Flea Foggers, Bombs and Children
There is no other way to say it. Flea foggers or flea bombs that you use in your home to get rid of fleas and other insects are incredibly dangerous to children. Furthermore, many children have died from being exposed to and breathing these harmful chemicals.
While insects that live on pets and can get carried into your home are a nuisance, you still have to realize that when you are using a flea bomb or flea fogger you are essentially putting a harmful pesticide and chemical gas into your breathing air. It is not good for a child, an adult, a pet, or you. Even if you have a flea bomb or fogger and have taken necessary precaution and made sure all family members and pets were removed from the area for the required and allotted period of time required by the product, you still have to account for the storage of the product and the cleaning of the living area after it is safe to return to the living area that was “fogged.”
The reason for this is that most flea bombs or foggers will actually leave a poisonous residue. While it may be safe to breathe the air, if a child were to touch a surface that has the residue on it and then place his hands in his mouth, you could be facing a poison control situation. Flea bombs require the user to wash all bedding and linens repeatedly and launder all clothes, whether they are in a closet, out on a bed, or in a dresser. Flea bombs are A LOT of work.
The only way to ensure the safety of your children with a flea bomb is simply not to use one and look for natural methods of ridding your house of fleas. There are methods available that do not require the use of chemicals or pesticides. For instance, while it may not be an “immediate kill,” table salt, when sprinkled on carpets or furniture will kill fleas. There are also other natural remedies that you can create with eucalyptus oil, rosemary herbs or citrus fruit that will help remedy a household problem with fleas.
The moral of the story is: flea bombs and flea foggers are not safe for use around children. Thousands of children end up in the ER every year because of misuse or exposure. Do not allow your child to be one of them.
