57 Ways - 47. Recognize That It’s Not Always Necessary To Control Indoor Insects

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57 Ways To Protect Your Home Environment (and Yourself)

Caring for the Home Landscape

1. Aim for a healthy lawn rather than a perfect lawn
2. Cut the grass without gas
3. Prevent insect, disease, and weed problems in the garden
4. Identify fruits and vegetables that need fewer pesticides
5. Select native trees and shrubs that will thrive in your yard
6. Keep your tress healthy and safe
7. Plant “wild” in your backyard
8. Attract birds and butterflies to your backyard

Using Alternatives to Traditional Pesticides & Fertilizers - Where Practical

9. Scout for pests on the landscape
10. Consider microbial insecticides
11. Consider botanical insecticides & insecticidal soaps
12. Conserve beneficial insects
13. Monitor & control insects with traps
14. Use pest barriers in your garden
15. Solarize soil
16. Consider the potential of natural fertilizers

Using Chemicals on the Landscape - If Necessary

17. Know what to ask a lawn-care company and arborist
18. Understand pesticide toxicity
19. Read the pesticide label
20. Apply pesticides accurately and safely
21. Apply fertilizers accurately and safely

Storing & Disposing of Hazardous Chemicals

22. Store hazardous chemicals safely
23. Dispose of pesticides safely
24. Dispose of auto products safely
25. Dispose of paints and solvents safely
26. Dispose of adhesives, areosols, household cleaners & other hazardous waste safely

Managing Yard, Food & Other Household Waste

27. Reduce household waste
28. Recycle paper, glass, & aluminum
29. Reuse and respond
30. Recycle grass clippings
31. Create a compost pile
32. Use yard waste as mulch
33. Dispose of tree residues

Protecting Your Drinking Water

34. Know when & how to test your water
35. Test your water for coliform bacteria & nitrate 36. Test your water for pesticides - if necessary
37. Know the signs of contaminants in drinking water
38. Select effective water-treatment methods
39. Prevent contamination from septic systems
40. Know the pros & cons of bottled water

Protecting the Indoor Environment

41. Prevent contamination by lead
42. Test your home for radon
43. Reduce radon levels
44. Control dust, dust mites & other allergens
45. Reduce pollution from combustion equipment
46. Prevent contamination by formaldehyde and asbestos
47. Recognize tht it's not always necessary to control indoor insects
48. Select the right household pesticide
49. Control household pests with less toxic alternatives
50. Select household cleaners wisely

Conserving Energy & Water

51. Design new homes for energy effciency
52. Save energy in heating & cooling
53. Insulate & seal your home
54. Choose energy-efficient appliances
55. Save money & energy with compact fluorescent light bulbs
56. Use plants & other landscape tools to conserve energy
57. Conserve water in & around the home

47. Recognize That It’s Not Always Necessary To Control Indoor Insects
	Most indoor insects are little more than an aesthetic or nuisance problem, although there are infamous exceptions, such as the termite. With a lot of insects, the question is how many you can tolerate. It is an individual decision. Some homeowners fear that carpenter ants will do structural damage to their home. While it’s true that carpenter ants will burrow into the damp wood of a home, they typically affect only about a 2-foot stretch of a two-by-four–wood often damaged by moisture. Also, they usually do not spread beyond one or two nests in a single home. Of course, you’ll still want to correct the problem of moist wood.
	Other insects that can do some damage or bite are: flour beetles, which feed in cereals, flour, and grain products; Indianmeal moths, whose larvae feed on grain products, nuts, chocolate, and dried fruit; carpet beetles, which create holes in woolens and loosen carpet nap...
	...fleas, which bite pets and humans; head lice, which feed on human blood on the scalp; bees, which sting; and spiders, some of which bite.
	If you decide to contact a pest-control company for help, try to find one that offers an “integrated pest management” program, in which the company’s pest-control operators use the least toxic control methods and turn to pesticides as a last resort. Also, find out if the operators will “spot-treat” for a problem.
	One of the most steady sources of income for pest-control companies is a contract in which they spray your house monthly to prevent problems. Unless you have an extremely low tolerance for the sight of any insect indoors, the regular preventative monthly treatments are not a good idea. These treatments expose you to more pesticides than is usually necessary.