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Show Winterizing j '..z Cooler temperatures bring an increasing use of insec-:2 insec-:2 ticides, baits and fertilizers as homeowners prepare their homes and yards for winter. 5 ALMOST WITHOUT excep-tion, excep-tion, these chemicals are W dangerous to use, handle and store. Some are designed to be used indoors and some outdoors. Few products are - 'good for both areas. t5i The Intermountain ! Regional Poison Gontrol j & Center at University of Utah Medical Center reports that insecticides and pesticides r?:Set increased use this time of p.year as various insects and spiders attempt to escape the i z r chiU of autumn and begin to I tvmigrate into attics and - : .basements. Poisoned bait and ; grain also see heavy use as ! homeowners try to protect woodpiles, garages and basements from mice and rr: rats. g THE APPLICATION of chemicals in all of these si-t;- tuations can and does cause j Ft; problems. The Poison Control Center is now receiving a rash of ''3 calls about black widow 3 spiders. Is their bite '3 dangerous and does a victim :3 require treatment? In most cases, the answer is "no." Z,-; ARE THE sprays and other chemicals used to control the spiders dangerous and can contact with them cause a poisoning? The answer, all too l', often, is "yes." ;' Do you have to be a chemist l to determine the proper l'. application or the proper concentration of these preparations? The answer: No. THESE ARE common questions posed to University Medical Center's poison information in-formation specialists: How long after putting a chemical on my plants do I have to wait to eat them? How toxic is that , chemical my neighbor is js-ing js-ing which is blowing into my yard? I just finished spraying and my child put the hose attachment at-tachment in her mouth. What do I do? When can my children and pets play on the lawn after the fall fertilizer is applied? In most cases, the label of the container will provide answers to such questions. Remember, it is important to read the entire label before using a chemical. AND IT can't be stressed often enough: Keep these substances out of the reach of children, preferably under lock and key! Always mix chemicals according ac-cording to directions. Do not use any household measuring device or container with these products. Discard empty containers con-tainers in sealed plastic bags and rinse all containers before discarding. SOME OF these chemicals can make you ill just from breathing the fumes or absorbing ab-sorbing the material through the skin. If there is a suspected poisoning in your household, call the IntermountaTn Regional Poison Control Center immediately at 581-2151 or 800-662-4225. |