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Black market insecticides - What would you do?
(5 posts)-
New York City, probably the only place you can find everything from rare designer drugs to meet ups that cater to every fetish and niche you can think of - so why not banned insecticides?
A friend of mine told me that she knows a person who sells an insecticide that is "very toxic" and "very illegal" and his main customers are people with bed bugs. I think the insecticide comes from Mexico, at least as the entry point, I don't know if it actually originates from in there.
I have no idea on the efficiency of the stuff, nor what the stuff even is. I personally wouldn't use a chemical not knowing what it is. The psychological terror and "icky-ness" that comes from Bed Bugs shouldn't spiral out of control so far as to put your household, health and freedom at risk. Also, I have a phobia of anything that is even remotely carcinogenic - kinda incompatible with my chemistry hobby, but that's another story.
Here's where I stand now. My wife is suggesting that we buy the stuff, nuke the place with it and go live elsewhere for a few days. Not a bad option if we knew the residual value of the chemical in question, but we don't, and I'm refusing to try it. She understands of course, but I'd be interested in knowing what you guys would do in my situation.
There's no doubt you can get hold of some very potent stuff, legal or not, whether through your local street dealers or by paying off a chemistry major at your local community college. But would you? Assuming there's no risk of getting caught and the fact that the stuff will be about 10% the cost of an effective PCO.
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lil_bit_obsessed
senior member
Joined: Dec '07
Posts: 495
Posted 4 months ago
Sat Jul 4 2009 13:26:52
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NO. i wouldn't.
it's not the risk of getting caught that i would worry about. it would be the risks to my health - longterm consequences where the pesticides could end up being linked down the line with things like cancer, alzheimers, or any other number of problems. researchers are learning more about how highly toxic chemicals impact our bodies every day. why take chances? they've been banned with good reason. the thought of people using them scares me, although i understand the feelings of desperation that might lead them to do so.
at the end of the day though, saving a few bucks by damaging one's health... it doesn't seem like a great trade. i wish there were government subsidies for bedbug eradication so that people wouldn't be tempted to go this route. :(
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buggyinsocal
oldtimer
Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 4 months ago
Sat Jul 4 2009 13:34:51
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It's also the risk of it being ineffective and making the problem worse.
Stronger does not always equal better. It's more about an effective application of the appropriate pesticides in the places that they will work best.
If you don't know what's in the bottle, you have no idea if the thing in there has a repellent effect on the bugs, and will therefore only push them farther into the walls, making your problem harder to get rid of.
If your wife is suffering that much from the bugs, if you haven't already done so, I would suggest looking for a pest control pro in your area who has experience dealing with effectively eliminating bed bugs. He or she will likely be able to solve the problem faster and with less Russian roulette approaches to chemicals than buying something in a mystery bottle.
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Just itching to get rid of them
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Joined: May '09
Posts: 124
Posted 4 months ago
Sat Jul 4 2009 13:52:54
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Dire, your post is a perfect illustration of the complete desperation people feel when they have a bb infestation, in a society that is in almost complete denial about the ramifications of the bb epidemic, and with a government that is so far doing very little to help ordinary people who can't personally deal with finances battling bbs. I understand your desperation. However, if you were my neighbor, I'd be horrified. (You don't say whether you live in an apartment or a house.) In an apartment building such a toxic chemical could poison your neighbors as well as you and your wife. Don't take your health or the air you breathe lightly. You wouldn't eat food or drink water that is contaminated with an extremely toxic pesticide. Your air is just as important. As is your skin, which is the largest organ in your body ,and which also can absorb residual toxins. I believe your wife's idea comes from rage which I completely undertand. Bbs lead to rage. However, rage keeps us from thinking rationally.
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Hi,
I know I am going to be considered biased on this one so I am going to focus on two narrow points:
- Without knowing the full chemical data on the product you are not going to know its safety profile or more importantly exactly how it should be correctly used
- Without it coming from a trusted source are you actually sure exactly what is in it
It has saddened me considerably over the years the number of companies that have either launched a me to bed bug product or jumped on the service bandwagon without fully understanding what this job entails.
Yes some people will seek to buy products via these routes and I am sure accidents will occur, this can only be resolved by people realising that chemical solutions and not the only viable solutions and this job is so much more than just applying chemicals.
If anyone is however in the market for something a little larger I have a few bridges that might be up for sale at the right price, all with great heritage.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited
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