The advertisements boast of blasting, busting, exterminating and eliminating those pesky insects creeping around your home.
But for people who want a kinder, less toxic approach, there is a growing trend in the pest control business that involves more prevention and less spraying.
Known as integrated pest management, the approach can vary widely. Basically it requires homeowners to take steps to discourage bugs, and pest control operators to do more research before applying chemicals.
Still an emerging approach, integrated pest management ''can mean as much or as little as a person wants it to mean,'' said Susan Cooper, a toxicologist with the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides in Washington, D.C.
''It's still very much a 'buyer beware' situation,'' Cooper said.
A leading Florida researcher in urban entomology, Phillip Koehler with the University of Florida, said the system involves several time-consuming steps, but is effective.
''First you identify the bugs, then you monitor and try to count the insects, then look at the various options available and then evaluate the results,'' Koehler said. ''It's time-consuming and that's why it hasn't really caught on.''
Much of the responsibility lies with the homeowner, Koehler said. The person wanting pest control services should request the least toxic approach.
Koehler is researching how to use natural chemicals for pest control.
Growth inhibitors, parasitic wasps, predatory insects and biological controls such as a fungus that attacks insect eggs are among some of the non-toxic pest controls, Koehler said.
Parasitic worms, or nematodes, are used in some areas to control termites, but Koehler said they are not really effective. He said researchers are investigating how they could use the worms to control cockroaches.
Boric acid, a natural chemical, also is used to control cockroaches and fleas, he said. Boric acid is toxic, Koehler said, but not as much as some man-made pesticides.
A few of the less toxic methods are available to the public, such as growth regulators typically used for fleas and cockroaches. Koehler said the growth inhibitors, unlike the traditional toxic sprays that are nerve poisons, are not toxic to humans.
Phil Easton, the manager of a Truly Nolen pest control franchise, said the national company started using a more ''environmentally friendly'' approach about a year ago.
''It involves a combination of insect knowledge on the part of the exterminating company and the ability of the customer to change situations to eliminate (insects') food and housing sources,'' Easton said.
''We don't just go out and spray anymore,'' he said, adding that they use more powders and bait traps.
Some companies are using a slightly different approach by installing tubes inside walls and hollow spaces in buildings and spraying pesticides in there. The chemicals then are slowly released through tiny holes in the tubes.
Other pest control companies say they have been using some form of integrated pest management for a few years, but it was never called that.
A revised Florida law regulating pest control operators includes a new section on integrated pest management. It allows operators to gain credit toward their certification by taking courses on the topic.
But for people who want a kinder, less toxic approach, there is a growing trend in the pest control business that involves more prevention and less spraying.
Known as integrated pest management, the approach can vary widely. Basically it requires homeowners to take steps to discourage bugs, and pest control operators to do more research before applying chemicals.
Still an emerging approach, integrated pest management ''can mean as much or as little as a person wants it to mean,'' said Susan Cooper, a toxicologist with the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides in Washington, D.C.
''It's still very much a 'buyer beware' situation,'' Cooper said.
A leading Florida researcher in urban entomology, Phillip Koehler with the University of Florida, said the system involves several time-consuming steps, but is effective.
''First you identify the bugs, then you monitor and try to count the insects, then look at the various options available and then evaluate the results,'' Koehler said. ''It's time-consuming and that's why it hasn't really caught on.''
Much of the responsibility lies with the homeowner, Koehler said. The person wanting pest control services should request the least toxic approach.
Koehler is researching how to use natural chemicals for pest control.
Growth inhibitors, parasitic wasps, predatory insects and biological controls such as a fungus that attacks insect eggs are among some of the non-toxic pest controls, Koehler said.
Parasitic worms, or nematodes, are used in some areas to control termites, but Koehler said they are not really effective. He said researchers are investigating how they could use the worms to control cockroaches.
Boric acid, a natural chemical, also is used to control cockroaches and fleas, he said. Boric acid is toxic, Koehler said, but not as much as some man-made pesticides.
A few of the less toxic methods are available to the public, such as growth regulators typically used for fleas and cockroaches. Koehler said the growth inhibitors, unlike the traditional toxic sprays that are nerve poisons, are not toxic to humans.
Phil Easton, the manager of a Truly Nolen pest control franchise, said the national company started using a more ''environmentally friendly'' approach about a year ago.
''It involves a combination of insect knowledge on the part of the exterminating company and the ability of the customer to change situations to eliminate (insects') food and housing sources,'' Easton said.
''We don't just go out and spray anymore,'' he said, adding that they use more powders and bait traps.
Some companies are using a slightly different approach by installing tubes inside walls and hollow spaces in buildings and spraying pesticides in there. The chemicals then are slowly released through tiny holes in the tubes.
Other pest control companies say they have been using some form of integrated pest management for a few years, but it was never called that.
A revised Florida law regulating pest control operators includes a new section on integrated pest management. It allows operators to gain credit toward their certification by taking courses on the topic.
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