Note: several people have complained about the smell of this product. Please see the accompanying comments.
Our quaint (real estate lingo for “small”) Upper West Side, New York apartment has a lovely terrace that provides us with glimmering sunset views, breathing room in the big city, a place to entertain our friends and, unfortunately, ants. The little critters have been making themselves known as the weather has warmed up, creating a little creepy crawly trail all the way from the terrace door to the kitchen.
I immediately huffed it over to my corner drugstore, on a mission to find a non-toxic ant killer, but trying not to get my hopes up – this particular New York drugstore chain is not known for their extensive selection. To my surprise, I found a non-toxic ant and roach killer called EcoSmart. (I did some research and found a post about it on altCon from 2007; you can read it here.) I can testify that EcoSmart seems to be working, as the number of ants lurking about has decreased dramatically since I first sprayed. The smell is strong, but not offensive. I would definitely recommend this product to households with pets and/or children, or anyone like me who prefers to play it safe and stay far away from chemical-laden pesticides. Another plus is that, because it’s made with plant oils, the formula is biodegradable, and apparently will not harm fish or wildlife. But at least it seems to work on my (very) unwelcome house guests.
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The best way to keep ants out in my experience is by using something you most likely have in your pantry – cinnamon. The ants hate the smell. It’s cruelty free since they just avoid it. Just put some cinnamon near around where the ants are and watch them disappear. It’s fantastic and kind to the ants.
Thanks, Livin’ Veg. I will have to try that.
Cinnamon is actually one of the ingredients in EcoSmart, I can definitely smell it. I sprayed it for the first time this evening, though I don’t have an over abundance of bugs yet. Mostly I get ants, silver fish and those rolly-polly potato bugs.
Another you might want to try, which is next on my list if EcoSmart doesn’t work out, is a citrus based repellent. Apparently bugs don’t like the acidity of citrus. The one I found is called “Citrus Home Pest Spray by Concern” http://www.flowerdepotstore.com/cihopespbyco.html
I live in north central Arizona and we have these insects commonly called “Wind Scorpions” or “Sun Spiders.” They are technically “solifugae” and are in the Arachnida order.
EcoSmart doesn’t seem to kill them but it does mess them up. They’re fast little critters this stuff seems to disorient them for a bit which makes it easier to deal with them with a flyswatter.
Thus far I’ve used it on one spider and it did kill him.
It doesn’t seem to kill quite as quick as, for instance, Raid … but I’d much rather use something that’s not toxic to me if I can.
EcoSmart is totally worthless. I covered five flies directly and only one of them showed any sign of distress. After five minutes, they were all still flying around my glass window which was now a mess from the EcoSmart spray.
Thanks for your comment, Dan. I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work on the flies. I think the most eco-way to get rid of those buggers is probably a good, old-fashioned flyswatter!
Thanks for the feedback Carrie. The outside of the can has “Flying insect killer” in very large letters along with a picture of a fly. I purchased the product under the assumption that it would kill flies.
I found your blog on Google. I’ve bookmarked it and will watch out for your next blog post.
Just purchased EcoSmart Bug spray excited to try a non-toxic product on our yearly recurrence of ants. Sprayed it and the ants died immediately. That was the good news. The bad news was the scent was so strong, it triggered my son’s asthma, and made it difficult for us to enjoy our house(this happened both times we used it.) I was so concerned about the scent that woke me up at 4:30 am, I had to research it making sure I WAS NOT breathing in any toxic chemicals. That’s how I found this blog.
I would strongly advise anyone to NOT use this product. If you do, use very sparingly.
I sprayed it in an empty, walk in closet along the perimeter. Three full days later, my entire house still smells. My boyfriend has had several asthma attacks. My dog won’t go near the room. I have left three windows and a door leading to the outside open 24/7. I have lit candles. I have tried baking soda and vinegar. I have mopped and dried the floor and walls with vinegar and water. I’ve resorted to spraying Febreeze and using bleach on the hard wood floors. NOTHING will get rid of the smell.
Anyone have this problem? Any recommendations?
Try using this combo – I use this when the dogs get sprayed by skunks and for any other smelly situation. 1 quart peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tsp dishwashing liquid. Clean the area with this combination. You’ll need to rinse the area with water.
I just bought Ecosmart Organic Insecticide because my my grandson found a small tick in the house. We have a house cat that goes out at night and sleeps all day indoors. She is treated at the vet but they say they can transport the ticks indoors. I sprayed the rug and like several others feel the smell is terrible. We did find another small tick on the dining room base board and I sprayed it, took a small piece of paper towel and placed it in a jar. Sprayed the paper towel and put a lid on it. Five hours later the tick is still crawling around? Any suggestions as to what to try??? Works Fast! Kills on Contact!!! is not working for me!
I just purchased this product so I don’t have a review at the moment but I do know that I have read many things about the smell and I live in a small apartment and need to use the spray to treat carpet beetles. I do not have a huge infestation thankfully but I see them here and there and find this disgusting and because I have a very young child and pets I want to keep it as natural as possible but simply vacuuming isn’t doing the trick as I cannot reach in every area of my apartment. I hope that the smell doesn’t linger forever, I’m a little nervous but compared to the thought of larva of these nasty, ugly bugs in my home I think I can handle it.
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
I bought the EcoSmart Home Pest Control and sprayed the inside of the outer walls of my house (as recommended on the label). Immediately after spraying the entire house smelled horrible – not a strong natural smell but a super strong toxic insecticide smell with overtones of peppermint. My wife and our four kids were in distress for days. Our youngest started getting Asthma attacks (the whole reason I bought something natural was to avoid this) – thank God she went away to camp a few days later (she’s been doing find ever since we got her out of the house). It’s been two weeks and I’m still getting headaches from the lingering smell. EcoSmart’s website says the smell will go away after a few hours – THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE. Two weeks later the smell is still here and still causing me distress – I’m beginning to wonder if it will ever go away. Also, after that entire headache the product was no more effective than placebo – the very same bug problem (ants in the kitchen and earwigs coming in from the back) continued until I recently put down boric acid. This product is a huge waste of money, will not control pests, and will likely make you want to gag from the smell for weeks on end.
I couldn’t agree more about Use AT Your OWN RISK !
I had ants in my kitchen and live in Arizona. I purhcased this “organic” spray, and used it in my kitchen under the sink, and still have this awful smell two weeks later. I have tried everything to get rid of this smell and am having a very bad allergic reaction in my eyes and nasal areas.
I am at complete loss as to how to get rid of this smell. It is impossible to use my kitchen. I think I would have rather lived with the ants ! Because it is 110 degrees, it is hard to leave the windows open all the time, although I do for several hours each day. I have scrubbed with baking soda, soap, every other day and have covered the area up with a towel. I am going crazy to get this smell out of my kitchen, and obviously, throughout my whole house. I have scrubbed down the kitchen every day with baking soda and vinegar. Help !! Is there something I can do to rid my house of this “organic” (toxic) smell. And obtw, have changed my air filters three times in 10 days. Help !!
We agree with the person that says IF you use this product use it sparingly. Two days later we are still smelling it! We have all the windows open and fans on! This from only two quick shots of the product. The product says safe around children and pets BUT does not say SAFE for adults who wish to breathe or smell something other than it for days.
I am concerned about the company’s use of the term Organic. The major active ingredient 2-Phenethyl propionate in EcoSmart products is not regarded as an organic pesticide although it is on the EPA minimal risk list. It is specifically identified as not being on the National Organic Pesticide List. Claims that this product is organic thus are false.
My company had a big problem with very small fruit flies in our offices. We purchased EcoSmart Flying Insect Killer and sprayed the entire office on a Sunday morning. We then left the central A/C fans running all that day. When we can to work Monday morning, the smell was so strong 3 of my employees had to go back home and work remotely. Another 6 employees developed bad headaches and sore throats and all had to leave work early. We left our office doors wide open all day, ran the A/C fans and brought in 5 floor fans. On Tuesday, it was the same with 4 employees having to work remotely all day and another 10 employees having to leave early (including myself). On Wednesday, it was the same. Finally, we researched the internet and saw posting about using baking soda and are now giving that a try.
My advice is not to ever use EcoSmart. My office has been crippled for this entire week because of the strong sent of the product. And to top that off, we still have a flying bug problem!!!
My wife sprayed three window sill in my office one time each. It has been three weeks and I still can’t work in there. I have called ecosmart repeatedly and no one calls back. Apparently, I am sensitive to something in this “organic” solution. It is relieving to know I’m not the only one. I can’t believe how this stuff lingers. We used baking soda. Bleach. Heated the room. Blew it out with high powered fans. To no avail. I was hoping someone from ecosmart would call me and let me know if there is something that I could use that would neutralize it. At this point, we are swamping my office with the guest room so i can work in peace. Make sure you test that you are not allergic to this before you spray it anywhere near your home.
I just saw this product at the Natural Foods Expo. Having 30 years experience in the certified organic industry I questioned the man at the booth about using the work ORGANIC on the label with no USDA seal.
He gave me a bunch of mumbo jumbo about the EPA having approved it and the USDA not having the authority over the EPA. I pushed back saying the word ORGANIC is regulated and can only be used under USDA authority and that has nothing to do with the EPA registration as a pesticide. They also do not have an EPA registration number.
The organic industry has worked very hard over the last 30 years to keep the word organic well defined. We see breaches all the time but usually not as blatant as this company. There are fines for this type of undocumented usage. As consumers please do not think this product is safe under certified organic rules.
April 10, 2011. Every year in our house in NH, we get ants. Normally I spray with chemical around the house and within a week the problem goes away.This year, just in my sons room on the third level we have had many female carpenter ants. Normally it is the line of male ants. Since his room was under such an attack, I bought the EcoSmart ORGANIC(tm) INSETICIDE. I wanted a safer alternative product we could spray directly on the ants. It does kill the male ants quickly. Not so with the females. Out of 5 females, the smallest one died in about 15 mins. 1 big one died in about two minutes after putting it in an empty water bottle dousing it and closing the cover. the 2 remaining big females are still kicking after an hour. The oder to me smells like Ben-Gay. The jury is still out on this product.
I would avoid this product at all costs. My wife used it on Monday of this week to deal with an ant infestation in our kitchen. After opening all the windows, putting on gloves and a surgical mask, she sprayed the areas behind all our kitchen appliances and the bathroom, and we found the smell to be immediately headache producing.
Tuesday, my wife began experiencing breathing problems (sore throat, coughing, running nose, irritation in her upper breathing passages) that led us to take her to a doctor, who prescribed a Flonase inhaler for her to soothe the irritation after breathing the vapors associated with EcoSmart. He also made it clear that she should have used a respirator when applying this stuff, a note not on the label of the bottle or the manufacturer’s MSDS.
Wednesday, she and I were at an unrelated appointment when she suddenly stopped short and told us that she didn’t feel well. She had turned very pale, and become very weak. She could not form sentences, or comprehend what was being said to her or even walk. In short, she displayed a number of the signs of having been exposed to a very toxic pesticide. A rush trip to the ER saw her getting worse for several hours, including a reduction of her capacity to speak to two words: “Brain Burns.” She only improved after 4 hours of bed rest, a CT scan (which came back negative for stroke or other trauma), and some IV fluids.
This product is COMPLETELY a sham. The bottle we bought carries the “These Statements Have Not Been Evaluated by the EPA” disclaimer, but per other discussion boards I’ve found, the EPA is not legally required to evaluate EcoSmart because the concentration of the active ingredient, 2-Phenethyl-Proprionate, is small enough to allow the manufacturers an exemption to regulation and testing.
EcoSmart is never going to be evaluated by the Government and is using the disclaimer to pass itself off as an “organic” product. The INACTIVE ingredients of EcoSmart are simply described as a “proprietary blend of solvents and emulsifiers”. There is no way of knowing what liquids or chemical compounds are suspending the Active ingredients in solution because the company has declared it a trade secret. EcoSmart smells like ground up Red Hots when applied, but their labeling smells like Chinese wall board to me.
this product literally ruined my life. i bought this stuff because i have i very small dog. there was a spider in my closet and i decided to use the spray for the first time. the smell of it was excruciating and it made all my clothes smell. it has been 3 weeks since this event and i can still smell it whenever i walk into my bedroom. i cannot get the smell out no matter what i have done. i also had to wash ALL the clothes in my closet.
never again.
Where is the Government? Has this product been approved for use? The USDA or EPA, or FDA, or somebody up there should investigate this.. In my opinion, this product should be immediately taken off the market until proven safe.. I sprayed only three or four bursts, and I am still sick. I was spraying fruit flies, saturating them, and I am in worse shape than the flies. It appears that this product has been on the market for at least two years.. That is way to long in my opinion.. I wish I had researched this product before I used it, but after all, I was in the store, and its only bug spray, and it is GREEN!!
Well I tried EcoSmart because of this review. It did not work in my house. We had to buy 4 gallons of the home spray costing well over $50. Less than a week after we sprayed we had ants, spiders, and crickets in our house. I Emailed the company to see what they would do for me and never recieved a reply. I am posting bad reviews on every site I can find. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT IT DOES NOT WORK.
I heat with wood. Today I was splitting a pile I had cut a couple of months ago. I lifted a large piece of oak that was cupped into another piece of oak and found Termites. I went to the barn to get some insecticide and found a can of EcoSmart the wife had bought to try on ants in the house. (It kind of worked on the ants but not permanently.) But guess what. It killed the termites. After a few minutes of writhing around, they were dead. Admittedly I drenched them but this was better then spraying the wood with poison.
I tried the Ecosmart yard spray with hose attachment to kill mosquitoes in my only .8 acre area and not poison my Dogs. I used every drop of it in an area that was smaller then what the bottle should have covered. It did not work! I did not see any reduction in mosquitoes but in fact I noticed it actually attracted lightning bugs with its noxious odor.
WARNING! The odor of this spray is far worse than ANY chemical! It causes severe headaches and nose bleeds! DO NOT USE! We cannot get the stench of it out of our home 3 days after spraying a small amount in one room.
I used this product in my room to keep bugs out. I used one steady spray along my window and wow… my roomates are complaining about the smell, which im not to happy about either. I have never been so disappointed in a purchase so much to actually post a comment about it until now.
It’s a concentrate of oils and mild chemicals – of course it has a stronger smell than other pure toxic chemicals. Don’t spray right before grandma comes over and don’t spray in a closet with no circulation…duh? And of course the guy claiming to be the organic guru working for 30 years to “define” what’s organic does not explain what “organic” actually means.
I used the 5k sq ft lawn spray. It didn’t cover 5k sq ft…not even close. As for the effectiveness – our problem was with fleas on our dogs. We haven’t had a flea problem since. We did couple this with a Hartz indoor spray, flea shampoo, and new flea collars. But seems to be working.
After several days of deciding if I should go with a pest control service or try and take care of it myself, I opted to try it on my own, then I had to decide what to get. Since I have two chihuahuas I wanted something that is safe for pets. I decided to go with this product. Not only has it repelled the little ants it has also chased me out of my bedroom. The smell is overwhelming, this is the second night i have not slept in my room, I have had a fan on in my room with the slider door open off and on for two days. I WILL NEVER USE THIS PRODUCT AGAIN. I put the container in the garage and have not sprayed it out there at all, and the garage even smells. To top it off, I have asthma and i’m having terrible issues since I sprayed.
I was concerned for the safety of my family and my animals so I bought this product but had a gut feeling at the Home Depot while I was looking over this and the Raid. I have had issues with other non toxic “organic” products not working and should not have bought this because after spraying the big black ants directly it did NOTHING. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!! I am bringing this product back tomorrow and am opting for the Raid. At least it kills ants on contact!
I purchased ecosmart pest control on August 20th. The smell is still strong and our dog has been hiding behind the couch for 3 days! You have to DRAG her through the door where I sprayed and when she is ready to come in she sits about 10 feet from the door and barks. I’ve never seen anything like it, she is TERRIFIED to go anywhere close to where I sprayed. I emailed ecosmart but they have not responded. I’m returning this product tomorrow, I should have purchased the spray with the warning label!
I sprayed EcoSMART Organic Home Pest Control spray in our Phoenix, Arizona kitchen a few days back [late August 2011]. I sprayed inside closets, under the fridge, etc., to control a cricket infestation. (The crickets don’t bother us, but they are food for dangerous bark scorpions, which we’re seeing increasingly often in the house.)
By the next morning, the chemicals in the air had given my wife a bad asthma attack. Yesterday she was on a trip out of town and I opened our windows and switched off the air conditioning all day in 100+ degree heat, in an effort to vent the house and have clean air upon her return. Still the asthma is back with a vengeance this morning. I just spent part of my morning attempting to sponge up the EcoSMART chemicals, but I can’t easily get to all the places I sprayed, so we’re stuck.
I found this site in the course of a search to see if anyone has advice for further steps to get rid of the EcoSMART chemicals from my kitchen, or advice on which of the following chemicals from the ingredients list is likely the culprit: 2-Phenethyl Propionate (2%); Clove oil (1%); Rosemary oil (1%); Peppermint oil (1%); Thyme oil (0.5%); or perhaps even one of the “Other ingredients” (94.5%, consisting of water [ok, that one's safe], potassium oleate, and lecithins).
Anyone out there have any experience to share on how long it takes for the air to clear? You other asthma sufferers, how long was it before you could breathe well in your houses after spraying this stuff?
Any advice that helps deal with this problem will be most appreciated.
Incidentally the company has a blog at http://blog.ecosmart.com/index.php/2009/01/14/pesticides-asthma/ ; most of what I posted here, I posted there; but that site is moderated (by the company I believe) and I don’t expect to see my comments appear in public there. Still, if you’re posting here, you might think of giving them some feedback there!
First off, lol @ the first comment (Livin Veg): Cruelty free? No one lives so “veg” that they don’t mind being directly responsible for the genocide of invading ants.
Secondly, there was a report of spraying a fly and having little effect. That’s strange, when I tested the product I sprayed a common house fly (don’t forget to shake shake shake it up first) and it definitely died within 10-15 seconds. Which brings me to my next point:
This stuff obviously isn’t RAID. That said, it’s clearly better than things that are just deterrents, like cinnamon. It definitely will kill any bugs you blast (assuming you got a functional batch – perhaps it’s manufacturing issues causing these conflicting reports).
Getting about halfway through these comments I am really confused at how sensitive people are to the odor. All I can speak is from the one bottle I have but I’ve sprayed it several times and while I agree it does have a strong odor that benefits from air circulation (and open windows) it is nowhere near as bad as using RAID or other *actual* insecticides.
I’m beginning to think that me and my chinchilla have some weird immunity to the scent (and chinchillas are notorious for having sensitive respiratory systems). Add in the fact that I suffer from seasonal allergies that seemed to actually *benefit* from the scent (cleared my sinuses right up) and I have no idea.
I guess what it boils down to is that this product is not as sensitive as a lot of the consumers who purchased it expected it to be (people with horrible asthma etc etc). While this stuff could clearly benefit from a good dose of Cyfluthrin it kind of goes against the whole “organic” vibe they have going on.
Ok, to conclude my post:
I’ve been messing around with this stuff for the past half hour and I have come to a few *final* conclusions:
1) The smell really doesn’t linger for too long. Just spray before you go to work
2) This stuff *really really* has a hard time killing bugs. They clearly don’t enjoy it and I’ve killed many an ant, but anything bigger (except houseflies) just seems to be rather irritated. I managed to kill a rather tenacious pill bug I saw on the window in our kitchen, but only after //literally creating a pool around him after two failed direct sprays//.
Oh well. I know I’m eating most of my words from my previous comment with regards to it working etc etc but it is what it is.
I sprayed around my inner door frame though, at least that’s one thing I can see it being useful for (bugs clearly don’t enjoy it so hopefully it acts as some kind of repellent).
Not sure what I’m going to use the rest of the bottle for. Maybe I’ll go outside and have some fun spraying ants. Not sure what my roommates will think when they wake up; I got up before any of them, got bored and decided to test it out ¯\(°_0)/¯
tl;dr I thought everyone was wrong but turns out everyone was right: waste of six bucks. Still don’t really mind the smell though >_>
I tried this so called safe product in my home because I have a dog and a ten year old son. I needed to keep any bugs out of my home and protect it from any bugs my dog my attract as well. I made a big mistake. I sprayed this stuff everywhere and even gave it days to air out. Since then my home has had a noxious odor of mint and God knows what else. I have been pale, weak and natious for a week straight. I don’t have anywhere else to go and my house smeels horrible. My son and I sleep here every night. I wake up sick to my stomach and with headaches. I don’t know where to go, how to get the smell out, or if I should seek medical attention. Someone help me!
I purchased two cans of EcoSmart Mosquito Fogger, which is clearly labeled as “environmentally safe, no harmful residues”. I sprayed my yard where the tiger mosquitoes are voracious. It did seem to cut back the mosquito population by quite a bit, and I must say I don’t mind the smell of wintergreen. My complaint is that it seems to be killing all my flowers. I sprayed yesterday and this morning. All the flowers are pitted where the tiny mists of EcoSmart settled on the petals, the leaves are withering, and some areas of flowers that were in full green and color are today bare to the ground. Anyone have similar results? I’m watering today to try to wash off the plants. EcoSmart no more.
I really do not mind the smell, much prefer it to the much more chemical and harmful stuff such as Raid etc. Got the one for Bedbugs and Fleas, my cats had fleas. Sprayed on the floor, into crevices, under furniture etc. Did notice a considerable effect on the amount of fleas, but think you have to do it repeatedly. Even toxic foggers etc will have to be used more than once. Much prefer this product to the others I have tried so far
My husband used the insect repellent while working on the hall door leading into the garage. He got a very bad headache and missed work the next day. I had a severe asthma attack and had to sleep with a blanket over my head. I’ve been glued to my inhaler for 2 days. My chest still hurts. The smell is still strong in the garage, but better in the house as my husband opened every window and blew it out while home sick. DO NOT USE if you have asthma!!!!!
Ok,so I normally do not leave reviews, but I feel I must for this product. First, IT SUCKS!!!! Now, as for the smell, there is a way to get rid of it, but it IS NOT easy!
First, you have to wash it off of everything you sprayed it on. This is what I did. I got a bucket with hot water, dish soap and baking soda. Since I sprayed all my windows with this crap, I put baking soda in all my window seals. Also use Borax if you have it. Every strong cleaner you can think of that eliminates odors and breaks down oils will be useful. Oh and hope you did not spray it on wood because if you left it over night it will be REALLY had to get the smell out of since the wood sucks it up.
Anyways, seriously scrub everywhere you sprayed it and light every candle in your house. Put fans on and open windows.
Overall, don’t buy this product or at least don’t use it inside.
Used to deter termites in garage. Deterred me, that’s for sure – the odor (too mild a word, should say the SMELL) is horrible, placing my hobby area off-limits until it abates. Fans going 24 hours for three days, with little change. Should have researched it, but the can was SOO pretty….
I purchased this product to get rid of fleas, this product is not completely organic or safe I have experienced sore throat, sinus trouble, muscle twitches along with other issues that are conducent with an organophosphate poisoning. I sprayed the living room and in order to get rid of the obnoxious smell I had to shampoo the carpets with hot water and Dawn dish detergent, Dawn dish detergent does get rid of the strong odor. My daughter wanted a cat a few months ago so I got her one, BIG MISTAKE, never again, I have fleas in my bedroom and since I sprayed my bedroom, the smell is so strong I cant sleep in there even with the window open there is no relief. I intend to shampoo my carpet in the bedroom with Dawn to get rid of the smell and clean anything that was sprayed with Dawn to get rid of this horrible smell tomorrow. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! It’s not safe and the odor is repulsive and very hard to get out of your house.