08/25/06 Indoor Foggers

The dog days of summer sometimes bring flea problems in the home because of your pet dog or cat. Indoor foggers can be a tool to battle fleas but must be used wisely and safely: Used correctly, indoor foggers- also referred to as "bug bombs"- can effectively kill fleas and other insect pests. Used incorrectly, those same foggers can expose pets and people in the home to health and safety hazards. Consumers should follow common sense before, during, and after the use of these foggers: BLEVINS: "They need to read the label. On the label, there are several precautions such as turn off all ignition sources- such as pilot lights, gas, and other open flames." Dan Blevins, pesticide investigator with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, says foggers contain highly flammable ingredients used to dispense the pesticide product in mist form. If they are ignited, an explosion and fire could occur, which has happened across the nation many times. Part of the problem is people using too many foggers in one setting: BLEVINS: "You should know the area that you are treating. Quite often on the label will say do not use more than one can per room. A lot of folks like to use more than one can, which can end up with higher residues." Illnesses associated with exposure to these bug bombs is far more common than the occurrence of an explosion. Label instructions include leaving the premises for a period of time and thoroughly ventilating upon return. Of course, preventing flea populations in the first place is always a good option by perhaps treating the pet that brings in the bugs. BLEVINS says people can take steps even before they resort to using the bug bomb: BLEVINS: "In fact, a lot of pesticide labels- even before you put off bombs- suggest vacuuming thoroughly before fogging. Quite often, you can pick up all the fleas as well as the larvae as well as the nymphs and the eggs with a vacuum cleaner." BLEVINS says before using an indoor fogger, consumers should take other steps including direct application of a pesticide where the flea problem exists, such as in a pet`s bedding: BLEVINS: "Placing the chemical where the pest is or where the problem is is probably going to be more effective than a fogger that tends to blast the chemical all over surface areas that are not killing any fleas or where there are no fleas at the time of the fogging." That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.