Baits,
nonvolatile
Baits contain insect or rodent poisons mixed with food or
other attractants. The principal behind most baits is that the pest will
take some of the food containing the pesticide, and bring it back to the
other members of its colony.
A large concern is the volatility of the chemicals and its
ability to vaporize or volatize into the ambient air and therefore expose
people to the chemical. A bait containing a non-volatizing pesticide, like
boric acid, is just as, if not more, effective in controlling the pest
population and doesn’t pose the high risk for exposure. Volatile chemicals, like chlorpyrifos, used as the poison in
baits put human health and the environment at risk.
Baits, by their very nature, are a better choice for pest
control than sprays or broadcast applications. It is extremely important
that baits be made of tamper resistant containers or for crack and crevice
treatment, and be out of the reach of children.
Read the label (or ask your pest control service
provider) to determine what the poison, or active ingredient, is in the
bait, then find that chemical’s fact sheet on this website.
