To clarify, I know that the micro-doses used in home pesticide spray cans and powders are too little to harm a human when ingested. What I’ve been wondering is about other modes of transport. Could you get the residue in your eye if you handle a treated surface that’s dry and touch your eyes directly after? and could that be a problem?
In: Chemistry
It’s *always* safe for humans.
That it’s extremely toxic to insects, who are **very** different from us, says nothing of its effects on us. You know what else acts as a deadly toxin on bugs? Caffeine, capsaicin, nicotine, aspartame, and so many more things we happily consume daily without any problems at all.
likely because whatever is causing it to be wet (like alcohol) is dangerous but dries quickly and the long lasting agents may not be irritants or hazardous to humans
Since insects do not have same metabolism as humans, many compounds that are safe for humans (not just “not very harmful” but completely safe) are deadly to the bugs.
One of the best examples is pyrethrin, extracted from chrysanthemum flower. It is completely harmless to humans ([chrysantemuim tea](https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/how-chrysanthemum-tea-benefits-health#How-to-make-Chrysanthemum-tea) is a thing) but kills flies and many other pests.
Insects have a much more fragile nervous system than mammals. They’re also very, very small in comparison to a human.
Many plant compounds that humans find useful or tasty (such as caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, menthol, and a whole host of other alkaloids) were evolved by plants as defense against insects.
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