What is the problem?
Commonly used pesticides can be harmful to people, pets, and the environment. Part of the problem is the toxicity of some pesticides, but even more important is the sheer volume of pesticides used in this country every year. Much of it finds its way to our water, air, and soil. Studies show that the most commonly used pesticides are the ones most likely to cause water pollution. Run-off from your sprinkler, water hose, or from rain can carry yard waste, fertilizer, and pestices into storm drains.
How can you both manage pests and help protect the health of people, pets, and our environment?
Follow the suggestions for less-toxic pest controland pest prevention in the Our Water, Our World fact sheet series that can be found online at www.ourwaterourworld.org, Home Depot, and below.
Pest control alternatives can be found at the University of California Statewide IPM Program.
Try to keep your garden healthy and your home pest-free without resorting to chemical pesticides. Try to treat the cause of the pest problem, not the symptom. Physical barriers, biological controls, and cultural controls are preferable to chemical pesticides. When a pesticide is necessary, the best products for the environment are less toxic, less persistent, and more targeted on pests and not on beneficial insects and plants.