Sevin dust is a pesticide that you can spread over your lawn, garden, and other areas to keep insects and pests away.
It’s mostly used in vegetable gardens, but some people spread it on their lawns for fleas and ticks. But is it safe?
Generally speaking, Sevin dust, when applied correctly, can be safe. However, pets (especially cats) and humans should not enter areas where the dust has been applied until it has rained. When handled incorrectly, Sevin dust can lead to poisoning.
Always use gloves when handling Sevin dust and apply according to the instructions.
Is Sevin Dust Safe For Kids?
Sevin dust is a pesticide. It contains several toxic chemicals, including a type of nerve poison that isn’t great for humans.
Before and during the application, Sevin dust is not safe for children. That just means you should keep your children out of the garden or the backyard during application.
Sevin dust comes in granulated form. To apply it, you must spread the granules over the area you want to keep pests from. For best results, apply just before it rains.
After it rains and the area is dry again, Sevin dust no longer poses a threat. Your children can play in the area without any adverse effects.
To be cautious, make sure that they wash their hands after playing in the yard and change their clothes once they are done playing.
Is Sevin Dust Safe For Pets?
Much like with children, Sevin dust in its raw form can be toxic for your pets. Cats are especially vulnerable to the chemicals used in the pesticide.
The nerve poison can lead to fatal injury. Since cats clean their paws and fur often, their likelihood of ingesting the dust is far greater.
As before, make sure that you keep your pets out of the treated areas until after it rains.
Once the plants and the ground are dry again, it should be safe for your pets to re-enter the area.
Is Sevin Dust Safe For Vegetable Gardens?
Sevin dust is a popular pesticide for vegetable gardens. That’s because the dust itself cannot penetrate plant fibers.
You can use Sevin dust in your vegetable garden as long as you wash the vegetables properly before consuming them.
Use a plant wash or scrub them well to remove Sevin dust residue from the surface of the vegetable. Once a vegetable is properly washed, it is completely safe to consume.
One benefit of using Sevin dust this way is keeping pests that eat your plants away. If you want your crop to remain fresh and pest-free, Sevin dust can help. Keep in mind that it is not organic or natural, however.
What Is Sevin Dust?
Sevin dust (or Sevendust) is an insecticide used for pest control. It’s referred to as a broad-spectrum insecticide, meaning that it doesn’t have a target species.
It can kill the majority of insects in your garden. Unfortunately, this includes bees if they come into contact with it.
Sevin dust can be used to protect vegetable gardens (and it is safe to do so). It can also be used to protect flowers, lawns, and keep fleas and ticks away.
Sevin dust comes in a few different forms. You can get a liquid concentrate, pellets, granules, and powder.
Most prefer to use the granules or pellets on their lawns and the powder in vegetable gardens.
All types of Sevin dust are safe when used as directed, and as long as the raw material isn’t handled or consumed.
After the dust, pellets, or granules become wet, they dissolve. After the raw materials dissolve, the area is considered safe for humans and pets again.
How Does Sevin Dust Work?
Sevin dust works through physical contact. It won’t deter insects from existing in your garden, but it works quickly to kill most insects.
One of the main components of Sevin dust is carbaryl. Carbaryl is a neurotoxin that works inside the insects’ nervous system. This leads to quick population control and can help stop infestations.
However, because of the contact-based toxins in Sevin dust, it can also work on beneficial insects.
Pollinators, bees, and other beneficial insects will still die from contact with Sevin dust.
How To Safely Handle Sevin Dust
To safely handle Sevin dust, you need to wear protective clothing, gloves, and a mask while spreading it.
Make sure that you are spreading it before it rains, but on a day when there is no wind.
You don’t want to inhale the dust while you’re spreading it. Make sure you walk backward away from the area where the dust has been spread.
This means you’ll start at the furthest point and walk back towards the end of the area.
You never want to retrace your steps while spreading the dust.
If you have an irrigation system, do not use Sevin dust. It’s classified as a hazardous material.
Also, don’t use Sevin dust directly on or around your pets for flea or tick treatment.
Correct Application Of Sevin Dust
It’s extremely important to apply Sevin dust correctly to your yard and garden. Here are some tips to help you apply Sevin dust correctly.
When used as directed, Sevin dust has low toxicity for humans and pets.
- Walk backward as you spread. This prevents you from inhaling the dust or disturbing it once it is spread.
- Wear a mask. This further prevents you from breathing in the dust.
- Wear gloves. Even when you’re not touching the dust directly (such as when you’re using the easy-spread canister), wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
- Wait for rain. Apply Sevin dust to the affected area before it rains. Give it a couple of hours before the rain to get where it needs to go. Then, the rain will dissolve the raw material and become more effective. After the plants and ground are dry, it’s safe for kids and pets.
- Read the instructions. Make sure that you read the labels, manuals, and other information that comes with Sevin dust. Each type of Sevin dust (liquid, granules, etc) has different methods and rules.
- Don’t spread on flowers. Avoid spreading Sevin dust on flowers, particularly on the parts that pollinators land on. It’s important to leave pollinator insects alive, so avoid spreading directly onto flowers.
- Be careful with vegetables. Even though Sevin dust is safe to spread on vegetables, be careful. If it’s close to harvest time, don’t use it. Make sure to wash vegetables carefully before eating them.
Symptoms Of Sevin Dust Poisoning In Humans
Pesticides have three different labels to denote toxicity. The word ‘Caution’ on a label means that it is slightly toxic, ‘warning’ means it is moderately toxic, and ‘danger’ means it is highly toxic.
Different types of Sevin dust have different warning labels, so be aware of this.
Sevin dust poisoning should be obvious shortly after exposure. Like most other ‘carbamate’ pesticides, symptoms include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Excessive saliva production
- Nausea and loss of appetite
- Stomach cramps and diarrhea
- Blurred vision
- Excessive tear production
- Excessive sweating
- Contracted pupils
- Slowed heartbeat
- Muscle rippling
If you experience any of these symptoms after handling Sevin dust, contact the poison control center or seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Severe cases may result in additional symptoms, such as:
- Inability to walk
- Chest discomfort/tightness
- Muscle twitching
- Incontinence
- Unconsciousness
- Seizures
These symptoms must be treated immediately. Get the poisoned individual to help as soon as possible, because timing is critical.
Note that Sevin dust is only mildly toxic, which means that most will not have these symptoms unless they inhale or consume large amounts of it.
Related Questions
What Does Sevin Dust Kill?
Sevin dust kills more than 65 different varieties of insects. This list includes pests like ants, stink bugs, earwigs, ticks, and cabbage worms.
Some varieties boast that they kill up to 500 different varieties of insects. A full list of targeted pests can be found on the label for Sevin Concentrate.
Is Sevin Dust Organic?
No, Sevin dust is not organic. While it isn’t harmful to the environment, it does contain certain chemical compounds that are not considered organic.
Is Sevin Dust Safe For Bees?
No, Sevin dust is not safe for bees. It contains carbaryl, which is toxic to bees. Since Sevin dust is a contact poison, you can avoid killing bees by not spreading the dust over flowers.
Is Sevin Dust Safe For Birds?
No, Sevin dust is not safe for birds. Carbaryl, one of the ingredients in Sevin dust, is toxic to birds.
How Long Does Sevin Dust Last?
Sevin Dust lasts approximately three months after the first application. As long as it was applied according to the instructions, three months is the standard coverage period.
That doesn’t mean you should reapply at exactly three months. Experts say to wait until signs of reinfestation occur.
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Final Verdict
In its raw form, Sevin dust is not safe for kids or pets. Some of the chemicals are toxic to mammals, including nerve poisons.
However, when applied correctly it can be safe. After application (and after the dust has been dissolved by rain), Sevin dust ceases to be toxic because of the way that it disperses.
Still, be careful while handling Sevin dust. Make sure to keep your children and pets (especially cats) away from areas that have recently been treated.
My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.