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First of all, "Raid" - or Black Flag - or any of the branded cans of spray insecticide, are extremely
expensive, pound for pound, more so than any other insecticide. The same goes for those "bombs" you
can pick up at Home Depot, or any hardware store.
Oh, they will work, (sometimes, or poorly)
but everything you spray will be greasy from the residues of the petroleum distillates each can contains.
And don't forget the propellants that they all have, adding even more mess (and chemicals) to your toxic
mix.
A WORD ABOUT SAFETY: Most pre-mixed insecticides, if not all, have the same sets of
ingredients. They have an "active" ingredient - this is actually the insecticide. They all will have
varying percentages, and just because type may list more "active" on their label, it doesn't necessarily
mean that it will be more effective. There are many variables here, and some of the stronger ones are
not the ones you should use on your specific target. It may also make things actually worse, by scattering
some of the survivors and starting up problems far removed from your original infestation.
Most
also include a synergizer - a chemical that is designed to make the insecticide much more powerful, giving
more of a "kill."
Couple this with the fact that these compounds are very irritating to the mucus
membranes, (your throat, lungs and sinuses) and can cause a condition known as paraesthesia. You'll
find your throat "closing up," and your lungs will have a burning sensation, and sometimes the sensitive
skin of your face will have a burning sensation for a few hours, sometimes lasting as long as 24 hours
after your exposure.
Not recommended for anyone with allergies, throat or lung conditions.
This can be nasty stuff, ask any exterminator. When we use these types of insecticides we are very careful
- any insecticides we use affect us too. A good respirator (not a dust mask) will keep these vapors
from your lungs. But you may still feel this effect on any exposed skin.
So why even mess with
this stuff? Especially since you can get an exterminator to do the job, he'll do it safely, more effectively,
by using the RIGHT combination of ingredients, and you won't have to buy a gas mask....
All
in all, it will probably be cheaper to use a REAL exterminator because you can obtain a guarantee for
the exterminator's return, should you continue to have the problem.
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