Garden Minute: Be Safe with Home Pesticides

As we begin to work in yards and gardens, many of us will use pesticides to deal with problematic bugs that might damage our flowers and trees.

Oregon Department of Agriculture pesticide investigator Jenny Marin said it starts before you even go to the store.

“It’s really important to correctly identify the pest for which you are going to treat and purchase a product that is appropriate for that pest and location. There is great information on the product label that will tell you if that particular product is the right one for the job. It’s also a good idea to only purchase enough product that you actually need to get the job done.”

Marin said it comes down to making sure that you read the label.

There are other important steps that will make sure gardeners can benefit from good insects while still eliminating the problematic ones according Marin.

“Homeowners should not be making pesticide applications to flowers in bloom because bees and other pollinators may be visiting those plants. They should also take steps to avoid pesticide drift within their own yard when flowers and flowering plants are in bloom, even when those plants aren’t the target for the application.”

Also, as a good neighbor policy, giving a heads up to those next door will help foster co-existence.