Paying the Bug guy

[GoLowDrew]

People pay $25 a month for bug guy to come out to spray. Here in the Southwest (AZ), it seems like a must.Questions:- Do any of you do it yourself? Where do we spray or look for?- Is the chemical toxic? The bug guy said "it's safe for children. Unless you lick the areas I just spray, you should be ok.- Do they really use special stuff? Can I get the same chemicals at Home Depot?TIA

[joatmon]

guess it depends on what bugs they are spraying for. You should be entitled to receive a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for any product they are using, that would tell you what sort of bug death cocktail they are serving. Where I live the big threat is termites, which is usually one treatment that lasts for years and annual inspections to be sure.

[vibe-04]

Ahhh, the one great advantages of living in the north: the cold kills almost everything. I would not suggest doing this yourself. There are always risks involved in everything. Some risks can be measured and controlled. Other risks require special equipment and training. Still other risks involve "unknowns" and these can cause the greatest theat to personal injury. Handling toxic pesticide falls into the latter category.Let someone else take the risk. Remember DDT? There are many toxins when improperly mixed or stored that can hurt you or your family. It's not worth the risk unless you get the training and the equipment.However, $25 a month seems steep. Why 12 times a year? Call around to get more quotes and reduce the frequency. Research non-toxic alternatives that you can apply.You don't want to end up with nerve damage or killing the family pet cause you were saving a couple of bucks.Good luck

[BOZACK]

My friend was an exterminator in AZ. All the chemicals were commercial grade and not available to the public. Most people use an exterminator because wasps and scorpians can be killed but new ones move in and it is a constant battle.

[zionzr2]

my biggest problem is the common spider. Not a huge deal but enough to give you a spoke once ina while.

[nortsr]

I live in Melbourne Beach, Florida. (lots of bugs). Used to have the same deal you had (someone getting about 35/month). Finally wised up, went to Home Depot (or Lowes) and paid about ten bucks for a gallon of their bug spray. I do around the baseboards, under all the sinks (anwhere that ther are water lines, even do around the inside area of my garage. It has worked very well. In fact, I go up to NewJersey for a couple of months in the summer...and...when I go back to my home, there is always a bunch of dead little buggers just "laying around".