Heather N. Kolich, ANR Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County
While pesticides should never be the first tool we reach for when managing pests in our homes and landscapes, there are times when pesticide use is warranted. Knowledge and planning are necessary to develop an effective and safe pest control strategy.
Types of pesticides
There are several types of pesticides, and each type contains ingredients that kill or injure some type of pest. All pesticides are toxic to something, and many can kill plants or animals that are not the targeted pest.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pesticide use and requires rigorous testing of all pesticide products before they are approved for use. Among the 24 pesticides listed by the Environmental Protection Agency, some of the most common for home use include:
- Disinfectants and sanitizers – used on surfaces to kill potentially disease-causing microorganisms
- Fungicides – used to kill fungi, molds, mildew, and rusts inside the house and in the landscape
- Herbicides – used to injure or kill weeds and unwanted plants
- Insecticides – used to kill insects inside the home, in the landscape, and on pets
- Repellents – used to repel pests, insects, and birds
- Rodenticides – used to kill mice, rats, and other rodents
- Swimming pool treatments – used to kill algae and bacteria
Developing an effective and safe pest control strategy
Identifying the target pest (specific weed, type of insect, etc.) is the first step in selecting a pesticide. The label states the pests that will be injured or killed by the product. If your pest isn’t written on the label, move on to another pesticide.
Step two is identifying the plants around the weed to be controlled and/or the plant that an insect pest is attacking. Herbicides can injure non-target plants, such as lawn grasses and ornamental plants. Only certain pesticides can be applied to plants grown for food. Further, pesticides that are approved for use on home garden vegetables and fruits must only be applied at certain stages of development. Many have a pre-harvest interval, which is the amount of time that must elapse between the last application of the pesticide and harvesting the food for consumption.
Once you’ve selected a pesticide that is effective against your identified pest and that can be safely applied in the growing environment or to the afflicted plant, the next step is reading and following the label directions. Pesticide labels contain important information on all considerations for safely using and storing the product. This is a lot of information, so most pesticide labels peel open to reveal additional pages or a fold out Directions for Use booklet. Information found here should include signal words that indicate the ability of the active ingredient in the pesticide to harm humans. General-use pesticides, those which are available in most stores and can be purchased by any adult, will carry one of these signal words in large, bold letters:
- DANGER – the most hazardous to human health, pesticides with the DANGER signal word have a high toxicity and/or can cause irreversible eye damage and severe skin injuries.
- WARNING – Moderate toxicity. Exposure carries health risks.
- CAUTION – Lowest toxicity among pesticide products.
Pesticides can enter the body through your mouth, eyes, nose, and skin, and by breathing in the toxins. Most pesticide labels also have information about how to protect yourself from hazardous exposure, including what personal protective equipment (PPE) you should wear and how to clean up after using the product. In addition to wearing the required PPE, you should never eat, smoke, or chew gum when handling pesticides.
Label directions tell you HOW to prepare and use the pesticide; WHERE – indoors or outdoors – it is safe to use the product; and WHEN to apply – or not apply – the product. Some herbicides are useless at low temperatures, and some are hazardous to use at high temperatures and on windy days. The pesticide label should identify the mode of action – how the active ingredient acts on the pest – when to expect to see results, and possibly what results will look like.
Pesticide labels also have sections that state potential environmental and wildlife harm, how far away you must stay from waterways when making an application, how to properly store and dispose of unused product, and what to do in case of an accidental spill or exposure.
The label is the law
Getting to know more about the pesticides we use increases our ability to use them safely, effectively, and legally. As every pesticide label states, “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.”