Question Re: Home Pesticide Treatment (for mites)

[Jenk]

We've been dealing with a mite issue since this past October.
Revolution treatments (and general, yet thorough cleaning of the
environment) hasn't been quite enough. (The mite type, still
undiscovered, is also biting us humans.)

All sources I've found indicate that the home environment should be
treated specifically for mites (that treatment of the animals alone
isn't enough).

The EPA has banned two chemicals once used by exterminators. One of
them (carbamates) has caused toxic reactions/death in rabbits.

I'm concerned about the other three chemical types that exterminators
still use; I've not read anything adverse about them. But if I don't
treat my house, my parents will never set foot inside of it again.
(They're undergoing their fourth mite infestation right now; it's a
total nightmare, and they're just too scared to take the risk unless
my animals/home are both treated.)

The three specific pesticides still used (i.e., arcaracides) are:
pyrethroids- deltamethrin, pyrethrin and IGR (insect growth
regulator). Does anyone know how they may affect rabbits (if the
animals are removed from the home for several days' after the
pesticide treatment)?

Thank you,

Jenk

 

[Maureen Las]

IGR
http://www.altosidigr.com/safety.htm
pyrethroids
http://www.altosidigr.com/safety.htm

deltamethrin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deltamethrin

The only people who are going to be able to help you with this are people who have used these products themselves.
I have spent some time reading about them. There has been massive (and cruel )experimentation with these products by either applying them externally to small (and large)animals or by injecting them into them.

What is interesting is that the neurotoxicity symptoms in humans exposed to deltamethrins actually mimic what a person might feel if they had mites. Skin crawling, tingling, itching.

I am sure that someone either on etherbun (saw the post) or here on RO has a background in chemistry or has safely usedone or more of these products and can answer these questions for you.
But it ain"t me

 

[pamnock]

I have seen recommendations for a regular deep cleaning routine when biting mites are plauging a household. All bedding should be frequently washed. Steam clean furniture and steam clean carpets as well as using the topicals on the animals. Also be sure to clean drapes and curtains.

Rodents can be a source of the mites, so it is important to keep rat/mice populations under control.

Pam

 

[tonyshuman]

Ok, the info about (S)-Methoprene indicates that it is very non-toxic to rabbits. They tested it at pretty high levels and didn't get effects. For the things in that table of LD50, the * means that they gave a dose that high and still didn't get 50% of the animals to die.

The info on deltamethrin tells me that as long as it's done properly, it shouldn't hurt you or the rabbits. Same with pyrethrins.

If you had professionals come in and spray the place, and told them you have small pets, it should be fine. I don't have experience with these compounds, but I can tel you that pyrethrins (such as deltamethrin) are preferred over older insecticides because they are derived from plants and act fairly specifically on insects and not mammals. Insect growth regulators typically are also very specific to insects because they mimic insect hormones and thus impede the life cycle.

 

[Jenk]

pamnock wrote:

I have seen recommendations for a regular deep cleaning routine when biting mites are plauging a household. All bedding should be frequently washed. Steam clean furniture and steam clean carpets as well as using the topicals on the animals. Also be sure to clean drapes and curtains.

When this issue began, I vacuumed the entire house for 4-5 days' straight. Then I started alternating each day(upstairs one day; downstairs the next) for a grand total of 21 days' of vacuuming.

We washed/changed bedding daily for over a month then grew tired of that. Plus, our bedding is now falling apart. We started letting 2-3 days' go by before changing it again. Now we're back to doing it daily (for nearly a month's time again).

NEVER steam clean if/when you suspect mites are in the home. Doing so gives them a more comfy place in which to breed: heat and moisture. It's just the right combo. for them to run rampant in the home.

Rodents can be a source of the mites, so it is important to keep rat/mice populations under control.

While rats/mice live just about everywhere, we don't have any in our home; and living in the 'burbs of a larger metropolitan area cuts down on whatever is running around outside. Rodents aren't the issue (although that's not to say that they didn't cause the mites that may have hitched a ride in on a bale of hay, for all I know).

 

[Jenk]

tonyshuman wrote:

The info on deltamethrin tells me that as long as it's done properly, it shouldn't hurt you or the rabbits. Same with pyrethrins.

If you had professionals come in and spray the place, and told them you have small pets, it should be fine. I don't have experience with these compounds, but I can tel you that pyrethrins (such as deltamethrin) are preferred over older insecticides because they are derived from plants and act fairly specifically on insects and not mammals. Insect growth regulators typically are also very specific to insects because they mimic insect hormones and thus impede the life cycle.

I would definitely tell whomever is going to spray and bomb our home that we have small animals. I also plan to tell him/her of my concerns and to ask plenty of questions.

I'm guessing that carbamatesand organophosphates were banned by the EPA due to their known toxicity levels. But was really bad, according to several exterminators with whom my mom spoke, the EPA has banned them without finding better alternatives; so what they're now seeing is mite infestations carrying on and on, even when the other three pesticides are used. Apparently, due to weaker pesticidesand global warming making newer areas accessible, parasites are becoming resistant to the current drugs that exterminators can use. It's rather scary when you think about it. (I'm trying not to think about it.)