Ants, millipedes, whatever - there’s a good chance you don’t want anything remotely like that creeping around your house. Attacking them and their hang-out spots with a potent poison may seem like a satisfying solution to your pest problem, but the same stuff that’s toxic to pests is often toxic to people, too — especially babies and kids. And because pesticides typically treat pest symptoms, and not underlying causes, they often don’t work as well as prevention-based alternatives.

The general tips and alternatives to toxic pesticides provided by the NRDC are a good place to start as they will help protect the health of your household, while keeping insects, rodents and other pests at bay.

Make Sure Your House Is Clean and Dry

Minimize Exposure

For lots more detail, check out the NRDC page.