Eliminating pests takes a combination of poisons, traps and changing a few habits. If you are a fan of all things natural, you may be wondering how you can engage in pest control safely, without endangering your family or pets. First, you need to know a few surprising facts about the real risks behind certain traps and poisons and how to work around them.

1. Sprays and powders can be as dangerous as edible poisons

Everyone knows the risks of keeping edible poison around the home, especially if you have pets or small children who may ingest it. However, you also need to be concerned about powders and sprays.

Pesticide powders can be inhaled, and the chemicals in some sprays can also be toxic to children. Luckily, many pest control specialists have natural, non-toxic alternatives. Talk with your pest control expert about possible options.

2. Even children in utero can be at risk

Many parents take multiple steps to protect their children from traps and poisons, but they often forget about risks to unborn children. Do not assume your child is protected from chemicals and sprays just because he or she hasn't been born yet.

Recent research on termite sprays reveals that children and fetuses exposed to these sprays have a 50 percent greater chance of getting brain tumors than non-exposed children.

Luckily, there are safer alternatives. For termites in particular, you can avoid using barrier methods with liquid poisons or sprays. Instead, you can use termite bait stations—these stations hold poisons safely away from pets and children. The termites simply walk in, grab the poison and bring the deadly snack back to their friends.

3. Sticky traps can be as dangerous as snap traps

Children can be caught in mechanical traps, but you should also consider the dangers of sticky traps. Also called glue traps, these traps can collect rodent urine and feces which may be risky to children's health. If your child comes into contact with the sticky trap when an animal is on it, they could get bitten if they attempt to touch the trap or pet the mouse.

Luckily, this is an easy situation to remedy as well. Simply, remember the risks of sticky traps and use them as carefully and discretely as you would snap traps. Alternatively, use non-deadly traps that catch rodents for removal and release. Those traps have negligible risks to humans.

Contact resources such as Economic Pest Control for tips on how to get rid of your pests in a safe manner.