Purdue Extension Does…Pesticide product safety

With the return of spring also comes the return of home lawn care, with cut grass, fertilizer, and pest control. As homeowners beautify their lawns as well as landscaping and garden areas, however, take the time to carefully read the labels of the pesticides and fertilizers you might be applying.

Product labels for required to ensure the correct and efficient use of products, and are the manufacturer’s main way to give the user information needed to work with the product. The labels are legal documents and provide the instructions on how to correctly prepare, apply, store, and dispose of the product.  Legally someone who uses the product in a manner not listed on the label, such as for a different crop, weed, bug or delivery method, is in violation of federal law.

Although specific information on a given label might look different from one product to the next, a homeowner will find several important sections on each label.

The first will be the active ingredient. The active ingredient is the chemical product that will be controlling the pest or fertilizing the lawn, and competing companies will often have different common brand names containing the same active ingredients.  The active ingredient will usually be accompanied by the percentage of the product in the container, as well as lists of other active ingredients and fillers (which are used to help the homeowner more evenly distribute the product).

Product type will be listed to tell the user the general type of control offered by the product.  Examples might be “non-selective herbicide for control of all vegetation species” or “insect control on tomatoes and peppers”.

The manufacturer’s name and EPA registration number are provided to allow the user to research additional information on product use and safety, as well as to show that the product is a legitimate, registered product reviewed for sale to the public.

Product signal words allow the user to better understand the acute toxicity of a product and will warn of product use concerns. Signal words that may be found on a product include “Danger-Poison” (highly toxic by any route into the body), “Danger” (causes severe eye or skin irritation), “Warning” (moderately toxic orally, dermally, or inhaled and causes moderate eye or skin irritation), and “Caution” (slightly toxic orally, dermally or inhaled and causes slight eye or skin irritation).   Emergency contact information will also be found on the label in another section. If comparing two products for purchase that are equal in effectiveness and cost, consider buying the one with the lower toxicity level.

The directions for use section tells how to properly work with the product for its intended use in a way that is safe for you, your family, and the environment. Among the instructions for use will be what pests might be treated, where the product might may be used (plants, animals, locations), when the product can be used and how often, how to apply the product and how much to use, and when crops can be eaten or people and pets can re-enter treated areas after a product application.

The final major section is storage and disposal, which provides directions for the storage and disposal of the unused product, as well as instructions on the disposal of the empty container after use.  Products should generally be stored in cool, dark areas without the threat of freezing conditions to preserve ingredient effectiveness and to prevent the loss or spill of the product.

When not being used products should also be stored in secure, locked areas which can totally contain potential spills, prevent children or pets from accessing the products, and are pest and vermin proof. When disposing of a container or bag, triple-rinse, puncture and dispose of it according to your local solid waste management district’s requirements.

One final related warning is to always fully understand which product you are using.  A recent example of two effective products where concerns due to names (but not the products themselves) are a concern are the products Roundup (glyphosate) and Roundup for Lawns (MCPA, quinclorac, dicamba and sulfentrazone).

Roundup was been effectively used for years in over 40 products in landscaping, garden, and agricultural uses in Indiana, and is a non-selective (‘kills anything green”) herbicide.  In effect, if Roundup hits it, the plant is often dead or struggling.

Roundup for Lawns (R4L) is a newer product that contains no glyphosate, and can safely be used on your lawn to kill plants that are not turf grass species, such as dandelions, crabgrass, and yellow nutsedge.

Concern comes from homeowners potentially reaching for a product with the Roundup for Lawns label and not understanding why all the weeds in their garden or fencerow are not being controlled (i.e. no glyphosate), OR homeowners using Roundup for Lawns for extended periods of time then accidentally use Roundup (i.e. with glyphosate) on their lawns and accidentally kill their grass. Both products are safe and effective as labeled, but carefully observe which you might be using at the time to ensure the correct product results.

Again, when used correctly pesticide and fertilizer products can play a key role in improving your lawn, garden, or landscaping.  Always follow label instructions for the safest and most effective product results.

If you would like more information, please contact Purdue Extension – Dubois County at 812-482-1782 or kjeck@purdue.edu.

Kenneth J. Eck
Extension Educator, Ag. and Natural Resources
Purdue Extension – Dubois County