Easy to do and incredibly important in determining the effectiveness of any pesticide treatment, purchasers and applicators should read all label labels at least twice, paying particular attention to any Precautionary Statements.
When matching the proper pesticide with the target pest, purchasers should remember that a Trade Name is the designation used by a single manufacturer to specify a chemical formulation and that several trade names may exist for the same product. For example, Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup Renew, is also present in Gallup, Eliminator, Rodeo, Touchdown and Samurai.
When matching the proper pesticide with the target pest, purchasers should remember that a Trade Name is the designation used by a single manufacturer to specify a chemical formulation and that several trade names may exist for the same product. For example, Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup Renew, is also present in Gallup, Eliminator, Rodeo, Touchdown and Samurai.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Three Minutes
Here's How:
- Once the target pest(s) have been identified, consider least-toxic options first, such as companion planting, pheromone traps, diatomaceous earth, sticky traps, insecticidal soaps or beneficial insects.
- When least-toxic options are exhausted or are unsuccesful, begin to read the pesticide label slowly and carefully. Look for the Active Ingredient to be listed. This is the part of the chemical formulation that destroys the pest or performs the intended function of the pesticide. All pesticides registered to be sold in the U.S. are required by the Environmental Protection Agency to display the Active Ingredient and its percentage in the total formulation. Unless needed to control a severe pest infestation, purchasers should opt for the formulation with the lowest active ingredient percentage.
- Other or Inert Ingredients, are as their name implies, the balance of the chemical formulation that may help dissolve the active ingredient, improve or enhance its pesticidal activity. Some inert ingredients may even be toxic or hazardous to humans.
- Signal Words are used to warn the consumer of any short-term or acute effects that the chemical may have on humans. From least to most toxicity, signal words are Caution, Warning and Danger. However, signal words are not required to address any long term effects on humans or aquatic invertebrates so please treat all pesticides as if they could be harmful to your, your families' or pet's health.