For pets, other chemicals such as herbicides on lawns can actually increase the rate of lymphoma and other cancers. Even DEET, the common insect repellent in many commercial products you can buy at the local store (which can get into the nervous system when applied to the skin), has been found to cause big problems for people’s health.

As a start to going green in the area of pest control, check out this helpful resource on how to handle pests organically. The digital book on Organic Pest Control is a way to get started in a healthier direction. Organic pest control is a lot safer overall, though you always have to make sure you tolerate anything – synthetic or “natural” – that you might use for getting rid of bugs, weeds, and other undesirables in your home and garden.