For over 50 years, since its first introduction in 1967, Sterifab has been the go-to insecticide and disinfectant for major companies, municipalities, transit authorities, US government agencies, small businesses and homeowners across the US. In fact, both professionals and individuals use Sterifab to kill bed bugs, get rid of ticks, mites, lice and fight infestations from lots of other pests.
But the big news is that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has just extended the number and types of pests that Sterifab is certified to be effective at eradicating. (Of course, we already knew our famous bug spray had these applications, but now we have the official seal of approval!) So, in addition to eliminating everything from scabies roaches to silverfish and firebrats, Sterifab is now an officially-certified exterminator of:
Bed bugs – at ALL life stages
Mosquitoes
Flies
Spiders
Scorpions
EPA Approval - Well Worth the Wait!
Getting the approval of the EPA for any pesticide is a lengthy and very time-consuming process. And this applies as much to an expansion of a pesticide's use (as in our case) as it does getting initial approval. The EPA is the body that oversees the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which requires that all pesticides sold or distributed in the United States (including imported pesticides) register with the EPA.
EPA Approval—and Why It Matters
The registration itself is based on the evaluation of scientific data and assessment of risks and benefits of a product's use. One of the reasons the approval is so crucial is because the EPA is the governing body that strictly controls how products are used. As the EPA says:
“We can [also] authorize limited use of unregistered pesticides or pesticides
registered for other uses to address emergencies and special local needs . . .
[and] we can suspend or cancel a product's registration . . . [at any time].
The agency also mandates the training of workers in “pesticide-treated areas and certification and training for applicators of restricted-use pesticides.”
Getting approval for any new pesticide—or extending the use of an approved pesticide that is already available on the market—is a complicated and exhaustive process. As a matter of record, the EPA is responsible, based on FIFRA, for regulating pesticides with public health uses. Plus they are required to ensure that such products “do not pose unintended or unreasonable risks to humans, animals and the environment.”
How to Get EPA Approval for a Pesticide
According to the EPA, when considering a pesticide for approval, they evaluate the product based on the following criteria:
Ingredients
Where the product will be applied
Amount, frequency and timing of planned application
Storage and disposal practices
The EPA also assesses “a wide variety of potential human health and environmental effects associated with use of the product. The company that wants to produce the pesticide must provide data from studies that comply with . . . testing guidelines.”
The EPA also assesses “a wide variety of potential human health and environmental effects associated with use of the product. The company that wants to produce the pesticide must provide data from studies that comply with . . . testing guidelines.”
Not only does the EPA assess the human health risks (including how the product may affect sensitive groups such as children and immune-suppressed individuals), but they also evaluate environmental risks such as:
Potential for groundwater contamination
Risks to endangered and threatened species
Potential for endocrine-disruption effects
They review “all the scientific data on the pesticide product and develop comprehensive risk assessments that examine the potential effects of the product or ingredient on the human population and environment.”
Great News - for Sterifab Staff and our Customers!
As you can tell, getting EPA approval is no simple process. (We got exhausted just reading about it!) The good news is that Sterifab passed with flying colors and the newly approved applications mean that a growing number of people can use Sterifab for pest control, knowing it has a big “OK” from the EPA.
The expanded EPA-approval means you can trust Sterifab as a safe, non-residual insecticide/disinfectant that dries in 15-20 minutes − with no trace. And you can use it worry-free to effectively get rid of all stages of bed bugs, mosquitoes, flies, spiders and scorpions.
Sterifab remains the only EPA-registered viricide, disinfectant and insecticide in one product. Plus, it eradicates pathogenic odors! Better still, it’s one of the only products labeled for use on mattresses and upholstered furniture.
