DR GREENGOOD-ON THE RIGHT “CIDE” OF A PESTICIDE

Can there really be a wrong and right “cide” to a pesticide? Now I did take a little literary license here, with the title above, and do mean “side” not “cide”, but why let one small letter stand in the way of a bad pun?In 1962 Rachel Carson wrote a book named The Silent Spring*, which sent shock waves through the pesticide industry.The book documented the harmful effects of pesticides used in agriculture and for other purposes and ultimately led to a nationwide ban of DDT and other poisonous pesticides. Just as importantly The Silent Spring was the catalyst for the environmental movement and also led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA as we refer to it today. I point this out because this supposed game-changing book was written over fifty years ago and it is with great frustration, if not sadness, that I must wonder how far we have really come, in honoring Ms. Carson’s great legacy. Referring to the title of this article, when you break down the word pesticide the last four letters “cide” is of Latin derivative and just about everyone knows it means to kill. In this case pests, of course, but it is also used in many other words, also meaning to kill, such as, homicide, genocide, suicide, etc. Although the word “pesticide” seemingly tends to refer to those chemical compounds, or formulas, of a poisonous composition, used to kill insects, it can also be used to describe any formula, or compound, also designed to kill insects, that is also safe, with all of its ingredients listed on the EPA’s list of products “Generally Regarded As Safe”(GRAS), which is the defining guideline for all safe products. All of Dr Greengood’s products are technically a pesticide, or also an insecticide if you will, as they are used to kill insects, and of course all ingredients are listed on the EPA’s list of products “Generally Regarded As Safe”.Now this brings us to the actual meaning of this article’s title; considering the current availability, in the market, of two very different kinds of pesticides; that are both true to their word origin and perform their “cide” function of killing insects. One type of pesticide is a deadly poison and the other is safe and 100% non-toxic to humans and pets. So hence, which “cide” is the right “cide” to be on? We at Dr Greengood do not think there is really much of a choice here.You can opt to use a poisonous pyrethrin based insecticide, which may or may not even work, as current research now proves that many strains of insects have developed genetic immunities to these poisons, and further these poisons are dangerous to you your family, your pets and the environment, or you can use a Dr. Greengood’s product, which is 100% non-toxic to humans and pets (the environment too) and is guaranteed to work.

Another question that begs to be answered is how do we even know that the insect spray we have picked up is a poisonous pesticide?It should be easier to get this answer, from the product label, than what it is. There is nothing on the label, in a prominent position, that clearly states “hazardous pesticide”. Yes you can find the word “caution” down near the bottom of the front of the can and after the word “caution” (in very fine print) is the statement “See back for additional precautionary statements”. Also on the front is the list of ingredients (again in very fine print). Now this list of ingredients does name those poisonous chemicals inside the can; so I ask everyone reading this to raise their hand if they are aware that chemicals such as Bifethrin, Lambda –Cyhalothrin, Prallethrin, Allethrin, or Tetramethrin are poisons? Also raise your hand if you have ever even heard or read those specific words.Deadly poisons all and really the only way you as a consumer can be certain, for an absolute fact, that the can of insecticide you are holding contains hazardous substances is to turn to the back of the can and once again, in very fine print and down near the very bottom there will be an EPA registration number. This is your assurance that the ingredients inside that can are hazardous, because the EPA does require every poisonous or hazardous substance to be duly registered with them. The class of pesticide used in these hazardous substances is called a pyrethrin and for years the manufacturers have claimed that they are a “safer” form of pesticide, perhaps the same way it might be said that a .22 caliber handgun is “safer” than a .44 magnum.The Center For Disease Control published an article in their 9/23/11 weekly report documenting the hazards of these so-called safer pesticides and went so far to say that you would be better off doing nothing than spraying a pyrethrin based pesticide, for bed bug elimination, as they could not document any cases of an individual dying from a bed bug bite, but there was much documentation of people dying or becoming seriously ill from pyrethrin exposure**. Once again you decide which is the right “cide” you want to be on? Dr. Greengood’s products do not need to be registered with the EPA, because all of our ingredients are on the EPA list of “Products Generally Regarded As Safe.The ultimate big problem, with a poisonous pesticide, is how can we be certain that the only ones being poisoned are the intended targets?The answer, most certainly is, we cannot be certain of the poison discriminating between insect life, or human and pet life. Please read my previous blog article titled “Read This Before Making Your Home A Pesticide Region”! The article goes into detail on the findings of recent research studies at UC Davis*** and UC Berkeley**** on the direct link between autism and other developmental delay disorders that were found to occur in the new born children of pregnant agricultural workers, who were exposed to pyrethrin based pesticides and the Berkeley study shows a direct link to reduced lung function in the young children of agricultural workers also exposed to pyrethrin based pesticides. Poisonous pesticides are known carcinogens and neurotoxins and have been found to cause, besides cancer, birth defects, fetal deaths and neuro-developmental disorders. They are also responsible for water pollution, ground contamination, honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder and many other harmful effects.I have read statements from scientists that assert that most cancers are environmentally caused and if not most, certainly more than we would like to contemplate. Ms. Carson herself died of cancer, at the much too early age of 56. I wonder what she would have to say about people using poisonous pesticides inside their home? When we use, or are exposed to, these poisons we have no immediate way of knowing if we have been adversely affected, or when we might be impacted. If we are among the unfortunate victims who come down with some terrible disease, well down the road, from initial exposure, science has no definitive way of pointing to some acute, or even chronic, exposure incident many years before and then indicating that previous exposure as the causative factor. Certainly some cancers are being tied to specific exposures, such as asbestos, or cigarette smoking and when you have the devastating events surrounding the deaths and birth defects from the Buffalo Love Canal story of many years back, there is little doubt, but for the most part, the “cide” part of the pesticide, that might have harmed you, is seldom ever traced back to its source. So how far have we really come as we continue to use and be exposed to these poisons? The good news here and one immediate answer, for going forward, is, at the very least, if we need to treat our own homes, ourselves, our family or our pets, for insect problems we can decide which is the right “cide” to be on! Dr Greengood’s products are all the right “cide” and are 100% non-toxic to humans and pets and effective for killing cockroaches, fleas and head lice and we guarantee they will work. We also have true third party independent laboratory test results from the world renowned American Academy of Entomological Science certifying this fact.

*The Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Acute Illnesses Associated with Insecticides Used to Control Bed Bugs, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 9/23/11

***Environmental Health Perspectives, 6/3/14, Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Prenatal Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticides-The Charge Study, Janie F. Shelton, Estella M. Geraghty, Daniel J. Tancredi, Lora D. Delwiche, Rebecca J. Schmidt, Beate Ritz, Robin L. Hansen, and Irva Hertz-Picciotto

****Decreased Lung Function In 7 Year Old Children With Early-Life Organophosphate Exposure, 9/15/15, Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health-UC Berkeley School of Public Health, Dr. Rachel Raanan