1. Master Gardener PESTICIDE SAFETY
By ALAN BRUHIN
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
EXTENSION

2. What Is A Pesticide
The Term Pesticide Refers To A Chemical Substance That Kills Pest
Humans Label “Pest” As Any Plant Or Animal That Endangers Our Food, Health Or Comfort
Pesticides Are Used As A Tool To Manage Pest At An Acceptable Tolerance Level

3. Pest Identification Is Key!
Accurate Pest Identification Is The Most Important Step To An Effective Management Program
The More You Know About The Pest, The Easier, More Cost Effective And Safer Your Pest Control Will Be

4. Is Pest Control Necessary?
Control A Pest Only When It Is Causing Or Is Expected To Cause More Harm Than Is Reasonable To Expect
Use A Control Strategy That Will Reduce Pest Numbers To An Acceptable Level
Cause As Little Harm As Possible To Everything Except The Pest

5. Pest Control Goals
Whenever You Try To Control A Pest, You Will Want To Achieve One Or More Of Three Goals
Prevention
Suppression
Eradication

6. Prevention Prevention Is Keeping The Pest From Becoming A Problem
Prevention May Be A Goal When The Pest’s Presence Or Abundance Can Be Predicted In Advance
Applying An Insecticide Before The Insect Invades The Home

7. Suppression
Suppression Is Reducing Pest Numbers Or Damage To An Acceptable Level
Suppression Should Be A Common Goal In Many Pest Situations
Applying Herbicides For Weed Control

8. Eradication Eradication Is Destroying An Entire Pest Population
Eradication Should Be A Rare Goal In Outdoor Pest Problems
Eradication Is Hard To Achieve
Eradication Is More Of A Goal For Indoor Areas Health Care, Food Processing, Etc.

9. Integrated Pest Management
IPM Combines Appropriate Pest Control Tactics Into A Single Plan
A Plan Should Include:
ID Your Pest
Know Your Controls
Evaluate The Risk/Benefits
Choose A Strategy
Observe Local, State And Federal Laws

10. Types Of Pesticides Insecticides Miticides Nematicides Fungicides
Bactericides
Herbicides
Rodenticides
Acaricides
Piscicides
Avicides
Insects
Mites
Nematodes
Fungi
Bacteria
All Plants
Rodents
Spiders, Ticks
Fish
Birds

11. Types Of Pesticides (Continued)
Plant Growth Regulators
Stop, Speed Up Or Change Plant Processes
Defoliants
Remove Or Kill Leaves And Stems
Repellents
Repels Pest
Attractants
Lures Pest

12. Functions Of Pesticides
Contact Poisons
Kill When Pesticide Comes In Contact
Stomach Poison
Kill When Swallowed
Systemic Poisons
Kill When Taken Into The Blood Or Tissues
Translocated Herbicides
Move From Point Of Application Throughout Plant To Kill
Fumigants
Gasses That Kill When Inhaled Or Absorbed
Selective Pesticides
Kill Only Certain Plants Or Animals
Non-selective
Kills Most All Plants Or Animals

13. How Pesticides Are Applied
Broadcast
Uniform Application To An Area By Scattering A Pesticide
Crack And Crevice
Small Amounts Of Pesticides Into Areas Which Insects Hide Or Might Enter A Building
Directed
Pesticide Aimed At A Portion Of Plant , Animal Or Building
Drench
Saturating The Soil With A Pesticide

14. How Pesticides Are Applied
(Continued)
Foliar
Applied To Leaves Of Plants
In-furrow
Application In Furrow At Planting
Sidedress
Application Along Crop In The Row
Spot Treatment
Application To A Small Section Or Area Of Crop

15. Factors Critical To Pesticide Performance
Application Timing
Understanding Pest Life Cycles And Movements
Selecting Correct Pesticide
Weather Related Problems
Storage Life Of Pesticides
Pest Resistance

16. Pesticide Formulations
Emulsifiable Concentrates EC or E
Active Ingredient Is Mixed With Oil Based Carrier Forming An Emulsion
Solutions S
Pre-mixed And Ready To Use
Flowables F or L
A Liquid Mixed With Water To Form Suspension in Spray Tank
Aerosols A
Low Concentrate Solutions Applied As A Fine Spray Or Mist
Dust D
Active Ingredient Added To A Fine Powder Or Talc

17. Pesticide Formulations
(continued)
Granules G
Active Ingredient Added To Coarse Particles
Wettable Powders WP
Formulation Made Into A Powder Made To Mix With Water
Soluable Powders SP
Formulation Made Into A powder To Form A Suspension In Water
Baits B
Active Ingredient Added To An Edible Substance

18. Adjuvants
An Adjuvant Is A Chemical That Is Added To A Pesticide Formulation Or Tank Mix To Increase Its Effectiveness Or Safety
Most All Pesticide Formulations Contain A Small Percentage Of Adjuvants

19. Surfactants
A Surfactant Is Used To Reduce The Surface Tension Between Two Unlike Materials, Such As Spray Film And A Solid Surface.
They Are Most Useful When Spraying Hard To Wet Foliage Such As Azalea, Roses, Yews, And Iris
The Pesticide Label Will Tell You If A Surfactant Is Needed

20. The Pesticide Label
All Printed Information About A Pesticide Product, Including The Product Label, Brochures And Flyers From The Company Or Its Agent, Is Called Labeling. The Label Is Printed On Or Attached To A Container Of Pesticide And It Tells How To Correctly Use The Product And What Safety Measures Need To Be Taken

21. Parts Of A Label
Everything You Need To Know About A Pesticide Is On The Label
You Should Always Read And Follow Label Directions
Safety Should Be Of Most Importance

22. Specific Parts Of A Label
Brand Name Or Trade Name
Type Of Formulation
Ingredient Statement
Common Name And Chemical Name
Net Contents
Manufacturer Information
Registration Number
Establishment Number

23. Specific Parts Of A Label
(Continued)
Precautionary Statements
Uses Of The Pesticide
Directions For Use
Environmental Hazards
Physical And Chemical Hazards
Restricted-use Pesticides
First Aid Information

24. Specific Parts Of A Label Signal Words And Symbols
Toxicity
Lethal Dosage
Symbol
Danger Poison
Highly Toxic
A Taste To Teaspoon
Skull And Crossbone
Warning
Moderately Toxic
Teaspoon -Tablespoon
“Warning”
Caution
Low Toxicity
An Ounce Or More
“Caution”

25. Reading Pesticide Labels
Lets Test Your Skills At Reading A Pesticide Label

26. What Is The Trade Name Of This Product?
What Is The Function Of This Pesticide?
What Is The Signal Word For This Pesticide?
What Is A Environmental Hazard Of This Product?
When Applying This Product What PPE Should You Wear?
What Is The Restricted Entry Interval (REI) For This Chemical?

27. How Much Chemical Should Be Applied To A 5000 Sq. Ft. Lawn?
How Much Water Should Be Used?
Can You Apply It To A Newly Seeded Lawn?
Is This A Pre Or Post-emergence Chemical?
How Long Should You Wait Before Seeding Grass In The Treated Area?
Do You Need To Add A Surfactant When Applying This Pesticide?

28. Pesticide Application Equipment
Pesticide Equipment Comes In All Shapes, Sizes, Types And Prices
You Should Select The Equipment That Will Do The Job You Want It To
A Lot Of The Success Or Failures Applying Pesticides Depends On The Equipment

29. Buying Application Equipment
Before Buying Any Spray Equipment, Keep In Mind….
The Size Of Job
Kinds Of Chemicals To Be Applied
Amount Of Water Needed Per Spraying
Size Of Plants To Be Treated
Amount Of Money You Have To Spend

31. Calibrating A Sprayer
Calibration Involves Adjusting You Sprayer To Apply The Desired rate Of Pesticide
To Much Pesticide Is Dangerous, To Little Will Not Do The Job.
Only By Calibrating Correctly Can You Ensure The Best Results With Your Chemicals

32. How To Calibrate Fill Sprayer With Water And Fully Pressurize
Spray Water Into A Pint Jar For 30 Seconds
Measure Amount Of Water Collected In Ounces
Spray An Area While Walking At Normal Speed For 30 Seconds. Measure The Area Sprayed In Square Feet

33. How To Calibrate
If 30 Seconds Of Spraying Delivers 8 Fluid Ounces And Covers 100 Square Feet
It Would Take 80 Ounces Of Water To Spray 1000 Square Feet
(8 Ounces X 1000 SF / 100 SF = 80)
If Pesticide Calls For 3 Tablespoons For 1000 SF, You Would Mix 3 Tablespoons In 80 Ounces Of Water

34. Pesticide Conversion Chart
Amount Per 100 gallons
Amount Per
Gallon
Liquid
Measure
¼ pint
1 pint
1 quart
1 gallon
¼ teaspoon
1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons
2½ tablespoons
Dry
½ pound
1 pound
2 pounds
1/12 ounce
1/6 ounce
1/3 ounce

35. Home Use Versus Commercial
Some Pesticides Are Packaged For Home Use. These Products Come In Small Quantities, i.e. Pints, Quarts, Ounces Or Pounds. Rates Are Given In Teaspoons/Tablespoons Per 1000 SF
Commercial Packages Are More Concentrated, Larger Containers Than Can Be Used Up And May Require Special Protective Clothing

36. Safe Use Of Pesticides Always Read The Label Wear Protective Clothing
Check Equipment
Avoid Spraying On A Windy Day (Drift)
Avoid Spraying During High Temperatures (Vaporization)
Clear All People, Pets And Livestock From Area

37. Cleaning Equipment
Clean All Spray Equipment Inside And Out With Clean Water After Each Use
Always Flush The Hoses And Nozzles With Clean Water
Do Not Dump Rinse Water In A Place Where It Can Become A Pollutant
Never Rinse Pesticides Down A Drain

38. Pesticide Storage Always Store In Original Containers
Keep In Locked Cabinet, Room Or Building
Protect From Temperature Extremes
Do Not Store Close To Wells, Water Sources And Sinkholes
Do Not Keep With Food, Drinks, Medical, Veterinary Supplies Or Pet Foods

39. Pesticide Disposal Read Label For Disposal Instructions
Empty Containers Should Be Rinsed 3 Times
Wrap in Newspaper And Dispose In Trash
Do Not Re-use Container For Other Uses

40. Symptoms Of Poisoning
It Is Important To Know The Early Symptoms And Signs Of Pesticide Poisoning
Each Chemical Family Attacks The Human Body In Different Ways
There Are 3 Levels Of Poisoning
Mild
Moderate
Severe Or Acute

41. Symptoms Mild Poisoning Fatigue Headache Dizziness Blurred Vision
Sweating
Nausea
Stomach Cramps
Diarrhea

42. Symptoms Moderate Poisoning Inability To Walk Weakness
Chest Discomfort
Muscle Twitches
Constriction Of Eye Pupil
Earlier Symptoms Become More Severe

43. Symptoms Severe Or Acute Poisoning Unconsciousness
Severe Constriction Of The Eye Pupils
Muscle Twitches
Convulsions
Difficulty Breathing
Illness May Occur A Few Hours After Exposure And May Lead To Death If Not Treated

44. First Aid Procedures “Statement Of Practical Treatment”
Found On The Pesticide Label
If Pesticide Is On The Skin
Remove Pesticide As Quickly As Possible
Remove Contaminated Clothing
Prompt Washing With A Detergent
Clean Hair And Fingernails

45. First Aid Procedures If Pesticide is Inhaled Get To Fresh Air Quickly
Loosen Tight-fitting Clothing
Give Artificial Respiration If Needed
Take To Physician As Soon As Possible
Do Not Administer Anything To A Poison Victim Unless Your Trained In First Aid

46. Pesticides And The Environment
Pesticides Become A Problem When They Move Off Target
Misapplication Of Pesticides Carries Serious Consequences
Bees And Other Pollinators
Drift To Nearby Crops Or Landscapes
Aquatic Life
Always Choose Least Hazardous Chemical If More Than One Pesticide Will Work

47. C’s C’s Pesticide Spills Remember the Three C’s Control Contain C’s
Clean Up

48. Control Protect Yourself Stop The Source Protect Others
Stay At The Site

49. Contain Confine The Spill Protect Water Sources Absorb Liquids
Cover Dry Materials

50. Clean Up Decontaminate The Spill Site Neutralize The Spill Site
For Liquid Spill Use Absorbent Material
Sweep Up And Place In Plastic Bag
Dry Spill Can Be Swept Up For Reuse
Do Not Hose Down The Site
Neutralize The Spill Site
Label Will Have Information On How To Neutralize

51. Pesticide And The Law
Under The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide And Rodenticide Act Of 1972 It Is Illegal To Use A Pesticide On A Plant Unless That Plant Is Listed On The Label
You May Not Exceed The Given Rate On The Label
Under Federal Law, You Are Liable For Misuse Of Pesticides Including Drift, Leaching Or Direct Treatment Of Plants

52. Pesticides And The Law Pesticides Are Divided Into Two Groups
General Use
Primarily For Homeowner Use
Restricted use
Mostly For Farmers And Commercial Use
Must Be Certified To Buy Restricted Use

53. Reminders
You Can prevent Harm From Pesticides If You Follow Safety Precautions And Common Sense
Minimum Precautions Include:
Before Buying A Pesticide, Identify The Pest To Be Controlled
Find Out What Pesticide Will Control The Pest
Select The Least Toxic Pesticide
Always Read The Label

54. Questions??? Thanks Alan Bruhin Edward E. Burgess
County Director Elizabeth A. Long
Sevier County Entomology & Plant Pathology
University Of Tennessee Extension