Benefits of Pesticides
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What is a pesticide?
Why do we use pesticides?
What is the effect of pesticide use on me and my family?
What about my pets? Do I need to take precaution when using pesticides?
Who regulates pesticides and their use? How much testing is done before they are available to the public?
Do pesticides affect the environment?
What else should I be doing to control pests?
Crop protection
Organic pest control
What I Should Know About Pesticides
What is a pesticide?
"Pesticide" can refer to any substance that is made to control or prevent any pest, including weeds, insects, rodents, fungus, and more.
(Herbicides,
insecticides,
fungicides, and
rodenticides are all pesticides.)
These include common household products used to control ants, mice, and roaches, and products frequently used in the garden or lawn to control dandelions, ragweed, poison ivy, and other weeds, as well as stinging pests like wasps and mosquitoes.
Why do we use pesticides? Insects, rodents and weeds can threaten the health and well-being of our families and communities. Pesticides help protect us from diseases carried by insects (like West Nile virus and Lyme disease), illnesses caused by contact with rodent droppings, urine, or dander, or caused by poison ivy or oak and ragweed. For example:
- Increasingly studies show allergens from rodents like mice and cockroaches are a significant cause of asthma in children, making control of these pests in schools and homes even more important.
- Uncontrolled growth of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac poses risk to children and adults alike as more than one-half of the U.S. population is allergic to these noxious weeds.
- A recent ban of cosmetic use of pesticides in Canada has led to destruction of roads, sidewalks and playgrounds as uncontrolled weeds are causing cracking and breaking of the concrete. Local media reports also indicate a heightened allergy season due to uncontrolled ragweed growth.
Controlling weeds and insects keeps our homes pest-free and our lawns, parks, and other outdoor spaces usable. Think about the last time you saw a vacant lot or abandon home. Without proper weed control, playgrounds, soccer and softball fields, and parks would be just as overgrown making it impossible to enjoy our community green space. Without effectively controlling weeds the usability and enjoyment of, these community recreation areas, would be greatly reduced. Weeds also create cracks in sidewalks and roads leading to frequent repairs.
What is the effect of pesticide use on me and my family?
Pesticides provide protection for you and your family against disease and infection caused by insects, rodents and some weeds, while also keeping your outdoor spaces accessible and enjoyable. It's important to remember that pesticides are rigorously tested for their potential human health and environmental impact before they can be registered and sold for use. The pesticides available for use in your home have been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency to have a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health. More details about the EPA's testing process are available on the agency web site.
What about my pets? Do I need to take precaution when using pesticides?
Just as pesticides help protect us from stinging and biting insects, pesticide products help create an enjoyable backyard experience for our dogs and cats.
As always, be sure to read and follow the label when applying pesticide products, which includes directions for proper storage and use. To protect your dog or cat from backyard hazards, try the following:
- Apply pesticides when pets are not in the yard. Wait until sprays have dried or granular dust has settled before letting your dog or cat into the area that has been treated.
- Remove, or turn over and empty feeding bowls, water dishes and bird baths before pesticide applications.
- After treating lawns and outside areas, restrict pets from the areas until pesticides have dried and the danger of exposure has passed. Follow the restricted-entry interval (REI) as stated on the label.
- Clean up after an application and store products out of pets' reach. The greatest risk of adverse effects to a pet from lawn care products comes from pets lapping from a puddle of an improperly diluted, or undiluted product, especially from a concentrated product in the original container.
- Store all lawncare and gardening products properly - which includes keeping them out of pets' reach.
- Know who to call. If you are concerned your pet may have ingested pesticides, contact your local veterinarian or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (ASPCA) 24-hour emergency poison hotline directly at 1-888-426-4435.
- Learn more about proper use and your pets. Visit the National Pesticide Information Center, and the EPA web site.
Who regulates pesticides and their use? How much testing is done before they are available to the public?
Pesticides are rigorously tested for their potential human health and environmental impact before they can be registered and sold for use. The pesticides available for you to use in your home have been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency to have a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health. Product registration by the EPA can take up to 10 years and involves up to 120 different tests and studies that can take years to complete. More details about the EPA's testing process are available on the
agency web site.
Do pesticides affect the environment?
The EPA review process rigorously tests all pesticides for potential environmental impact before the product can be registered. Product registration by the EPA can take up to 10 years and involves up to 120 different tests and studies over the course of weeks, months, or even years. And once a product is registered, the EPA continues to study and test the pesticide to ensure its environmental safety. More details about the EPA's testing process are available on the
agency web site.
Experts estimate that termites alone cause $5 billion of property damage each year.
Bed bug infestations are on the rise.
Numerous studies link landscaping and well-maintained lawns to property value increases of 11 to 15 percent. What else should I be doing to control pests?
The National Pest Management Association provides a few simple steps can help prevent pest problems, including:
- Sealing cracks and holes on the outside of your home
- Keeping branches well-trimmed
- Keeping basements and attics well-ventilated and dry
- Storing garbage in a sealed container and disposing of it regularly
- Mulching flower beds to discourage weed growth
Similar to the effectiveness of preventative health measures, these steps aren't fool-proof for preventing pest problems. When insects, rodents and weeds reach a certain level, it's necessary to find a way to control them.
While organic and natural products are created using compounds from plants or other organisms, it's still important to remember that they must be used according to label directions to make sure they are used safely.
Talking about Crop Protection
Did you know that an adequate, reliable food supply couldn’t be guaranteed without crop protection products?- Over 40,000 species of weeds and insects threaten the health and yield of food crops in the United States.
- Even with the use of modern crop protection products, 20 – 40% of potential food production is lost each year due to pests; imagine what that number would be without crop protection products!
- The world population is projected to reach 9 billion by 2040. That means that agricultural production needs to increase significantly worldwide in less than 40 years. This is only possible by embracing new innovation and technologies.
Significant time and investment are put into the creation of any new crop protection product in order to determine that it is safe for use.
- It costs $256 million to research, develop, and register a new crop protection product.
- The registration process for a single product can take between 8 – 12 years.
- An EPA safety review involves over 100 toxicology and environmental studies to ensure the safety of products.
- The crop protection industry is one of the most highly-regulated in the nation.
Organic farmers use pesticides, too!
- Pesticides used by organic farmers differ from those used by other farms only in that they are non-synthetic.
- Organic farms use pesticides such as sulfur and copper to deter pests.
- All fruits and vegetables should be carefully washed before consuming, regardless of the type of farm from which they came.
- Our industry supports all kinds of agriculture, including organics. We believe in consumer choice.
Information for our Benefits of Pesticides page was provided by CropLife America and RISE. More information can be found on their websites at www.croplifeamerica.org and www.debugthemyth.com.
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