At some point your Master Gardener Volunteer role, you may be involved in discussing pesticide use with clients or the public. Your involvement may range from providing specific pesticide recommendations to a client or simply giving clients guidance on what they need to know before using a pesticide. Having a basic understanding of what pesticides are, how to appropriately handle them, and learning to read a pesticide label will be helpful in providing pesticide information to clients.

By actively participating in Pesticide Use and Reading Labels, you will:

• Explain what is and isn't a pesticide.
• Identify sources of pesticides. 
• Identify common types of pesticides and their target pests.
• Explain how pesticides differ.
• Identify materials that contain a pesticide.
• Explain the characteristics that make pesticides useful.
• Define active ingredient, inert ingredient, and formulation.
• Define trade name, chemical name, and common name.
• Explain the relationships between trade names and active ingredients and what that means to a pesticide user.
• Explain why a pesticide formulation is important.
• Give examples of pesticide formulations commonly available to homeowners and note where they might be used.
• Explain what to consider when selecting a pesticide formulation.
• Define risk, toxicity, and exposure.
• Explain exposure's contribution to risk.
• Identify the factors of an individual that affects their risk of using pesticides.
• Identify the four routes of entry.
• Explain how non-applicators can be exposed to pesticides.
• Identify where you can find exposure hazard information.
• Identify the harmful effects of pesticides.
• Tell what the signal word on a pesticide label means.
• Compare the relative toxicities of pesticides having a DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION signal word.
• Identify where on the pesticide label you can find the routes of entry you should be concerned about.
• List general precautions you can take to protect yourself when using pesticides.
• Define personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Identify the four criteria for effective PPE.
• Discuss how PPE protection varies, the difference between chemical resistant and waterproof PPE, how protection and chemical resistance varies, and how PPE can breakdown.
• Identify where on the pesticide label you can find required PPE.
• Identify ways you can protect skin, eyes, and your respiratory system from pesticide exposure.
• Describe how to maintain PPE.
• Identify where on the pesticide label you can find information about treating pesticide poisoning and when you should read it.
• Explain the general first aid steps in a pesticide exposure situation.
• Identify ways to administer first aid for skin, eye, inhalation, and oral pesticide exposure.
• Explain the effects of pesticides in the environment.
• Identify the pesticide characteristics affecting how a pesticide can move in the environment.
• Identify ways pesticides move in the environment.
• For the two special environmental concerns noted in the presentation, discuss how they can be affected by pesticides.
• Explain how surface water can become contaminated with pesticides and the factors that contribute to this.
• Explain how ground water can become contaminated with pesticides and the factors that contribute to this.
• Describe ways to prevent water contamination with pesticides.
• Explain what the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) does and who enforces it.
• Explain what a minimum-risk pesticide is.
• Know that a minimum-risk pesticide is exempt from federal and state registration.
• Identify the law in New York State that regulates the distribution, sale, use and transportation of pesticides.
• Understand that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is responsible for enforcing pesticide laws and regulations in New York State.
• Understand that New York State can be more restrictive with pesticide regulations than the federal government.
• Give examples of how New York State can be more restrictive in how a pesticide is used than the federal government.
• Identify where to locate what pesticides are currently registered in New York State and to view their approved labels.
• Identify unique pesticide requirements in New York State.
• Explain how to properly store a pesticide.
• Explain how to properly transport a pesticide.
• Explain how to handle a pesticide spill.
• Explain how to handle pesticide wastes.
• Define what a pesticide label is.
• Explain the role of the pesticide label.
• Using the information presented and a sample pesticide label, identify specific product, safety, health, environmental, and use directions.
• Identify the four times you should read the pesticide label and why.
• Explain the responsibilities for CCE educators and Master Gardener Volunteers when making pesticide recommendations.

 THINK:

• What is a pesticide?
• What are the risks to humans and the environment when using pesticides and how might I reduce those risks?
• What information might you need to know before using a pesticide and where would you find it?
• How might government agencies regulate pesticides?
• What is the purpose of a pesticide label?
• What type of information is on a pesticide label and why is it important?

READ/WATCH:

Work individually or in small groups to read the sample pesticide label and answer a few questions about the label. Everyone will come back together and discuss their findings.

• Generic Label Activity
• Label Reading Activity Instructions
• Spectracide Label Activity
• Spectracide Label
• Spectracide Label Activity- Answer Key

• Assess what you now know. Be motivated and empowered to share your knowledge with your peers and to learn more.

PRACTICE:

• Using different homeowner pesticide labels, read through them and answer the questions provided in class. See if you can identify similarities/differences between the labels.

LEARN MORE:

• National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) - http://npic.orst.edu
• Pesticide environmental stewardship – homeowner https://pesticidestewardship.org/homeowner
• Pest control and pesticide safety for consumers - https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol

Campus Links:

• Pesticide Management Education Program (PMEP) - psep.cce.cornell.edu

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