First responders to any Zika virus threat in this country had better be careful. Very careful.

The worst consequences of exposure to the disease itself are scary. But those fighting Zika should avoid tactics that risk piling on collateral damage. Elected officials charged with protecting public health and also those appointed to similar positions in the numerous local, state and federal agencies whose job it is to combat health emergencies on the ground should also recognize and try to limit an additional problem. That concern is whether, and how much, any new chemicals employed widely against Aedes aegypt, the mosquito that carries the virus, will add to the toxic chemical brew that has been building up in the environment over the past 50 years of agricultural and industrial commerce.

The public currently is exposed to tens of thousands of chemicals deemed “safe” mainly by people making and selling them. A rising chorus of concern is being voiced by environmentalists who question the safety of these chemicals, particularly when they become mixed with other toxins the public encounters daily. Many fear that a half century of exposure to environmental contaminants is associated with neurological defects, including autism, memory loss, mood changes, disorientation, infertility and genetic anomalies throughout our population.

Many folks are tempted to use any means necessary to control the annoying swarms of mosquitoes that infiltrate our yards in the heat of summer. We can get frustrated in our attempts to use the natural but seemingly inadequate citronella candles and are easily tempted by marketing messages touting conventional pesticides. These pesticides are dangerous and not just to mosquitoes.

Most commercial pesticides contain toxins that can kill beneficial insects such as bees, lady bugs, and praying mantises, and they also leave residues that run off into streams, get on pet’s paws, or on children’s shoes or feet. Many of these pesticides are considered “probable carcinogens” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some pesticides are safer than others but they all have their risks.

In the Mid-Atlantic, our mosquito problems and their related disease potential do not warrant the heavy firepower and associated scorched earth tactics of any pesticides, however annoying insects can be. Rather than spray these toxic chemicals in our yards we can choose to use natural mosquito control methods. Our wildlife, including birds, bats, and other insect-devouring creatures will certainly be grateful.

We all embrace customs, some silly and small, some big and important.  Summer barbecues.  4th of July parades.  The Superbowl party.  Pumpkin pie.  An aversion to the metric system.  Ours is a culture with many traditions, some born of social habit, others shaped by our response to technological innovation.  All of them contribute… something… to the patterns of civilized life in society and by now we automatically, unconsciously accept these habits as good.  But that’s not good.  Some customs, by intense over-practice, outgrow their benefit.  Here’s one screaming for modification: our vast over use of pesticides.

The United States accounts for roughly 22% of all pesticide use worldwide and an astounding 78 million households apply nearly 66 million pounds of these chemicals annually.  And it’s not just for suburban turf care.  It includes the fungicides that keep our ornamentals glossy, herbicides that so easily eliminate unwanted weeds, and the insecticides that terminate the insects we often unfairly judge as loathsome.  We’ve been taught that a perfectly lush lawn flanked by pristine shrubbery is a more essential part of the American dream than the white picket fence.  And these ideas can be passed from generation to generation.

My family is a perfect example.  My grandparents, who immigrated to Hawaii from Japan, used pesticides on their taro crops.  My mom remembers her dad mixing batches of chemicals and strapping a large vessel of the mystery solution onto his back before heading out into the fields.  Later, my mother, who ran an orchid business, liberally doused pesticides on her exotic flowers.  And because Hawaii is the perfect host not only for mosquitoes but also for every other creepy crawler in tropical paradise, I, in turn, learned to keep a can of Raid at the ready and didn’t think twice to aim and spray.  We do what we’ve learned.

Rarely do we question our patterns of behavior.  Could these habits be outdated?  My astute husband reminded me over and over again that pesticides were highly toxic – and not just to the targeted insects.  It took quite a few years for me to phase out the use of these home and garden chemicals.

The use of ‘cides comes with a heavy cost.  Not only for the already teetering health of the environment and every living creature in it — but also for us humans.  Research is showing that many of the ingredients, both the active and the inert, are turning out to be dangerous.  Fetuses, infants and children are particularly vulnerable.  Beyond Pesticides warns of the long list of exposure risks that include ADHD, birth defects, obesity, heart disease, lower IQ, leukemia and other cancers, and endocrine disruption.

Pesticides are used wantonly, impulsively, and without consideration of long-term consequences.  They are so widely used in agriculture and other commercial applications that the only place we have some control over where they are not is on our own properties.

Ultimately, it’s okay to have spots of powdery mildew on your perennial.  Or you could choose to replace the offending plant with a better performing one.  Aphid infestation?  Aphids feed adult ladybugs and their larvae – but if you don’t like the look of the aphids, blast them off with some water.  Got English ivy or weeds?  Forgo the Roundup, engage in some exercise and pull them up by hand.  Or hire someone to do the digging for you.  As home and garden consumers it is time we moved away from conventional pesticide control to more ecologically and biologically healthy practices.  It’s a simple but powerful step.

Let’s continue to celebrate our beloved American customs.  Let us also start a new tradition of becoming a pesticide free society.