Citizen's guide to pest control and pesticide safety

Foreword ..................................... 1 Introduction ................................... 2 Pests, Pest Control, and Pesticides .................. 3 Pest Management ............................................................................... 3 First Steps in Pest Management ....................................................... 4 Preventing Pests ................................ 6 Indoor Prevention .............................................................................. 6 Outdoor Prevention ........................................................................... 7 u Gardening .................................................................................... 7 u Lawn Care .................................................................................. 8 Using Non-Chemical Pest Controls ................ 11 Biological Controls ........................................................................... 11 Manual Methods .............................................................................. 12 Using Chemical Pest Controls .................... 13 Choosing the Right Pesticide Product .......................................... 14 Reading the Pesticide Label ............................................................ 16 Determining the Correct Amount To Use ................................... 18 Using Pesticides Safely and Correctly .......................................... 19 u Before Using a Pesticide .......................................................... 19 u When Mixing or Applying a Pesticide ................................. 19 Indoor Applications ............................................................. 20 Outdoor Applications ......................................................... 21 u After Applying a Pesticide ..................................................... 22 Storing and Disposing of Pesticides Properly ............................. 23 u Safe Storage of Pesticides ....................................................... 23 u Safe Disposal of Pesticides ..................................................... 24 Reducing Your Exposure When Others Use Pesticides ...................... 26 Exposure Through Food ................................................................. 26 u Commercial Food ..................................................................... 26 u Home-Grown Food .................................................................. 27 u Food from the Wild ................................................................. 27 Exposure Through Water .............................................................. 28 Exposure Through Air .................................................................... 28 u Outdoors .................................................................................... 28 u Indoors ....................................................................................... 29 Poisoned by Pesticides: Don’t Let This Happen to Your Child! ............... 30 Handling a Pesticide Emergency .................. 32 First Aid for Pesticide Poisoning .................................................... 33 What To Do After First Aid ........................................................... 34 How To Recognize Pesticide Poisoning ....................................... 35 Choosing a Pest Control Company ................. 36 Reference Section ............................. 39 Calculating the Correct Amount of Pesticide To Use for Your Target Area ..................................................... 39 For More Information ...................................................................... 42 EPA Addresses .................................................................................. 44 u EPA Headquarters ....................................................................... 44 u EPA Regional Offices .................................................................. 44 u State Lead Agencies for Pesticide Regulation ......................... 45 Index ........................................ 49