Chapter 9 What You Need to Know About Pesticides A publication of the Louisville Water Company Wellhead Protection Plan, Phase III Source Reduction Grant # X9-96479407-0 Chapter 9 What You Need to Know About Pesticides Are you interested in pest management in your home or garden? Do you know people who need help or advice on managing or preventing pest problems? Sooner or later, we’re all pestered by pests. Whether it is mice in the garage or weeds in the garden, pests can be annoying and bothersome. At the same time, many of us are concerned that the pesticides we use to control pests can be a problem, too. How can pests be controlled safely? When and how should pesticides be used? This guide is designed to help you to answer some of these questions. The questions have no single right answer, but you should be able to make a more informed decision about the use of pesticides in your home and garden. Today, you can choose from many different options as you plan your strategy for controlling pests. Sometimes a non-chemical method of control is as effective and convenient as a chemical alternative. For many pests, total elimination is almost impossible, but it is possible to control them. Knowing your options is the key to pest control. Methods available to you, the homeowner, include pest prevention, non-chemical pest controls, and chemical pesticides. The most effective strategy for controlling pests may be to combine methods in an approach known as Integrated Pest Management, (IPM), that emphasizes preventing pest damage. In IPM, information about pests and available pest control methods is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, the environment, and property. With this guide, you should be able to make informed decisions about: ♦ Different kinds of pesticides that are available for use; ♦ Steps to take to control pests in and around your home and garden; ♦ Alternatives to chemical pesticides that are available, including pest prevention and non-chemical pest controls; ♦ Indentify some common garden pests, and the methods available for their control; ♦ Use, store, and dispose of pesticides safely; ♦ Reduce your exposure when others use pesticides; Ladybugs are a natural predator ♦ Choose a pest control company; and of aphids and other insect pests. ♦ What to do if someone is poisoned by a pesticide. Chapter 9 Page 1 What You Need to Know About Pesticides General Information What is a pesticide? A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances used to prevent, destroy, repel, mitigate, or regulate the growth of any form of life designated as a pest. Pests can be insects, mice and other animals, weeds, fungi, or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Some examples of pests are termites causing damage to homes, dandelions in the lawn, and fleas on our dogs and cats. Pesticides are also used to kill organisms that cause disease. Most pesticides contain chemicals that can be harmful to people, animals, and the environment. For this reason, the Office of Pesticide Programs of the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), regulates pesticides in the United States to protect public health and the environment. Here are some of the pesticide products we use in our homes: ♦ Insect sprays and baits, ♦ Mosquito sprays, ♦ Rat, mice, or ant poisons, and ♦ Flea and tick sprays, powders, and collars. Did you know that these common products are also considered to be pesticides? ♦ Cleaning products to disinfect floors, ♦ Cleaning products used to remove the mildew on bathroom tiles, ♦ Household plant sprays, ♦ Lawn and garden products to kill insects and weeds, and ♦ Some swimming pool chemicals. What are some of the types of pesticides used in and around our homes? Pesticides are classified by the organism that it kills or controls, by the method it uses to control a pest, or by the composition of the materials used. Table 1 below describes various pesticide classifications. Use it as a Pesticide Glossary of Terms. These types of pesticides will be discussed later in the guide. Table 1 Pesticide Types and Classifications Type of Pesticide Purpose, Method, or Composition Algicide Controls algae in swimming pools, water tanks, decorative ponds, and other water bodies. Antibiotics Used to control bacteriological diseases in plants and animals. Anticoagulants Used to control vertebrate pests by causing them to bleed to death. Antifouling Agent Kills or repels organisms that attach to underwater surfaces, such as boat bottoms. Antimicrobial Kills microorganisms, (bacteria and viruses). Attractant Traps containing a pesticide and food to lure insects or rodents inside. However, food is not a pesticide even though it certainly attracts pests… like ants at a picnic. Bactericide In agriculture, used to protect plants from bacterial diseases. Biochemical Pesticide Naturally occurring substance that controls pests by non-toxic mechanisms. Includes insect sex pheromones that interfere with mating. Biopesticide Also known as biological pesticides. These are pesticides derived from natural materials such as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. Chapter 9 Page 2 What You Need to Know About Pesticides Table 1, (continued) Pesticide Types and Classifications Type of Pesticide Purpose, Method, or Composition Botanical Pesticide Derived from plants. Relatively short-lived in the environment, acts quickly on insects, but may be very toxic in the short-term. Broad Spectrum Kills various types of insects, plants, or animals. Used when several different kinds of pests are a problem, but m ay also kill beneficial species. Carbamate Pesticide Affects the nervous system of animals or insects, but may be reversible if ingested by accident. Chitin Synthesis Inhibitor Interferes with the development and molting of immature insects causing their death. Defoliant Causes the leaves of a plant to fall off. Desiccant Draws moisture, (liquids), from an organism, causing it to dry out and die. Device A mechanical tool used to control pests. Disinfectant and Sanitizer Kills or inactivates disease-producing microorganisms, (such as bacteria), on inanimate objects.. Eradicants Fungicide that kills the disease once it appears on the plant, and works much like an antibiotic works on a disease in humans. Fumigant Produces a gas vapor intended to destroy pests in the house or in the ground. Fungicide Kills fungi, (including blights, mildews, molds, and rusts). Growth Regulator Increases or decreases, or changes, the normal growth or reproduction of a plant, animal, or an insect. Herbicide Kills weeds or other plants, either selectively or generally. Horticulture Oils Highly refined petroleum oils that are manufactured specifically to control plant pests, or some plants. They degrade rapidly through evaporation, and have very low toxicity to humans and wildlife when used properly. Inert Dust Used as a desiccant; has a low toxicity. Insect Growth Inhibitor Interferes with normal growth hormones in insects to prevent immature insects from developing into reproducing adults. Insecticidal Soap Specially formulated soap that contains potassium or sodium salts. Very safe method of control, but soap must coat the pest. Insecticide Kills insects and other arthropods, (animals covered with a hard exoskeleton that have a segmented body, and have appendages on at least one segment). Microbial Pesticide Pesticide consists of a microorganism, (bacterium, fungus, virus, or protozoan), that is the active ingredient. Mineral Pesticide Derived from minerals, such as diatomaceous earth, copper dust, or sulfur. Minimum Risk Pesticide Any pesticide that is exempt from FIFRA, (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act). See Appendix I for a complete listing of the active ingredients that are on this list. Miticide or Acaracide Kills spider-like animals called mites that feed on plants and animals. Microbial Pesticide Microorganisms that kill or inhibit pests, including insects or other microorganisms. Sometimes microorganisms get rid of pests simply by growing larger in numbers, using up the pests food supply, and invading the pest’s environment. Molluscicide Kills snails and slugs. Chapter 9 Page 3 What You Need to Know About Pesticides Table 1, (continued) Pesticide Types and Classifications Type of Pesticide Purpose, Method, or Composition Narrow Spectrum Kills a select group of pests, or a single pest. Nematicide Kills nematodes, (microscopic, worm-like organisms that feed on plant roots). Non-selective Herbicide Toxic to all plants. Organochlorine Chemical type of pesticide, most of which have been removed from the Insecticide market due to their health and environmental effects, (DDT and chlordane). Organophosphate Most are insecticides that affect the nervous system. Some are very Pesticide poisonous, but are usually not persistent in the environment. Ovicide Kills eggs of insects and mites. Petroleum Oils See Horticulture Oils, above. Pheromone Biochemicals used to disrupt the mating behavior of insects. Plant-incorporated Pesticidal substances that the plant produces from genetic material that has Protectants been added to the plant. Protectant Prevents plants from getting a fungal disease, or animals from getting certain types of disease or infestations, and works much like a vaccine prevents diseases in humans. Pyrethroid Pesticide Synthetic version of naturally occurring Pyrethrum. Some are toxic to the nervous system of humans and animals. Used for insects. Pyrethrum Made from the ground flowers