Are ant and roach baits safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about ant and roach baits during pregnancy?

1. In a study of an integrated pest management intervention, switching households from typical spray-based pest control to low-toxicity bait and small amounts of boric acid placed directly into cracks and holes reduced cockroach populations by 47 percent. 1
2. After switching to the low-toxicity bait and boric acid approach, a pyrethroid exposure marker in household air dropped 50 percent, and pregnant participants in the intervention group had no detectable permethrin in their blood, compared with 12 to 29 percent detection among controls still using standard spray methods. 1
3. A separate cohort of over 500 pregnant women found that household pesticide spray cans and bug bombs contaminated indoor air far more than bait traps, boric acid, or spraying performed by a professional exterminator. 2
4. Boric acid is registered with the EPA in 189 different pesticide products in the US, with ant and roach products typically formulated at 5 to 100 percent boric acid concentration, and safety guidance for these registered products specifically advises taking care to keep them away from children. 3
5. Developmental toxicity from boric acid in animal studies has been observed at doses far above what a person would passively encounter from a contained household bait station, with a developmental no-effect level around 22 mg of boron per kilogram of body weight per day in one animal study and human case reports of harm involving high-dose accidental ingestion rather than incidental household contact. 4

Is ant and roach baits safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. If you can, have someone else place or replace bait stations this trimester and choose bait or a professional exterminator over a spray can or bug bomb, since research has found spray-based methods contaminate indoor air far more.
• Second trimester. Same guidance continues. Contained bait stations placed in cracks, along baseboards, or under appliances keep the product away from direct hand contact.
• Third trimester. Same guidance continues. If an infestation is bad enough to need a repeated or heavier response, that's worth a conversation with your provider about timing and which method to use.