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Raid rinsed into garden #870313

Asked May 27, 2024, 4:47 PM EDT

This is a bit of a crazy question. We had a wasp problem with a son who has an allergy. My husband sprayed Raid on the nest which was under our stairs outside. He then stayed it down with the hose. We have corrugated plastic beneath the stairs where my kids' fort is built. So when he sprayed the nest down it drained straight into one of my garden beds. I did not harvest anything from that part of the bed last summer. I am wondering if after a year of snow and rain the bed is okay to plant in or if I need to remove all the soil and start over? Obviously I don't want to mess around with Raid in our food but I'm not sure if I'm being overly cautious either. 

El Paso County Colorado

Expert Response

The vast majority of Raid products utilize one or two active ingredients which are typically one of the synthetic pyrethroids. These compounds are direct contact insecticides or are eaten along with a food source upon which the insecticide was applied to its surface (e.g., insecticide sprayed on a leaf surface then eaten by an insect). Synthetic pyrethroids are not translocated within a plant's vascular system nor taken up from the soil through the roots (https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/pnw-772-pesticide-redistribution-its-implications-pesticide-efficacy).  The concentration of the active ingredients in a Raid aerosol product in very low and would be further diluted by the water used to hose the wasp nest from under the stairs. The half-life of these chemicals in the environment is days to a month or two depending on environmental conditions. When these chemicals are exposed to UV rays from the sun, their breakdown is rapidly accelerated. 

So, unless the Raid product is sprayed directly on a food or onto the surface of a utensil or plate from which food is consumed, it is not a threat.
An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 27, 2024, 5:54 PM EDT

Thank you so much for your quick answer thorough response. This gives me peace of mind. 

The Question Asker Replied May 27, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT

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