NEED TO USE A PESTICIDE? READ AND FOLLOW THE LABEL FIRST! From the Bee City USA Committee

Contributed by Dr. N. Krishnan, UMD

Every year, millions of people around the world need to use pesticides, from farmers protecting their crops to homeowners controlling pests in their homes. Yet, many overlook an important step in pesticide use: reading and following the label. Treating the pesticide label as trivial or assuming one can apply a pesticide safely without directions can cause serious harm to human health and the environment. It can also lead to legal penalties and a failure to control/manage your pest of interest. This is because the label is a legally binding document that describes the proper way to mix, apply, store, and dispose of pesticides based on years of scientific research and testing.

Pesticide labeling in the U.S.

In the U.S., pesticide labels are regulated under a federal law, called the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Prior to allowing a pesticide in the marketplace, the EPA reviews data submitted by the pesticide manufacturers, which includes information on the product’s chemical and physical properties, environmental fate, effects on humans and wildlife, residues on food crops, and more. These data help inform the pesticide label, particularly to ensure compliance with FIFRA’s “pesticide use should not cause unreasonable adverse effects to human health or the environment” standard.

Importantly, the pesticide label is not static: pesticides are re-registered on a 15-year cycle. This means the EPA must review all existing and new data on the pesticide, including those published by independent scientists and from pesticide use incident reports, to ensure that the pesticide continues to be compliant with FIFRA. This generally leads to pesticide labels becoming more protective of human health and the environment over time.

Pesticide label sections and why they matter

There are many parts to the pesticide label, which, together, intend to do the following:

1. Protect applicators: The labels will specify the protective gear the applicator must wear (e.g., goggles, gloves, closed clothes) prior to mixing and/or applying pesticide. Certain methods of application (e.g., particular spraying methods) that increase exposure to the applicator might be prohibited. In case of accidental exposures, information on what to do and who to contact is provided.
2. Protect human populations: The labels specify how much pesticide to apply, how often to use it, and how soon people can enter treated areas. This helps ensure that the quantities of pesticides the general population, which includes vulnerable groups like children, elderly, and pregnant women, is exposed to do not cause adverse effects.
3. Prevent environmental contamination: Apart from restrictions on application quantities, pesticide labels could require buffer zones (e.g., “do not apply within 100 ft of water bodies”) and/or constrain use based on weather (e.g., “do not apply if rain is predicted within the next 48 hours”) to prevent air, water, and/or soil pollution.
4. Protect pollinators and other wildlife: If a pesticide is highly toxic to bees and fish, the label might have statements like “Do not apply during bloom” and “Do not allow pesticide to enter or run off into storm drains, drainage ditches, gutters, or surface waters”. The labels could include additional restrictions if endangered/threatened species are likely to be at risk from pesticide use.
5. Have efficacious pest control and prevent resistance development: Improper use of pesticide, including changing the quantity or frequency of application rate or treating the wrong pest, can result in inadequate control of the pest. This, along with using the same pesticide repeatedly, or only using pesticides that belong to the same group (i.e., they use the same mechanism to harm pests) can also result in pest populations becoming resistant to pesticides. Thus, labels often include sections that ask the users to rotate pesticides or incorporate other pest control methods.
6. Prevent plant/crop damage: Pesticide labels also specify where to use the pesticide, including on which plants or crops. Applying a pesticide on the wrong plant might damage it and any treated food crops may need to be discarded, as they could be unsafe to eat and illegal to sell.

What does this mean for me?

A pesticide label might look like a dense block of text (and it often is, unfortunately) but it represents decades of research, regulation, and experience condensed into one guide. It tells us how to use a pesticide safely, effectively, and legally. Thus, prior to using any pesticide, let’s ask ourselves first if we really need it, and if so, make sure to read and follow the label to protect ourselves, our community, our pets, and the living world around us.