One thing to use against bugs is your brain. Bugs need water. If you have a problem with ants, wait at the water source armed with a vacuum, he suggests. He acknowledges, however, prevention will not always work and pesticides may be needed. Things to investigate before choosing a pesticide include persistence, acute toxicity levels and lethal doses, Swartz says.
Persistence reflects how long the product remains active.
Toxicity levels measure how much of the chemical is actually poisonous, and the lethal dose indicates how much of the pesticide would need to be ingested to kill, he says. If that particular pesticide was not persistent, it wouldn't be especially poisonous for kids because 10 grams is a lot of poison, he says, but many products have a much smaller lethal dosage amount. Grindstaff thinks his Franklin, Tenn.-based company has a better alternative to traditional pesticides. Bioganic products use ingredients, mostly tree and plant oils, that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as food additives. We've taken what has been used as a home remedy and turned it into an effective 21st century solution that you can buy in a can by isolating the oils that are the most effective.