Reduce hiding places and shelter for rodents
Use ordinary rat traps. Here’s a good read on how to set rat traps. Keep in mind that other animals, such as birds can be inadvertently attracted and killed, so don’t place in bird use locations.
A family of owls consume several thousand rodents per year, so please promote owl habitat and thereby help control rodents in your area.
Insecticide alternatives include some effective products you can purchase or make yourself:
Herbicide alternatives:
Instead of using any chemicals try hand weeding, mulches and weed barriers.
We do not recommend having a lawn, but if you do, follow the guidelines at this site first to keep it as healthy and poison-free as possible.
Flower beds, trees and other garden areas can use mulches to keep down weeds and retain moisture.
Weed barriers with gravel/rock covers can also be effective to keep out weeds and other unwanted plants.
Hand weeding is generally the best alternative to herbicides.
If weeds are out of control, try these earth-friendly herbicides:
Clove oil is a good, natural herbicide and here’s a recipe to make your own along with instructions for use.
Corn meal and boiling water are other options. Vinegar can also be used as a herbicide.
ADDITIONAL MOTIVATION THOUGHTS
A study of pregnant women in Central Indiana showed more than 90% had detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine and these levels correlated significantly with shortened pregnancy lengths. Almost all European countries have banned both glyphosate and atrazine use but not the US. Organic farming does not allow these synthetic pesticides to be used to produce food for animals or people.
Now that you know about natural and safer alternatives, please don’t throw your remaining rodenticides, insecticides or herbicides in the garbage. These are considered hazardous materials (poisons) and need to be disposed of safely. The Santa Barbara County Community Hazardous Waste Collection Center located at University of California, Environmental Health and Safety Building, building 565, Mesa Road (805) 882-3602 will take all pesticides (rodenticides, insecticides & herbicides), free of charge for households.
