Last year we met with the pesticide producers for a wide-ranging chat about life and death. 

We agreed to work together to promote the safe use and disposal of garden pesticides (and I blogged about it at the time).

Now we have jointly produced a leaflet which you may see in a garden centre near you over the next few weeks. 

Here are the main points to keep in mind:

Ways to ensure safe use:

-       Do not buy more than you need

-       Read the label and use according to instructions

-       Check for any restrictions on use – ie near ponds, fish tanks etc

-       Use appropriate equipment to apply the chemical

-       Accurately measure the product. Do not make up more than you need

-       Only use on the area/plants where you identify a problem that needs tackling

-       Spray early morning or late evening when bees and other insects are less active

-       Spray in calm conditions, avoid spraying in strong sunshine and before or just after rain

-       Consider Ready to Use products which can be reused until empty and disposed of in household waste

Ways to ensure safe disposal:

-       Use up surplus spray solution by applying on the areas covered by the approved use

-       Never dispose of unwanted product, diluted product or rinsings in household drains or ditches

-       Rinse empty containers three times and use up rinsings by applying to the area you are treating. Containers can then be safely disposed of in household waste

-       Dispose of unused product in its container at a registered household waste site

 

 

  • I agree with Gill.  Good policy and practice in the garden is helpful but in the big scheme of things industry is pumping enormous amounts of chemicals onto the land and into our ecosystems.  I hate the use of the term Pesticide because it assumes that what they destroy must be pests.  It's no surprise we have less birds whilst we term their food as pests to be removed from the food-chain.

  • The problem is the pesticide industry will not endorse the best advice which is use pesticides as sparingly as possible and preferably not at all!  I have real reservations about conservation organisations working with these companies as I believe it can send the wrong messages.

  • A good set of guidelines Mark and very useful. I would also suggest, next time around, that words be added to the effect that pesticides which are more than, say, two years old should not be used and should be disposed of. I am sure many people have old and out of date pesticides stored in their sheds some of which it may even be illegal to use now. The technology moves on quite quickly in this area and the-up-to- date pesticides are normally much more benign now towards all the wildlife not being targeted than the out of date products.