Using a pesticide to get rid of dandelions on the lawn is an aesthetic choice, not a health choice. 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. The oils target a portion of insects' nervous system that is unique and not found in mammals, fish or birds, according to Grindstaff. Bioganic is not always the answer.