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Pesticides found in bug bombs are chalk-full of harmful chemicals. Pay extra attention to product instructions for your own health and safety. If you experience nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, leg cramps, burning eyes, coughing, wheezing or any other health issues, consult a medical professional immediately. The EPA recommends leaving your home for the duration of time indicated on the label of your bug bomb.
How to get rid of fruit flies in your house - AgriLife Today - AgriLife Today
How to get rid of fruit flies in your house - AgriLife Today.
Posted: Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The 10 Steps to Bomb a House for Roaches
Because the aerosol propellants in these foggers typically are flammable, improper use may cause a fire or explosion. In addition to this hazard, failure to vacate premises during fogging or reentering without airing out may result in illness. It can be tempting to tackle an infestation with DIY methods to save on pest control costs. However, when residents are facing a flea infestation, enlisting the help of a professional exterminator is often the most effective course of action. Exterminators have expertise, experience, and access to more potent and targeted treatments than those available for DIY use. Each time a flea bomb is deployed, residents risk exposing themselves to harmful chemicals.
Can You Put A Bug Bomb In A Crawl Space? (Find Out Now!)
A lot of people prefer doing things themselves, including pest control. If you are one of them that is just fine but be sure to read the direction. Read the directions before purchasing the product so you would know what to expect, like the amount of time you would have to stay out of the house.
Safety Precautions
For this reason, it’s best to get help from a professional exterminator. Additionally, the pesticide itself may harm humans if they come into contact with it. Due to the way bug bombs work (more on that in the next section), they pose a very real inhalation risk to a building’s occupants if they remain inside while it is deploying. Even after a bug bombing, there is a chance that you may see them come out of hiding.
While the general use instructions are consistent with most total-release foggers, you must carefully read the specific directions for your product. Due to the power, application, and pesticide chemicals they use, there may be unique preparation steps, wait times, or cleaning measures to follow. Per the EPA’s precautions on using total-release foggers, it is critical to avoid using too many foggers for your space. Most bug bombs cover a 2,000 cubic-foot area, roughly the size of a 15-foot x16-foot room with 8-foot high ceilings.
After returning to your home, wipe down any surfaces where food is prepared, or that pets or people may touch with their mouths. Clean all counters and other surfaces where you prepare food thoroughly. If you have infants or toddlers who spend lots of time on the floor, be sure to mop. If you left your toothbrushes out, replace them with new ones.

First, opening doors and windows will help air out the space and reduce the risk of inhaling chemicals. It’s important to wash all bedding before anyone goes to sleep, as the pesticide residue can pose health risks through skin contact or inhalation. It’s also a good idea to wash any fabrics in the home that can safely be laundered, including clothing and curtains, to remove lingering chemicals. Generally speaking, bug bombs are meant to rid an area of fleas, cockroaches, bed bugs, termites, ticks, and a plethora of other insects.
What Is the Best Alternative to a Bug Bomb?
However, bug bombs are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While there’s a long list of complicated and almost unpronounceable ingredients in some of the best insect foggers, it’s vital to look for formulas that are safe to use in the home. Some foggers leave behind a wet and sticky residue, resulting in a chemical-smelling mess. To prevent this from happening to your home, look for a formula that’s nonstaining and odorless. Insects will only be exterminated when in direct contact with bug-bomb pesticides. Often, pests are discovered within walls and other concealed spaces throughout the home.
Product FAQs
Understand the risks of the pesticides you are using by reading carefully all label sections beginning with danger, poison, warning, or caution. Follow instructions for use, and calculate how much pesticide you need based on the package directions. Bug bombs are somewhat risky as they contain flammable materials including potentially harmful pesticides. Set off a fogger and you'll kill off only those bugs that happen to be out in the open at any given moment. Any pests that are inside or under a protective covering will survive to bite another day.
It’s definitely a good idea to wash all contact surfaces after you bug bomb. Floors, countertops, furniture, and anything else that you come into contact with should be washed. To wash these surfaces, use a combination of soap and warm water and thoroughly wipe them down. Washing after bug bombing isn’t difficult, it just takes some time and thoroughness, but it’s worth it for cleanliness and peace of mind. Keep indoor plants and delicate furniture in particular away from fumes; move them to a garage space or store them under cover outdoors if you can. Fish tanks need to be covered tightly using newspaper, towels or a plastic sheet and the tank’s filter needs to be turned off.
When ridding the home of nasty bugs, it’s important to do it safely. This is especially true if there are pets or small children within the home. You never know what a pet will lick or what kids might put in their mouths. The best way to keep your family safe from an insect fogger is to follow the instructions and keep your pets and children out of the home until it’s safe for them to return. Most foggers are intended to treat a specific number of square feet; using a large bug bomb in a small space can increase health risks.
When you return to your house, open your doors and windows so that any remaining fumes are safely ventilated. You can also place fans in doorways and on windows to air out the space. If you're exposed to pesticide from a bug bomb, you may experience nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, leg cramps, burning eyes, coughing, or wheezing. These symptoms may be mild or severe; they are, of course, most dangerous among very young children and people who are allergic to the pesticide. If you do experience symptoms, visit the emergency room to avoid complications.
You would do well to seek the counsel of a professional exterminator. Even if you don’t hire them for the job, they can advise you about the right kind of bug bomb to get for your situation. They can also tell you where the best place is to set the bug bomb off to inflict maximum damage. When it comes to these pesticides, you can never be too safe when removing them from the home.
Most products require airing out periods, prolonging your stay outside. If using a bug bomb is the course of action your heart is set on, then you’ll need to make sure this device is placed properly in the crawl space. If the bug bomb isn’t placed correctly, such can lead to the space above the device being soaked with aerosolized pesticide.
Fumigation hits every nook and cranny, eliminating the pests that it was intended to. These pesticides are harmful to your health, so less is more. Bug bombs are best used as part of an integrated management solution. Some total-release foggers are designed to exterminate specific insects.