Neighbor-to-Neighbor:
I'm concerned about pesticides
A Fact Sheet from Toxic Free NC
Download a printer-friendly
PDF of this factsheet
Weedkillers, bug spray, rat poison... all of
these chemicals are known as pesticides. Pesticides are poisons
designed to kill pests, but they can have many unintended
consequences for nature, and for our neighbors. There are
five reasons that I’m concerned about pesticides in
our neighborhood:
 1. Water
What we spray & spread on our lawns and gardens runs
straight to our water. Standard water treatment isn’t
enough to remove many pesticides from our drinking water.
Pesticides are found in every urban river & stream, and
can kill fish or prevent them from reproducing.
2. Pets
Pets can’t read danger signs that say “stay off
the lawn.” Exposure to pesticides can cause poisoning,
tumors and kidney problems in cats and dogs.
3. Kids
Children are at greater risk than adults from exposure to
pesticides. Children whose parents use lawn and garden pesticides
are more likely to develop  childhood cancer, including
leukemia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Pesticide exposure
can also harm a child’s developing
brain and affect asthma.
4. Birds
Lawn, garden and farm pesticides are extremely hazardous
to birds and other wildlife. The American Bird Conservancy
estimates that tens of millions of birds are killed in
the US by pesticide poisoning each year. Birds are important
predators who eat insects and rodents, and make our backyards
beautiful!
5. Good bugs
 Honeybees are disappearing around the world, and pesticides
may be to blame. We need bees, dragonflies, ladybugs, butterflies
and other “good bugs” to keep
the “bad bugs” in our yards under control. Using
pesticides kills off the good bugs and can let the “bad
bug” populations
get out of control.
Luckily, there are plenty of easy pest
solutions that make it simple to cut back on our use of pesticides.
Check out these tips!
Solutions: Making your yard a little greener
Lawn care
|
Lowest risk
|
IPM: “Integrated
Pest Management.” Build
healthy soil, mow high and frequently, use natural
fertilizers sparingly, tolerate occasional weeds. |
| Some risk |
Spot treat weeds
with a chemical if problems emerge. |
| High risk |
Broadcast sprays,
pre-emergent herbicide treatments. |
Mosqitoes
|
Lowest risk
|
Remove standing water;
encourage natural predators like bats, dragonflies
and birds. Use fans to keep mosquitoes away from
porches and patios when outdoors. |
| Some risk |
Use insect repellent when
outdoors. Treat standing water with mosquito dunks to
kill larvae. |
| High risk |
Area-wide mosquito misting
systems. |
Household pests
|
Lowest risk
|
Prevent pest problems
by sealing cracks, fixing leaks, fixing window
screens and using good sanitation. |
| Some risk |
If a pest problem occurs,
spot treat for specific pests (like ants, roaches, mice)
with baits and traps. |
| High risk |
“Preventive” pesticide
spraying on a calendar basis; indoor or outdoor perimeter
treatments. |
Questions
to ask when a weed or pest
problem occurs:
1. What is causing this pest problem?
2. Is this a big or a small problem? Can I live with it or
not?
(Examples: A patch of clover – yes. Mice in the
kitchen – probably
not).
3. If we remove the cause of the problem, does it go away?
YES:
All right, we’re done!
NO:
We’ve removed the cause, but we still
have the pest problem. What is the least-toxic product we
can use? How can we apply it in the most targeted way?
Learn more about safer pest control and
alternatives to toxic pesticides in your home and garden. Check
out www.toxicfreenc.org
|
