In order to get started with doing your own pest control, you are going to need a few things that will keep you safe when mixing applying and transferring chemicals.
Please don’t skip getting these items to protect you. Pesticides are fine as long as you apply them correctly and wear the proper equipment.
The 4 safety items I recommend that everyone gets for pest control are:
- These safety glasses on DoMyOwn.com. PLEASE do not make the mistake of not wearing safety glasses when you mix or spray chemicals, especially if you plan to spray overhead. If you do get chemicals in your eyes make sure to flush them for 20 minutes and contact a physician.
- This respirator on DoMyOwn.com. For basic maintenance with a spray can a paper mask will be fine, however, if you plan on using a flushing agent (bug bomb) or doing a mosquito treatment with a mosquito machine I would say get the respirator. It is going to make it to where you breathe in none of the toxins that the pesticide puts off and although it may be fine to do some things with just a paper mask it is better to be safe than sorry especially in this situation. If you have a sensitive sense of smell you may want to wear a respirator for all pest services just to have that extra peace of mind. You can get replacement cartridges on DoMyOwn.com for the respirator as well.
- These paper masks w/valved respirator on DoMyOwn.com. For most of the treatments that you do a paper mask will be fine. I personally use this brand because it allows me to breathe better while If I need to wear it for a good amount of time.
- These gloves on DoMyOwn.com. It is important to protect your hands from spills and overspray. If you need to adjust the nozzle while you are spraying and you aren’t wearing gloves you will get chemical on your hands and if it is not washed immediately you will have an itch to scratch and you will get the chemical on your face and it will feel like a constant sunburn for the rest of the day. So please wear gloves!
Safety Glasses
The safety glasses I recommend is the Global Vision Hercules safety glasses(click to see the current price on DoMyOwn.com) These are awesome to wear. They cause no discomfort when I put them on and they come in 3 shade types i.e. clear, yellow, and smoke. I have the smoke and the yellow pair. I like having a yellow pair to use when it is raining outside. It makes the day look less gloomy and improves my line of sight. The smoke I use to protect me from the UV rays of the sun as I apply pesticides.
Safety glasses are paramount and you can’t replace your eyes. If you don’t purchase these safety glasses be sure that you do get some and make sure that this is a part of your safety equipment for doing your own pest control.
Respirator
The respirator I use and recommend is the Comfo Classic Mask (see the current price on DoMyOwn.com). Like I mentioned above if you have a mild allergy or are sensitive to certain smells you may opt to get a respirator instead of just a simple paper mask. I personally use this respirator and can say that it works perfectly. The cartridges are replaceable, so as long as you store this properly and take care of it, it will last you the rest of your life. The cartridges to replace it are the Comfo Classic P100 replacement cartridges (see the current price on DoMyOwn.com). These cartridges last a long time the way you can tell it is time to replace them is when they change color on the outer rim of the cartridge, but also you will start to smell the chemical a little bit. Make sure you read the manufacturers pamphlet to see when they recommend replacement as well.
Paper Masks
The paper masks I recommend are the N95 valved respirator mask (see the current price on DoMyOwn.com). I love these masks they are so convenient and are like having a mini respirator. I have used these for the last couple of months now and I really like how they help me breathe. The one downfall to these, as opposed to the respirator I use, is that I have to replace the masks more often, but seeing how most of you will only be using them to treat your own home they will last you a lot longer than they last me.
Whether you decide to go with the paper mask or a respirator please make sure that you are protecting your lungs from the possible dangers that pesticides can cause.
Gloves
Gloves are probably the most important safety item that you will purchase for doing pest control. The gloves I recommend are just a box of the disposable nitrile gloves (see the current price on DoMyOwn.com) These are just a basic box I have used very expensive gloves and very cheap gloves before, and what I have found with these gloves is that they are the middle of the road, and they do the trick. If you want the really nice ones I recommend the Black Lightning nitrile gloves (see the current price on DoMyOwn.com) for only $5.00 more these gloves are tough to break so if you are rough with things and will want something a little more sturdy I recommend these instead of the normal disposable ones, but for the most part I like the basic ones.
Don’t Forget: You will want to wear pants when you apply pesticides and a long sleeve shirt along with all these things I have mentioned in this article.
Summary
Guys and Gals, don’t mess around when it comes to safety. Invest in your health and make sure to read all the labels of the pesticides that you are using, so that you will wear the proper protective equipment that is required for use of that particular chemical. Since this website is suggesting the use of commercial-grade chemicals my hope is that you will be diligent in making sure to protect yourself properly.
