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What is a pesticide?
It is a chemical which is used to kill unwanted pests such as weeds or insects.
What are some examples of pesticides?
Rat and mice poisons.
Flea and tick powders.
“Bug sprays?that kill insects such as ants and spiders.
Sprays that kill unwanted plants.
Can pesticides harm us?
Yes. Because of the way that pesticides are used in farms:
They can get into our drinking water and the foods we eat, such as fruit and vegetables. This can make us very sick and can even cause cancer.
They cause water pollution in lakes, rivers and streams, which harms marine life.
They can make it dangerous for us to swim in beaches in some parts of the world, such as Europe and the United States of America.
How can we avoid using pesticides?
By finding natural ways to kill pests, such as:
Ants. Find out how the ants are entering your house, and set out cucumber peels, cucumber slices, tea bags of mint tea, cayenne pepper, citrus oil (can be soaked into a piece of string), cinnamon or coffee grounds in this area.
Cockroaches. Leave small sachets of catnip in areas where you find cockroaches (only if you don’t have any cats). Or, fill a spray bottle with soapy water and spray roaches directly with this.
Fleas. Pour a cup of boiling water over a sliced lemon (including lemon skin), let the mixture soak overnight, and sponge on your dog to kill fleas instantly. Or, use cedar shampoo, cedar oil and cedar-filled sleeping mats to repel fleas.
What can you do to help?
Ask your parents to:
Use natural ways to kill pests, such as the ones listed above.
Buy organically grown products such as food.
Remember?/p>
Although insects might annoy us, using pesticides is just as harmful to you and the environment as it is to the pests.