Our preference is not to use chemicals around our homes, parks, schools or farms. But in some instances there are people that feel the use of pesticides is warranted. Be if for fleas that come into the home, rodents that can spread disease invading a food warehouse or insects that devastate entire crops, a “natural” remedy can not be found, so a man made pesticide is used. Note that the word “natural” has to be used carefully. Many man made products, such as pyrethrins, are naturally occurring and are derived from plants, in this case chrysanthemums.

So if you are an organic grower or an conventional farmer, the reality is that pesticides are used around us. Therefore, all of us should understand how to safely use any product. The following guidelines are just the minimum safety rules to follow.

Many pest control products on the market today have been tested and are found to be safe to use. Many have a label that show the product is no more dangerous than aspirin. Of course, aspirin can be abused and for some people it can be very dangerous. So be very careful when handling any pesticide, no matter how safe the label says it is. Certain pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides and fungicides can be very toxic. Again, read all product labels very carefully and use these products only as directed.

The primary rule in selecting what control to use is to first determine if one is actually necessary.

Use an IPM approach. Integrated Pest Management inspections will show what pests are present and when their populations increase to economic loss levels.
Use a natural compound if available.
Spray only when pest pressures show a loss to your plant material or crop will occur.
Use the least toxic products available that can do the specific job.

It is important to note that there are also some very dangerous products being used today. If used correctly and by following label directions carefully, these products will not cause any environmental harm. However, if used inappropriately, restricted-use pesticides are often very toxic to fish, mammals, and aquatic organisms. Extra precautions are to be observed when spraying in the vicinity of aquatic areas such as lakes, reservoirs, permanent streams, marshes or natural ponds, estuaries, and commercial fish farm ponds.

Some extra care should be taken during application of these products-
Spray the last three rows windward of aquatic areas using nozzles on one side of the sprayer only, with the spray directed away from aquatic areas.
Avoid sprays going over tops of trees by adjusting or turning off top nozzles.
Shut off nozzles when turning at ends of row.
Shut off nozzles when passing gaps in tree rows.
Do not apply when weather conditions favor drift to aquatic areas.
Do not apply within 110 feet upwind of aquatic areas or when wind speed is above 8 mph.
Do not apply during a temperature inversion.

If a problem should occur, notify the proper authorities immediately.