Pest Control Is Expensive
Members of the insecticide industry are up in arms because of new regulations handed down by the American government that might mean an additional $145 billion in expenses for consumers wanting to combat the powder post beetle. The Environmental Protection Agency denies these allegations claiming that even though they have outlawed a particularly popular chemical, there are still several other options that are just as effective and cost the same amount as well.
When the EPA decided to remove one particular pesticide brand from the market it made it much costlier to treat powder post beetle infestation, according to the vice president of a pest control company. He noted statistics that show that this insect, similar to a termite in nature, infests up to 140,000 homes a year. He says the benefit of the old chemical was that they were able to spray the chemical at a home once a year and be sure that there would not be beetles for at least a year. Now that the chemical operation that was both safe and effective has been banned, he goes on to say, only by fumigating the whole house can the problem be taken care of. Pest Control information is only a click away.
Fumigation requires that the property be vacated by people and animals so that the entire structure can be filled with a toxic gas. The cost will also be a matter of much contention because the fumigation will run between $1000 and $2000, as opposed to the older treatment which was substantially less than a thousand dollars. In disputing the cost claims of the official, an EPA spokesman would say another pesticide of a comparable effect and expense was discovered by the chemical industry to replace the one which was banned. The EPA also reminded everyone that the powder post beetle is not a threat to structures like the termite, and is considered a pest only for aesthetic reasons.
Even so, the EPA has sanctioned the use of a new substance to battle the problem, pentachlorophenol, which is very similarly priced to the now banned chemical and should also be effective. This is making the EPA state that homeowners should not see any increase in the cost of pest removal. The EPA spokesman stated that this proclamation was founded on the deposition of the banned pesticide’s creator and the pest control association. Whether or not to establish a temporary hold of the chemical use by permanently banning it was apparently the testimony which was given at the EPA hearings.
If the industry insiders fears are realized, it would mean that consumers will be asked to pay millions of extra dollars a year to fend off the powder post beetle. Some companies have been using the same methods for pest removal for over 30 years, and they now fear that many of their older customers are going to be unwilling to accept the increased cost, the change, and the fact that in order for the new method to be used they have to leave their home. A pest control owner also says the EPA was not fully educated of all facts when making its decision.The EPA has yet to reverse the decision which the company owner claims was obviously a mistake, and it may take several more years for the public hearings to finally come to an end.
