- Author: Lauren Fordyce
If you've used disinfecting wipes to clean surfaces in your home, an herbicide to control weeds in your garden, or insect repellents while on a hike, then you have used a pesticide. A pesticide is any material (natural, organic, synthetic, or even homemade remedies) that is used to control, prevent, kill, or repel a pest. Pesticides are designed to be toxic against certain pests like weeds, insects, or bacteria. But when they are not used properly, pesticides can also be toxic to people and pets, and harm the environment including water quality, pollinators, and natural enemies.
February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, a time to raise awareness about pesticide safety. Keeping yourself, your family, and the environment safe from pesticides starts with reading and understanding the pesticide label. Below are some key things to look for and follow on the label.
- Where can you use it? Some pesticides can be used on both edible and ornamental plants, indoors and outside. But other pesticides may explicitly state that they should not be used indoors, on edible plants, etc. Always be sure the label states that it can be used where you intend to use it.
Teachers, janitors and housekeepers, healthcare workers, farmers, pest control applicators, gardeners and landscapers, and many more use and can be exposed to pesticides. Photo from the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). - Signal words. The signal words Danger, Warning, or Caution on a pesticide label indicate the immediate (acute) toxicity of a single exposure of the pesticide to humans. Pesticides with the signal word Danger are the most toxic. Look for products with the signal word Caution, as these pose less risk of toxicity.
- What should you wear to protect yourself? When handling most pesticides, you should usually wear a long-sleeve shirt, pants, closed-toe shoes, eye protection, and chemical resistant gloves (not gardening gloves). This prevents you from being exposed to the pesticide through your skin, eyes, lungs, or mouth. For some other pesticides, like insect repellents you apply to your skin, read and follow the label for specific instructions.
- How long after applying can you enter the treated area? For many home-use pesticides, you can enter the treated area when the pesticide has dried. Entering an area where the pesticide is still wet can expose you to those chemicals. Some pesticide products may state that you must wait a certain number of hours before reentering the area.
- When can you harvest treated produce? If you applied a pesticide to your edible plants it's important to know when it is safe to harvest and consume them. Many pesticides can be applied to edible crops up until the day of harvest, but some pesticides may require days or weeks to pass before it is safe to do so.
- How should you store the pesticide? Pesticides should always be stored in their original container with the lid tightly sealed, in a locked storage cabinet where children cannot access them. Improper pesticide storage can lead to exposure incidents, such as a child drinking a pesticide or spilling it on yourself.
Following the pesticide label can prevent unintentional pesticide exposure to people and pets. To prevent harm to the environment, you should also follow these general guidelines:
- Don't apply pesticides in rainy or windy weather. If it is actively raining and windy, or rain is expected, hold off on applying the pesticide. Applying during rainy or windy weather can cause the pesticide to be washed away, polluting stormwater and waterways. It can also cause drift, which is when pesticide droplets or dust move through the air. Drift can harm nearby plants, bodies of water, or people.
Even naturally derived and organic materials can be pesticides. Like all pesticides, they should be used with caution to avoid harm to yourself, others, and the environment. Photo by Belinda Messenger-Sikes, UC IPM. - Don't spray plants in bloom. Protect pollinators and natural enemies (good bugs) that feed on pollen and nectar by not spraying flowering plants.
- Dispose of pesticides at your local household hazardous waste (HHW) site. Pesticide containers that are partially or entirely filled should be taken to a HHW site to prevent environmental contamination. Empty, rinsed pesticide containers can be disposed of in the garbage or recycled if accepted in your area.
Happy National Pesticide Safety Education Month. Visit Pest Notes: Pesticides: Safe and Effective Use in the Home and Landscape to learn more about pesticide use and safety.
- Author: Mike Hsu
Expanded from four chapters in the previous edition to 12, the third edition of Pesticide Safety: A Study Manual for Private Applicators aims to be more than just a study guide.
The manual, available for purchase in English and Spanish, provides much more detail on essential processes and procedures that will help keep applicators safe while using pesticides – as well as reduce environmental impacts from misapplication.
Published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation, the manual – intended for members of the agricultural community who own, manage or work on farms that use restricted-use pesticides – also includes substantial updates.
The new manual reflects important changes to federal and state regulations since the publication of the previous edition in 2006.
“There are significant regulatory updates which help you stay up-to-date with safety rules and standards – and protect your workers from overexposure to pesticides,” said Lisa Blecker, technical editor of the publication, and currently a pesticide safety educator at Colorado State University.
In addition to emphasizing the broader ecological ramifications of improper pesticide use, the manual includes information on subjects that might get short shrift in other manuals, such as the correct calibration of equipment to ensure accuracy of application.
“All of that is now in the book and fully fleshed out,” Whithaus said. “[Applicators] are going to be able to do that much more effectively using the new book, compared to the old one – it was really hard to be thorough in 80-some pages.”
The new edition – totaling more than 200 substantive pages – also features a more streamlined and user-friendly layout modeled after a sister publication, The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides, written for commercial applicators.
She highlighted the “knowledge expectations” listed at the beginning of each chapter and in the margins of the book, next to the relevant passages. The statements serve as “visual cues” to help readers learn and retain the material they need to pass California DPR's certification exam for private applicators.
And while the manual functions as an improved study aid for owners, managers and workers who apply pesticides, it doubles as a reference that they can turn to for years to come.
“It's going to be able to serve as a reference manual, as opposed to just a study guide,” Whithaus said. “You really will be able to use this book as a tool to help you do better in managing your land.”
The manual, listed at $29, is available for purchase in English at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3383 and in Spanish at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3394.
- Author: Mike Hsu
Publication in English, Spanish prepares private applicators for state exam
Expanded from four chapters in the previous edition to 12, the third edition of Pesticide Safety: A Study Manual for Private Applicators aims to be more than just a study guide.
The manual, available for purchase in English and Spanish, provides much more detail on essential processes and procedures that will help keep applicators safe while using pesticides – as well as reduce environmental impacts from misapplication.
Published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation, the manual – intended for members of the agricultural community who own, manage or work on farms that use restricted-use pesticides – also includes substantial updates.
“The information in the book they were using was way out of date,” said writer/editor Shannah Whithaus, senior editor for pesticide safety education with UC ANR's Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. “Also, the book was much, much shorter than it needed to be, because it wasn't providing enough information for people to safely apply pesticides, given the complexity of the regulatory environment we're in now.”
The new manual reflects important changes to federal and state regulations since the publication of the previous edition in 2006.
“There are significant regulatory updates which help you stay up-to-date with safety rules and standards – and protect your workers from overexposure to pesticides,” said Lisa Blecker, technical editor of the publication, and currently a pesticide safety educator at Colorado State University.
In addition to emphasizing the broader ecological ramifications of improper pesticide use, the manual includes information on subjects that might get short shrift in other manuals, such as the correct calibration of equipment to ensure accuracy of application.
“All of that is now in the book and fully fleshed out,” Whithaus said. “[Applicators] are going to be able to do that much more effectively using the new book, compared to the old one – it was really hard to be thorough in 80-some pages.”
The new edition – totaling more than 200 substantive pages – also features a more streamlined and user-friendly layout modeled after a sister publication, The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticides, written for commercial applicators.
“A significant update is a layout that is not only beautiful, but helps you identify key information you need to know in order to make safe and effective pesticide applications,” Blecker explained.
She highlighted the “knowledge expectations” listed at the beginning of each chapter and in the margins of the book, next to the relevant passages. The statements serve as “visual cues” to help readers learn and retain the material they need to pass California DPR's certification exam for private applicators.
And while the manual functions as an improved study aid for owners, managers and workers who apply pesticides, it doubles as a reference that they can turn to for years to come.
“It's going to be able to serve as a reference manual, as opposed to just a study guide,” Whithaus said. “You really will be able to use this book as a tool to help you do better in managing your land.”
The manual, listed at $29, is available for purchase in English at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3383 and in Spanish at https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=3394.
February Is About Safe Pesticide Use
—Petr Kosina, UC Statewide IPM Program
To raise awareness of pesticide safety practices, February is celebrated as National Safety Education Month. This year the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program offers help to refresh your knowledge about safe and effective pesticide use. Two frequently sought-after online courses focused on proper pesticide use to avoid illegal residues and proper selection, use, and removal of personal protective equipment are offered for free during the month of February. Use code safety100 at checkout to get your continuing education units (CEU) for free.
Pesticides are among the most regulated chemicals in the country. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the use of pesticides. All pesticides must be registered with the EPA, and the agency requires a battery of scientific tests to determine the potential risk to humans and the environment.
Best practices for using pesticides safely start with reading the label before each pesticide application. How will reading the label help you? Pesticide labels answer most of the basic questions you need to know about the product, its safe application and handling. Always make applications in strict accordance with all label instructions. Following label instructions will ensure safe, effective, and cost-effective use of the pesticide. Apart from the label, it is important to know what your state regulations are because some state regulations that also have to be observed are not written into the label. Note that not all pesticides approved by the EPA and available for purchase in the United States can be used in California. California is one of the few states that have more strict pesticide regulations for certain pesticides than what is required by the EPA. Even if you have used a given pesticide in the past, make sure you have an up-to-date label, as EPA may occasionally change labels. To learn more about pesticide labels and how to extract information relevant to the specific setting and situation in order to apply pesticides safely, enroll in the online course Proper Pesticide Use to Avoid Illegal Residues. Pest management professionals will earn 2.0 hours of Laws & Regs CEUs.
Because pesticides have the potential to cause injury or illness to anyone working with them, it is important to wear personal protective equipment, or PPE, to reduce a person's exposure to pesticides. PPE includes clothing and certain devices worn to protect the human body from contact with pesticides or pesticide residues. Regular clothing is not considered PPE even though some pesticide labels may indicate that these specific items of regular work clothes can be worn during certain activities. All employees who handle pesticides in California are legally required to wear PPE. They must follow all PPE instructions on the pesticide label and follow all California laws and regulations. To learn how to select the proper PPE, use it, remove it, and dispose of it or clean and store it before, during, and after each incidence of pesticide handling and application, enroll in the online course Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Pest management professionals will earn 1.5 hours of Laws & Regs CEUs.
Visit the UC IPM website to see all 22 online courses that are available for continuing education credit.
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Elaine Lander
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Advisory recently in response to increased reports of illness associated with products containing the pesticide ivermectin. Ivermectin is an active ingredient that is typically used to treat internal animal parasites such as roundworms, threadworms, and other parasites, and external parasites such as head lice. It is an anti-parasitic pesticide not an anti-viral. The FDA has not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19.
The CDC health advisory states “Veterinary formulations intended for use in large animals such as horses, sheep, and cattle (e.g., “sheep drench,” injection formulations, and “pour-on” products for cattle) can be highly concentrated and result in overdoses when used by humans. Animal products may also contain inactive ingredients that have not been evaluated for use in humans. People who take inappropriately high doses of ivermectin above FDA-recommended dosing may experience toxic effects.”
Part of the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program's mission is to provide pesticide information to residents of California to protect human health and the environment. We address public health issues as they relate to pests of homes, people, pets, structures, and plants. Part of our educational efforts in this area is on pesticide use and safety. We do not and cannot comment on medically advised prescriptions or treatment for human diseases and ailments such as influenza, measles, asthma, COVID-19, or any other contagious diseases. However, it is within our charge to share information about registered pesticides, their safe use, and consequences to human health.
Visit our website for more information on pesticides in homes and landscapes. If you suspect that you or someone you know is experiencing serious illness due to pesticide exposure, contact the Poison Control hotline at 800-222-1222.
