According to the EPA, U.S. Poison Control Centers receive a call every 13 seconds about someone being exposed to a poison. More than 50% of these cases involve children under six years of age. Every year, more than 70,000 calls are made to poison centers with concerns about exposure to common household pesticides.

The Safer Pest Control Project of Chicago has released their Ten Steps for Pest Control factsheet; a great resource for safe and effective control of bed bugs or most any pest. Below are excerpts from the factsheet:

Avoid pesticide sprays and fogs! These products don't get to the cause of the pest problem, and they can cause health problems for people and pets. Below are steps you can follow for safe and effective pest management, to get rid of mice, rats, and roaches (waterbugs). Follow the steps in order as best as you can. Although doing a few of the steps seperately will help, doing all of them together will make sure that you have the best chance of getting rid of the pest.

• Look Around and Play Detective
• Repair
• Be Persistent
• Reduce Clutter
• Store Properly
• Clean Thoroughly
• Deny Pests Water
• Deny Pests Food
• Pest Baits
• What to Expect From a Pest
Control Company

To read or print out this informative 2-page factsheet, click here.