WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new Web page containing product information on certain skin-applied insect repellents. EPA's goal is to provide the public with information on registered insect repellents and their effectiveness claims in a clear, consistent, and user-friendly format.
     EPA's release of information on the effectiveness of insect repellents will help consumers select the right product for their needs and protect themselves and their children from potentially devastating diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks, such as West Nile virus and Lyme disease,"
The Web page can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/insectrp.htm.

Canadian Pest Professionals meet with Pesticide regulators seeking product approval to combat bedbugs.

The Canadian Pest Management Association (CPMA) has met with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) in Ottawa to discuss proposed rodenticide uses and the registration of new products to combat bed bugs. CPMA's goal was to present PMRA with evidence as to why a section of the proposal should be amended to follow suit of a recent Environmental Protection Agency ruling in the United States to allow rodenticides to be used within 50 feet of a structure. The second meeting   discussed the industry’s depleted product choices for bed bug treatments and the need for the relabeling of existing products within Canada to include bed bugs as well as bringing in new formulations currently in use in the United States.  CPMA was very pleased to find that PMRA shared our concerns and were more than willing to assist in the processes involved.

Health Canada warns of homemade concoctions as bans come into effect 

OTTAWA -- As the gardening season takes root, Health Canada is warning consumers to beware the perils of home-brewed pesticides. "Homemade pesticides do not undergo scientific evaluation and do not have label directions that the user can follow to ensure safe use of the desired pest-control," says a Health Canada newsletter.

Pesticides in stores are evaluated and registered by Health Canada, it says. "The product label also specifies how to use a product safely and effectively." If consumers decide to use a pesticide, they should choose one it has registered because these "meet the latest health and safety standards and they are effective."

A slew of websites provide home recipes for annihilating everything from ants to aphids, slugs to snails. Health Canada spokesman Edith Lachapelle said basic pesticide solutions such as soap and water aren't harmful, but others are. For example:
- Boiling rhubarb leaves. This extracts oxalic acid, "which can be toxic to various organ systems such as the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems."
- Extracting nicotine. This stimulates the nervous system, and, at high doses, causes respiratory failure. It "can also adversely affect the developing nervous system of unborn babies."
- Cooking Chrysanthemum. The plant contains pyrethrums, from which natural insecticide pyrethrin is derived. "These chemicals can affect the nervous system and can produce allergic reactions in some individuals."
- Kerosene and gasoline. In addition to being flammable, their fumes can damage the lungs and nervous system.

How Safe Are The Pesticides Available in Canada?
Pesticides are regulated by Health Canada under the Pest Control Products Act, and are among the most stringently regulated substances in Canada. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency is the branch of Health Canada that administers the Act on behalf of the Minister of Health.
Read more about the regulatory process on this Health Canada web page: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/index-eng.php