Contest: Win Organic, Non-Toxic Insecticide from EcoSMART
Enter here to win one of three bottles of EcoSMART products!
EcoSMART makes a line of non-toxic insecticides made from botanicals - natural essential oils like peppermint, rosemary, and wintergreen.
“University research has shown that these oils attack the Octopamine neuro-receptors. Octopamine is a key insect neurotransmitter that regulates insect movement, behavior and metabolism. The blockage of the receptor activity prevents the transmission of the Octopamine signals, which leads to immobilization and/or knockdown, followed by death.” -EcoSMART Fact Sheet
EcoSMART products include an Insect Repellent, Ant and Roach Killer, Flying Insect Killer, and Wasp and Hornet Killer, all of which are safe around kids and pets.
“Eco–friendly and composed of natural ingredients, these compounds are biodegradable and help maintain a sustainable and healthy environment. Additionally, EcoSMART has no adverse impact on birds or fish and will not contaminate water sources.”
- » See also: The Joy of Green Cleaning by Leslie Reichert
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Enter 3 times for 3 chances to win a free bottle:
- Subscribe to the RSS feed (the orange button to the right) and leave a comment here letting me know that you did so.
- Leave a comment here telling me how you feel about the word “killer”
- Leave a comment here telling me how you deal with insects, either with poison or naturally.
Enter before October 18!
On Sunday October 19th, I will randomly (scientifically, even) pick three readers to win the product of their choice from EcoSMART. Be sure to enter your email when leaving a comment, so we can contact you.
My sons and I pull out the broom and sweep off the daily build-up of spiders on their wooden play structure - yuck! Or we use a wet wipe to “wipe them out” as my two-year-old says =) I would love to know of non-toxic and / or natural / not going to slime my kids ways to “get rid” of spiders…
I don’t consider myself a “killer,” but I would have to clarify what I’m killing and then, I guess, say that I’m a killer…
I’ve been an email subscriber for a few months now and love it! Thank you for all that you do!
I am subscribed.
In our house a common phrase is, “only killers ring the doorbell.” Our cat is terrified of the doorbell but not when a friend/person she doesn’t know just opens the door and walks in.
I do believe in killing bugs. I don’t mind bugs outside and only ever kill wasps or anything dangerous if they are close to the house. Any bug that comes into my house is fair game for breaking and entering. Inside we squash them. It is more humane (sudden) and less toxic. For wasps which are usually out of reach and too dangerous to wait for them to fly low (allergic husband) I get them with hairspray to make them fall then squash.
I love the idea but think the word “killer” is a bit much; I only want the insects relocated. I only use sprays when I absolutely have no other choice. I prefer to use traps whenever possible.
I live in an apartment so I do not get many insect problems. I do get the occasional swarm of fruit fies hovering around my fruit basket or the composter on the porch. To ge rid of them I usually just cover up the basket with a towel for a few days, or try to eat it up before it gets to that fly attractive point. I have also kept them to a minimum in my composter this year by lining the airholes with extra screen mesh (the composter is made out of a med sized plastic garbage can). No poison or sprays needed and the problems are solved.
Though it is great to be using organic products, they can still be very messy if used improperly. Pest control professionals are trained to work around pesticides. These organic products are pesticides too. We at Hearts Pest Management (www.heartspm.com), use the EcoSmart product line. We are aware of their benefits and some of their drawbacks. Some of their products are corrosive and can leave bad stains. Check us out for a professional and green pest control company.
Did you ever get an answer from EcoSmart on the petroleum product in the ant spray? The “other ingredients” include “mineral oil” and I’ve asked two different publicity reps who have contacted me about it how much, and they just say it is okay under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Yes, I understand that you can process with mineral oil, but I want to know how much of that 92% contains mineral oil. Did you ever find out?
Also, I thought it was a violation of FIFRA to use safety claims such as “nontoxic to humans and pets” as the EcoSmart does??
Jennifer-
I’m still waiting to hear back from them…
I will do the drawing this evening and post the winners tomorrow.
Thanks for all of your comments!
From the EcoSMART website:
“EcoSMART represents that this product is a Minimum-Risk pest control product, and qualifies for exemption from EPA registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).”
I still haven’t heard back from them about the percentage of mineral oil…
Dear readers:
Because EcoSMART has not responded to my question about ingredients, I don’t feel good about giving away their products. If (or when) I do hear back from them, I will leave an update about the winners in a comment here.
Thanks for your patience!
Here’s the word from EcoSMART:
“In our ant & roach aerosol, we do not use any mineral oil as the carrier, only water (as listed on the label).
Also, EcoSMART is allowed to use the words “Safe” and “Non-Toxic” on our retail product labels because they are classified as minimum-risk by the US EPA since ALL ingredients are “food grade” material (and regarded as “Generally Recognized As Safe” by the USDA). So since they fall under the minimum-risk classification by the EPA, we are allowed to use safety claims on our product labels.”