PESTICIDESLESS-TOXIC PEST MANAGEMENT

Choose less toxic products for your home and garden. Look for this symbol before you buy.

PESTICIDESSAFE USE AND DISPOSAL OF

SIGNAL WORDSCaution, Warning, Danger and

Poison are “signal words” that in-

dicate the product’s level of acute

toxicity to humans. Caution means

slightly toxic, Warning means

moderately toxic, Danger means

highly toxic, and Poison indicates

the greatest danger. In addition to

the acute (immediate) risks, pes-

ticides may also have chronic

(long-term) risks to humans, ani-

mals, and the environment.

Commonly-used pesti-cides are getting intolocal creeks, the Bay,

and the Delta. Testing has shownthat even small amounts of thesepesticides may be lethal to crea-tures that are an important partof the food web. Pesticides reachour waters through both thesewer and storm drain systemsdue to normal use and improperdisposal. Other fact sheets in thisseries can help you prevent andeffectively manage pest problemsin your home and garden usingthe least toxic methods.

SELECT THE PROPERPESTICIDE• Identify the pest and afflicted plant.

• Make sure the pesticide you choose

is labeled for use on that plant and

that pest.

• Read the entire label — it’s the best

source of information about how to

use the product.

• If more than one product works,

then select the least toxic pesticide.

(see Signal Words, at bottom right).

• Buy only the amount you can use in

one season.

• Time your treatments to catch pests

at their most vulnerable stage.

• Spot treat whenever possible.

• Try to buy pesticides in single-use,

or ready-to-use form. Avoid concen-

trates and the large economy size.

THE LABEL IS THE LAW• The label on a pesticide container

is a legal document that describes

exactly how the product is to be

used based on extensive testing.

Make sure you understand how to

mix and apply the pesticide before

you begin, then follow all label di-

rections exactly.

• Use the product only as described

on the label.

SAFE USE AND STORAGE• Read the label before using the pes-

ticide and follow the directions. You

can cause serious injury to yourself,

children, pets and the environment

if you misuse pesticides.

• Before using pesticides, remove chil-

dren, pets, and toys from the area

and cover birdbaths, fish ponds and

anything else you don’t want sprayed

or dusted.

• Don’t smoke, eat, chew gum or drink

when handling pesticides.

• Follow label directions for wearing

protective gear when mixing and

applying pesticides. Depending on

the product, this might include:

plastic or rubber gloves, safety

glasses or goggles, a respirator rated

for pesticides, long-sleeved shirt,

long pants or coveralls, and closed

shoes (no sandals or bare feet).

• If you buy concentrates and dilute

them for use, mix up the smallest

quantity that will do the job, and use

it up.

• When mixing or measuring pesti-

cides, use a dedicated set of spoons

and cups. Mark the utensils with

something permanent, such as fin-

gernail polish, and store them with

the pesticides so they won’t ever be

used in the kitchen.

• Store pesticides in their original con-

tainers, out of the reach of children

BRAND XPESTICIDE

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS:The common name of thepesticide, and the chemicalname if it has one; look herefirst to find out exactly whatis in the product beforebuying it

SIGNAL WORD:Caution, Warning, Danger, orPoison – signals the toxicity-level category of the product

PRODUCT CODEIDENTIFICATION:

The product code used bythe manufacturer and theEPA; use this number whencontacting the manufactureror EPA about the product

PRECAUTIONARYSTATEMENTS:

Known hazards to humans,domestic animals and theenvironment

NOTE TO PHYSICIANS:Actions a doctor should takeif the product is ingested,inhaled, or comes intocontact with skin or eyes

FIRST AID INSTRUCTIONS:Immediate action requiredif the product is ingested,inhaled, or comes intocontact with skin or eyes

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:How much product to use;how to mix and apply theproduct

CONTROLS:Pests that the product isformulated to control

PLANTS:Plants that can safely betreated with the product; ifthe product can be used onfood plants, the label alsotells you how many daysbefore harvest you canapply the product

STORAGE ANDDISPOSAL:

How to safely store theproduct. Unwantedpesticides should be takento a household hazardouswaste facility or colllectionevent

READING A PESTICIDE LABEL

and pets, in a cool, dark, dry place

outside the house. A locking cup-

board in the garage or storage shed

is ideal.

• Never remove labels or transfer pes-

ticides to other containers.

• Water used to rinse out a sprayer or

applicator should be applied like the

pesticide.

• After applying pesticides, take a

shower and put on clean clothes.

• Teach children that pesticides are

poisons that shouldn’t be touched

or consumed.

PROPER DISPOSALIf you find yourself with unwanted pes-

ticides, give them to someone who can

use them, or take them to a household

hazardous waste collection facility or

event like the ones listed below and

REMEMBER:

• Don’t pour leftover pesticides or

water from rinsing equipment on the

ground or in any type of drain in-

side or outside the house.

• Don’t put pesticides in the trash.

• Never use or give away any pesticide

that has been banned such as chlo-

rdane or DDT.

PESTICIDES ANDWATER POLLUTIONWater pollution prevention agencies haveteamed up with Bay Area nurseries and hard-ware stores to reduce the risks associated withpesticide use. Common household pesticidesshow up in treated wastewater and in BayArea creeks, sometimes at levels that canharm sensitive aquatic life. This fact sheet ispart of a series of information pieces and storedisplays aimed at educating Bay Area resi-dents about less-toxic pest management. Lookfor the “Our Water Our World” logo next toproducts in participating hardware stores andnurseries throughout the Bay Area.

Pest control strategies and methods describedin these publications are consistent with in-tegrated pest management (IPM) concepts,and are based on scientific studies and testsin actual home and garden settings. Use sug-gested products according to label directionsand dispose of unwanted or leftover pesti-cides at a household hazardous waste collec-tion facility or event. No endorsement of spe-cific brand name products is intended, nor iscriticism implied of similar products that arenot mentioned.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you need additional information, contact:

Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC)(510) 524-2567

University of California CooperativeExtension Master Gardeners in your area(in the phone book )

Central Contra Costa Sanitary Districtwebsite: www.centralsan.org

University of California IPM website:www.ipm.ucdavis.edu

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This fact sheet and the accompanying IPMoutreach program was developed by CentralContra Costa Sanitary District with the fol-lowing contributions:

Writing:Earlene Millier, CCCSD

Design:Lauren Wohl Design

Partial Funding:Bay Area Pollution Prevention GroupBay Area Stormwater Management

Agencies AssociationCALFED Bay-Delta Restoration ProgramRegional Water Quality Control Plant

(Palo Alto)

Thank You:UCCE Master GardenersParticipating stores

Bay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention Agencies

FOR DISPOSAL OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTEIf your community is not covered by any of the facilities or programs listed below, call your countyenvironmental health department for information about the disposal of pesticides.

Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program 510-670-6460Contra Costa County

Central County Central Contra Costa Sanitary District 800-646-1431East and West County Contra Costa HHW Hotline 800-750-4096

Marin CountyNovato residents Household Hazardous Waste Hotline 415-892-7344Other areas Marin HHW Facility 415-485-6806

San Francisco HHW Collection Facility 415-695-7375San Mateo County San Mateo Countywide HHW Hotline 650-363-4718Santa Clara County

Palo Alto Monthly HHW Collection 650-496-6980Solano County

Vacaville HHW Programs 707-454-5705Fairfield, Suisun HHW Collection Facility 707-437-1111

Sonoma County Eco-Desk Hotline 707-527-DESK

If you have any questions about the safety, environmental impact, or proper use of a pesticide, call theNational Pesticide Telecommunications Network 24-hour hotline at 800-858-PEST.

January 2001

PESTICIDESLESS-TOXIC PEST MANAGEMENT

Choose less toxic products for your home and garden. Look for this symbol before you buy.

PESTICIDESUSE AND DISPOSAL OF

Even when applied ac-cording to label directions,pesticides make their

way into our waterways, air, rainand fog. Even small amounts ofpesticides can be lethal to ma-rine life, birds, and other lifeforms. Just one granule or seedtreated with diazinon, a com-mon household pesticide, isenough to kill a small bird. Sowhat can we do? Instead ofrelying on conventional pesti-cides as our first line of defenseagainst a pest, consider them asa last resort. Check out theother fact sheets in this seriesfor tips on safer and effectivealternatives for preventing andmanaging pest problems in yourhome and garden. For more in-formation, contact the sourceslisted on the reverse side of thisfact sheet.

SIGNAL WORDSCaution, Warning, and Dangerare signal words placed on prod-uct labels to alert consumers tothe relative toxicity of the prod-ucts — Caution being the leasttoxic and Danger being the mosttoxic. These signal words, how-ever, pertain only to the acute orimmediate hazard of the product.Labels do not provide informationabout the chronic or long-termhazards to humans, animals or theenvironment. For example, noth-ing on the product label tells youwhether a product contains achemical suspected of causingbirth defects, kidney or liver dam-age, cancer, lung disease, etc.

IF YOU MUST USEPESTICIDES:• Identify the pest and the afflicted

plant, and then choose a productlabeled for use on that pest andplant. Not all pesticides are effectiveagainst all pests.

• Aerosols may be the worst optionyou can choose for pest problems.They disperse chemicals in a waythat significantly increases the riskof exposure to unintentional targets,including beneficial insects, birds,pets, you and your family.

• Choose the least-toxic productavailable. Baits and traps are saferoptions.

• Spot treat whenever possible.• Buy ready-to-use products instead of

concentrates. An undiluted pesticidethat requires mixing is more hazard-ous than one that is already diluted.And, ready-to-use products avoidthe use of measuring and mixing thatcould result in spills. When rinsinga pesticide from measuring cups, ap-plicators or containers, use the rinseas you would the pesticide — for thetarget pest. Don’t wash it down adrain. (See Proper Disposal section.)

• Read the label and use only theamount recommended to do thejob. More is not better.

• If the label instructs you to use pro-tective gear, heed the advice — your

health could depend on it. The useof gloves, for example, is not in-tended to avoid staining your hands;rather, it offers protection againsthaving the chemicals enter yourblood stream through your skin.

• Homeowners who apply pesticidesoutdoors (including applications onlawns) can unknowingly carry residuesinto their home on clothing and shoes.Pets can also be carriers. Be mindfulthat residues, whether tracked in fromoutdoors or as a result of indoor use,can contaminate carpets and floorswhere children play.

PESTICIDES ANDWATER POLLUTIONWater pollution prevention agencies haveteamed up with Bay Area nurseries and hard-ware stores to reduce the risks associated withpesticide use. Common household pesticidesshow up in treated wastewater and in Bay Areacreeks, sometimes at levels that can harm sen-sitive aquatic life. This fact sheet is part of aseries of information pieces and store displaysaimed at educating Bay Area residents aboutless-toxic pest management. Look for the “OurWater Our World” logo next to products inparticipating hardware stores and nurseriesthroughout the Bay Area.

Pest control strategies and methods describedin these publications are consistent with inte-grated pest management (IPM) concepts, andare based on scientific studies and tests in ac-tual home and garden settings. Use suggestedproducts according to label directions and dis-pose of unwanted or leftover pesticides at ahousehold hazardous waste collection facility orevent. No endorsement of specific brand nameproducts is intended, nor is criticism implied ofsimilar products that are not mentioned.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Using Less Toxic Alternatives to PreventPest DamageCall 1-888-BAYWISE or visit these websites:

Bio-Integral Resource Centerwww.birc.orgCentral Contra Costa Sanitary Districtwww.centralsan.orgNorthwest Coalition for Alternatives toPesticideswww.pesticide.orgPesticide Action Networkwww.panna.orgwww.pesticideinfo.orgRachel Carson Councilhttp://members.aol.com/rccouncil/ourpage/index.htm

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This fact sheet and the accompanying IPM out-reach program was developed with the follow-ing contributions:Writing:Tanya Drlik, BIRCSusan Hiestand, San Mateo CountyEarlene Millier, CCCSDGina Purin, Marin CountyDesign:Lauren Wohl DesignPartial Funding:Bay Area Pollution Prevention GroupBay Area Stormwater Management

Agencies AssociationThank You:UCCE Master GardenersParticipating stores

Bay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention AgenciesBay Area Water Pollution Prevention Agencies

May 2002

KNOW WHAT YOU’REBUYING• Just because a product is purchased

over-the-counter, doesn’t mean that ithas been tested for its ability to causelong-term health or environmentaldamage. In 2001, the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency worked withproduct manufacturers to remove thepesticide Dursban (or chlorpyrifos)from being sold because of its toxicityto children. Chlorpyrifos was first reg-istered for sale in 1965. Diazinon, aclose relative, will be removed fromstores shelves by 2004 — also becauseof its toxicity to children. It has beenregistered for sale since 1956.

• Inert ingredients (called “inerts” or“other ingredients” on product labels)can comprise up to 99.9% of a pesti-cide product. Contrary to what thename implies, inerts are not neces-sarily safe chemicals — nor have theynecessarily been tested for any long-term health implications like cancer,nervous system damage, reproductiveharm, or gene mutations. If you wantto try to avoid exposure to chemicalssuspected of causing long-term healthimpacts, select pest control productsthat are non-toxic (e.g., traps), thosethat offer the least amount of pesti-cide exposure (e.g., baits), or thosethat offer the least toxic chemical(e.g., horticultural oil). For more in-formation on choosing the least-toxicpest control product available, referto the other fact sheets in this seriesor contact the organizations listed inthis fact sheet. For more informationon inert ingredients, go to:www.pesticide.org

• Research has shown that pesticideresidues are detected on many foodspurchased from grocery stores. Formore information about pesticides infood, go to: www.foodnews.org (En-vironmental Working Group); orcall the Natural Resources DefenseCouncil at (415) 777-0220.

• If you have any questions about thesafety, environmental impact, orproper use of a pesticide, call theNational Pesticide Telecommunica-tions Network 24-hour hotline at(800) 858-PEST.

STORING PESTICIDESAND APPLICATIONEQUIPMENT• Store pesticides in their original con-

tainers, in a place that cannot beaccessed by children or pets.

• Never remove the labels.• Clearly mark containers, applicators

and utensils used for mixing or ap-plying pesticides and store them withthe pesticides. Never use them forany other purpose.

DISPOSE OF PESTICIDESSAFELY AND LEGALLY• Unwanted pesticides should be

brought to your local household haz-ardous waste collection program. InCalifornia, it’s illegal to dispose of par-tially used containers of pesticides (orany hazardous waste) in the trash, inspite of what the label says. It is legalto dispose of empty (no free-flowingliquid) pesticide containers in the trashif they are 5 gallons or less in capacity.

• Never dispose of pesticide-taintedwater in any indoor or outdoordrain. Though indoor drains flow totreatment plants, pesticides can passright through the plants and enterlocal waterways. Water used to rinseout a sprayer or applicator should beapplied like the pesticide. In mostcommunities, outdoor drains flowdirectly to local waterways.

• Never use or give away any pesticidethat is no longer available in themarketplace such as chlordane,DDT, and chlorpyrifos (Dursban).

• For more information on pesticidedisposal, call 1-800-CLEANUP orvisit: www.1800CLEANUP.org.