"Safer" pesticides?

[EvDownJr]

Hey. Been seeing much lately regarding diatomaceous earth. We know DE is generally MUCH safer than organophosphates or Sevin.

Here's a yellow light from my experience:

Be CAREFUL applying anything to your skin not intended for human contact/consumption. Before I had any idea what was ailing me, I too itched like crazy. Hate to tell you I applied a lot of things that did not @ the time seem especially dangerous. This would include borax and later boric acid. The problem is with any such product, (in certain cases) we may not know what the inert ingriedients consist of. I would expect DE is reasonably safe on the ground. However, be very deliberate not be exposed to this airbourne, or even worse on the skin. Some brands of DE and pesticide grade boric acid may have some very bad inert chemical fillers.

Please do not panic. I don't expect, 20 Mule Team Borax nor pharaceutical grade Boric Acid should give that kind of problem. For myself, I was more concerned with other stuff I bought at the garden store awhile ago. If it were me, I would want to make sure Diatomaceous Earth didn't have silica fragments before coming in chronic contact with skin or lungs. Same goes for any boric acid powder designed for pest control.


For the environment like the car, not my skin, I am finding making my own agricultural oil helps quite a bit. That is you can make a spray of peanut/palm oil, mix in some garlic and clove essence along with some Ivory liquid. Suffocates those little pests out....OK, just an unlikely note of caution therein: I would NOT use castor nor canola oils. Though these are cheap and effective, if they are left hanging around there is a very remote chance these could become toxic. There was a commerical horticultural oil I bought a year ago that was helping very well. I chose to discontinue in my car/home, only because I don't know what the unlisted conponents were.

Good Luck