- Author: Elaine Lander
February is a month where we celebrate and acknowledge many things: Black History Month, Valentine's Day, Groundhog Day, President's Day, and others. But did you know February is also National Pesticide Safety Education Month? While pesticide safety is important year round, we at UC IPM are taking time to reinforce this topic to help those who use pesticides stay safe.
Pesticides used in gardens, landscapes, and around the home include store bought products, aerosol bug sprays, weed killers (herbicides), concentrated or ready-to-use products, and even home-made mixtures used for killing pests.
Basic Pesticide Safety
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
In order to stay healthy and keep our spaces clean during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are using disinfectants and sanitizers more than they may have before. The Centers for Disease Control say to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, people should wash hands often with soap and water, and for surfaces, clean first with soap and water then disinfect. When used according to label directions, this will reduce the virus particles present that could infect people.
Disinfectants are pesticides
Disinfectants are designed to kill germs, including viruses, on surfaces and are designated by law to be pesticides. These...
- Author: Elaine Lander
This year, National Pollinator Week is June 22 to June 28, celebrating the value that pollinators such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats, and beetles provide to the ecosystem.
Pollinators, and natural enemies, can be harmed by pesticides when people are trying to control pests in their gardens and landscapes. Pollinators can be killed or harmed if they are sprayed or exposed directly to a pesticide, and when they encounter pesticide residues in the environment. You can protect pollinators in your garden and landscapes by doing the following:
- Use pesticides sparingly. Many pests can be managed using an integrated approach without the need to...
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Many people have increased their use of disinfectants and sanitizers due to the COVID-19 crisis. It is important to use these products correctly to ensure they are effective and to protect ones health. See the info graphic below from the National Pesticide Information Center about how to safely use disinfectants.
[Originally posted on Community Pest News. Republished with permission.]
- Author: Mike Merchant
What do “pest control” and public health campaigns against SARS Cov-2 have in common? Both activities use pesticides. In the eyes of the law, sanitizer and disinfectant products are considered pesticides. And if you're a little wary of using pesticides, you should exercise the same caution when choosing and using a disinfectant.
Originally posted by Mike Merchant on Insects in the City.
Let's start with some basics. The term ‘pesticide' refers to any substance or mixture of substances used to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate a...
