Preventing Pests at Home

Is your family bugged by pests like ants, spiders, cockroaches, termites, or mice? You’re not alone. You can effectively control or kill pests when you take action to starve them out, dry them out, and keep them out. Like humans, pests need three critical elements to survive: food, water, and shelter. By following three simple and effective steps, you can protect your family’s health and safety while controlling annoying pests. Full text » [PDF, 130KB]

Poison-proof Your Home: One Room at a Time

You’ve heard it before, “Better to be safe than sorry.” There are always some chances in life we can afford to take, but risks that can affect your child’s health should always be prevented. By performing just a few common sense practices in a home, parents can ensure the well-being of their child’s health and future. Play it safe, and no one has to worry.

Most poisonings happen in a child’s home, but some take place outside of it, such as while visiting the home of a friend, family member, or babysitter. For this reason, it’s critical that all caregivers of children make a room-by-room inspection of their homes for improperly stored pesticide products, things that are used to control or kill ants, cockroaches, mice, rats, or termites. Full text » [PDF, 161KB]

Head Start Staff: What You Need to Know About Pesticide Poisoning

They buzz, they burrow, they crawl, they sting, they bite, they munch, and they torment.From insects to rodents, they can make our lives difficult. Pests, such as ants, cockroaches, mice, rats, and termites, can be particularly troublesome to families if left unchecked. However, many families are unaware of the serious health risks associated with the improper storage or use of household pesticides, the products we use to control or kill pest populations in and around a home.

We encourage Head Start staff to teach families about the possible health effects pesticides can have on young children as well as the simple pesticide poisoning prevention efforts that they can incorporate into their regular household activities. In this way, families are armed with important safety knowledge that lets them make smart choices that effectively protect their children.

One of the simplest and most effective methods of preventing pesticide poisoning is storing household pesticides out of reach of small children in high, locked cabinets. Full text » [PDF, 164KB]

Pesticides and Their Impact on Children: Key Facts and Talking Points

While pesticides have benefits for society and can be powerful tools for controlling pests, they are also inherently toxic and can severely harm children’s health if stored or used improperly. The following data-driven talking points can be useful when talking with Head Start staff, families and others about the risks associated with pesticides and the importance of pesticide poisoning prevention. Full text » [PDF, 168KB]