- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Instructions for making homemade mixtures to control pests are easy to find online and in social media, and it's tempting to make your own home remedy when pests invade. Doing so may seem like a natural, organic, and non-chemical solution, but did you know that what you are mixing is considered a pesticide? A pesticide is any mixture used to kill, destroy, repel, or mitigate a pest.
Pesticide mixtures of household ingredients like dish soap, garlic, and vinegar (Figure 1) may seem harmless and safer than storebought formulated pesticides, but they can actually pose unrealized risks.
What is the concern with homemade pesticides?
For example, some online sources describe making a homemade insecticide from the tobacco leaves found in cigarettes and tout it as “natural” or “organic.” While cigarettes are readily available for purchase, the resulting concoction (a pesticide) made from tobacco is extremely concentrated and highly poisonous to humans and pets. There are many additives used in producing products such as cigarettes, soaps, or detergents and these ingredients are not always known to the consumer.
Another concern is the potential hazard created during the mixing and making of home remedies. Even while natural, some ingredients become more toxic during the process of cooking the mixture, which may concentrate the ingredients and increase risks of harmful health side effects due to inhalation of fumes or contact with skin.
No instructions for use
Commercially available pesticides are required by law to have a label with instructions on use, mixing, storage, and first aid. Home remedies don't have instructions for specific dilution or use rates, nor do they identify how often mixtures should be applied. Home remedies also contain no guidance about wearing protective equipment like gloves or how to properly store the mixture.
Homemade mixtures are stored in containers that are either not labelled with what's inside or lack the required label information registered pesticides contain. Each year, poison control centers report poisonings of children and adults from drinking pesticides that have been stored in food or drink containers. Without a label and knowledge of how a mixture can affect people when exposed, first aid information isn't available. To prevent accidental poisoning, pesticides should never be mixed or stored in food or drink containers even if the container is marked.
Are home remedies effective?
Because homemade pesticides vary greatly in their makeup and are not tested through rigorous research studies, there is no data to support whether they consistently control targeted pests. Unlike commercial pesticides that must show their efficacy data before being registered, homemade remedies lack scientific studies to show that they are effective.
Applying ineffective homemade pesticides can make pest problems worse, may not control the pest, could be harmful to the plant, or contaminate waterways. In addition, a homemade pesticide sprayed in the garden may kill the “good bugs” as well as the targeted pest insects. Many commercial pesticides are formulated to work only on specific pests or groups of pests.
Many home remedies specify using dish soap mixed with other ingredients to kill insects, plant diseases, or weeds. Dish soap, which is a powerful detergent, can injure desirable plants by stripping the waxy layer off the leaves. Commercially available insecticidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal soaps, which are registered pesticides, are highly effective against the targeted pest and will not damage plants when used correctly. These products cannot be made at home with common household ingredients.
Are home remedies legal?
The U.S. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) covers the use of homemade pesticides. According to FIFRA, in order to legally apply a material as a pesticide it must be either registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or be exempt from registration. There is a list of active ingredients (the part of a pesticide that affects the pest) that can be used in pesticide products without requiring registration; these are called minimum risk or 25(b) products) The active ingredient list allows the use of single chemicals, like sodium lauryl sulfate (found in soap), as unregistered pesticides, but does not include commercial products like dish soap that may contain other ingredients, such as viscosity modifiers, preservatives, and pH adjusters.
Alternatives to pesticides
Many pests in the home and garden can be managed without pesticides. In a garden, grow plants suited to the environment and keep them healthy with proper irrigation and fertilization. Weeds can be controlled by hand-pulling, mulching, or weeding tools. For more information, see the UC IPM Home and Garden pages.
[Original article published in the Spring 2021 issue of the Retail Newsletter.]
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Lisa A. Blecker
[From Pests in the Urban Landscape blog]
Insecticide foggers, also known as total release foggers or “bug bombs” (Figure 1), are popular products widely available in many retail nurseries and garden centers as well as drug stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. These easy-to-use products may seem to provide an easy way to kill a lot of bugs fast and may be viewed as more convenient and cheaper than hiring a pest management professional. But do they work? 
Are Foggers Effective?
Foggers can be used effectively to kill pests that are flying around or resting on surfaces, like flies, but there are better long-term and more effective ways to manage these pests. Unfortunately, foggers are rarely effective for control of crawling insects like cockroaches, fleas, and bed bugs that can easily hide in crevices or beneath household items, escaping direct exposure. For best results, the active ingredients in these products must make contact with the pests. Insects that spend most of their time hiding will not be significantly affected by insect foggers. Even a small piece of fabric may be enough to protect bed bugs from the pesticide fog created by these products.
Since foggers leave a toxic residue on treated surfaces, users might see a few dead roaches after application, but many active ingredients in foggers are known to be repellent and may even drive pests deeper into wall voids and other hard-to-reach locations, sometimes even spreading them to other rooms. Pesticide resistance is another reason that insect foggers may not work. Many insect foggers contain pyrethrin or pyrethroid insecticides and some populations of household pests are known to be resistant to these pesticides.
Improper Use Can Cause Injuries
Foggers can also make people sick if they're exposed. In studies by the CDC, the most commonly reported symptoms after exposure were cough, upper respiratory pain or irritation, difficulty breathing, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain or cramping. Most of the time, the symptoms were mild and didn't require medical treatment, but there are reports of more serious injuries and people have even died from injuries related to foggers. According to these studies, injuries frequently happen when users don't read the instructions on the label. People can be also be exposed to the insecticide if they don't leave the premises after releasing the trigger on the product or return to their homes too early.
The labels of these products also instruct users to clean all exposed surfaces after use since these products leave pesticide residues. Failure to follow these instructions can lead to health hazards. The pesticide residues can be irritating, especially to occupants with asthma or other respiratory ailments.
For Safety, Follow the Label!
If you decide to purchase foggers, it is important to read and strictly following the instructions on the product label. You need to know the size of the room you're treating before going to the store, so you know how many foggers to buy. Otherwise, be sure to measure the size of the area you are treating before you begin fogging. More pesticide is not better; more can be dangerous.
For more information and safety precautions, see the US EPA website.
The National Pesticide Information Center also lists considerations and limitations when using foggers, along with several other resources for more useful information.
There are many effective ways to manage insect pests in the home. You can learn more on the UC IPM website. There you'll find practical, effective methods for controlling common household pests, without exposing yourself or other occupants of your home to pesticides.
[Original article published in the Winter 2020 issue of the UC IPM Retail Newsletter.]
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Lisa A Blecker
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
Insecticide foggers, also known as total release foggers or “bug bombs” (Figure 1), are popular products widely available in many retail nurseries and garden centers as well as drug stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores. These easy-to-use products may seem to provide an easy way to kill a lot of bugs fast and may be viewed as more convenient and cheaper than hiring a pest management professional. But do they work?
Are Foggers Effective?
Foggers can be used effectively to kill pests that are flying around or resting on surfaces, like flies, but there are better long-term and more effective ways to manage these pests. Unfortunately, foggers are rarely effective for control of crawling insects like cockroaches, fleas, and bed bugs that can easily hide in crevices or beneath household items, escaping direct exposure. For best results, the active ingredients in these products must make contact with the pests. Insects that spend most of their time hiding will not be significantly affected by insect foggers. Even a small piece of fabric may be enough to protect bed bugs from the pesticide fog created by these products.
Since foggers leave a toxic residue on treated surfaces, users might see a few dead roaches after application, but many active ingredients in foggers are known to be repellent and may even drive pests deeper into wall voids and other hard-to-reach locations, sometimes even spreading them to other rooms. Pesticide resistance is another reason that insect foggers may not work. Many insect foggers contain pyrethrin or pyrethroid insecticides and some populations of household pests are known to be resistant to these pesticides.
Improper Use Can Cause Injuries
Foggers can also make people sick if they're exposed. In studies by the CDC, the most commonly reported symptoms after exposure were cough, upper respiratory pain or irritation, difficulty breathing, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain or cramping. Most of the time, the symptoms were mild and didn't require medical treatment, but there are reports of more serious injuries and people have even died from injuries related to foggers. According to these studies, injuries frequently happen when users don't read the instructions on the label. People can be also be exposed to the insecticide if they don't leave the premises after releasing the trigger on the product or return to their homes too early.
The labels of these products also instruct users to clean all exposed surfaces after use since these products leave pesticide residues. Failure to follow these instructions can lead to health hazards. The pesticide residues can be irritating, especially to occupants with asthma or other respiratory ailments.
For Safety, Follow the Label!
If you decide to purchase foggers, it is important to read and strictly following the instructions on the product label. You need to know the size of the room you're treating before going to the store, so you know how many foggers to buy. Otherwise, be sure to measure the size of the area you are treating before you begin fogging. More pesticide is not better; more can be dangerous.
For more information and safety precautions, see the US EPA website.
The National Pesticide Information Center also lists considerations and limitations when using foggers, along with several other resources for more useful information.
There are many effective ways to manage insect pests in the home. You can learn more on the UC IPM website. There you'll find practical, effective methods for controlling common household pests, without exposing yourself or other occupants of your home to pesticides.
[Original article published in the Winter 2020 issue of the Retail Newsletter.]
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Author: Elaine Lander
Sooty mold is a black fungal growth that looks like a layer of soot covering the leaves of a plant or a sidewalk. The aptly named disease is common in gardens and landscapes, appearing wherever a large infestation of plant-sucking insects are found. Sooty mold grows on honeydew, a sticky substance excreted by plant-sucking insects.
While sooty mold doesn't actually damage plants or other surfaces, a thick growth of the fungus can block light to plant leaves, reducing photosynthesis. This can lead to stunted growth and premature leaf drop.
The key to reducing sooty mold is management of honeydew-producing insects, and ants. For specific tips on how to do achieve this, see the newly revised Pest Notes: Sooty Mold updated by Karey Windbiel-Rojas and Belinda Messenger-Sikes of the UC Statewide IPM Program.
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
We all have our favorite products, whether it's laundry detergent, shampoo, or a pesticide you know works against the pests in your home or garden. But what happens when a company changes the ingredients in a product? Does it work, smell, or lather differently?
You may visit a store looking for a pesticide product by name, not realizing that several popular pesticide brands have recently changed their active ingredients (the materials in pesticide products that actually kill or repel pests). Not knowing the product has changed, it is likely you would not think about reading the new label to see if the directions have also changed. Because of these new active ingredients, you may actually need to use the products differently or take additional precautions. There might also be changes in the way pests are controlled.
Remember to always read and follow the label instructions. This is the best way to ensure you purchase the correct product for your pest problem and use the pesticide safely and effectively in the home, garden, and landscape. Below are three familiar pesticide products that have recently changed.
Sevin
Sevin (Figure 1) is a familiar insecticide brand name for home gardeners used to control insects in lawns, on ornamental plants, and on vegetables. Sevin and the active ingredient carbaryl are practically synonymous. Recently, the active ingredient in some Sevin products was changed from carbaryl (a carbamate) to zeta-cypermethrin (a pyrethroid).
For instance, the products Sevin Insect Killer and Sevin Lawn Granules now contain the active ingredient zeta-cypermethrin. This pyrethroid is less toxic to mammals but both carbaryl and zeta-cypermethrin are highly toxic to bees and aquatic species. The new label on Sevin Insect Killer states that it controls more pests than the old product containing carbaryl, which may seem great, but the product may also kill some of the good bugs like lady beetles (ladybugs).
Another very important difference is the time the products can safely be applied on fruits and vegetables before harvest (called preharvest interval or PHI). Following the PHI reduces your pesticide exposure when you eat the food. For fruits such as apples and peaches, the PHI for the zeta-cypermethrin Sevin is 14 days, but for the Sevin with carbaryl it's 3 days. For other fruits and vegetables, the PHI for the new Sevin label may be shorter than the carbaryl label. Again, check the label.
The Sevin Ready-to-use 5% Dust remains a carbaryl product for now. Some stores may still have containers of Sevin products containing carbaryl but as stock runs out, they are likely to be replaced with the new product.
Roundup
Another familiar pesticide name is Roundup, a product known historically for containing the herbicide active ingredient glyphosate. Monsanto, the manufacturer of Roundup, now produces an extensive line of Roundup products containing multiple active ingredients, rather than just glyphosate alone. Many of these products contain triclopyr or diquat in addition to glyphosate. Some don't contain any glyphosate at all (Figure 2).
Corry's Slug and Snail Killer
In 2012, the active ingredient of the well-known Corry's Slug and Snail Killer (Figure 3) was changed from metaldehyde to sodium ferric EDTA, but the general look of the product box didn't change. This relatively new active ingredient is less toxic and less attractive to dogs and still effective against snails and slugs. However, the amount users apply and how quickly it works both differ from the previous active ingredient. If you are familiar with the old product you may have noticed a change, but unless you read the label, you may not know why.
You can read more about sodium ferric EDTA in the March 2013 issue of the Retail IPM News.
Reading the Label
Since pesticide labels and contents change, remember to read the product label before each purchase and use. A key item to check when shopping for a pesticide is the active ingredient, like carbaryl or glyphosate, which will be found at the bottom of the front label. Directions for use and other precautions are essential label elements to read, especially if measuring equipment or protective gear such as gloves or goggles are needed. Sometimes the the amount needed for a given area or volume of water may have changed, so label rates should be checked before application.
For more information, see the short publication Garden Chemicals: Safe Use and Disposal.
