What is a pesticide? A pesticide is any substance used to reduce or eliminate pest damage or control pest populations. There are several groups of pesticides. Avicides, piscicides, and rodenticides control birds, fish, and rodents respectively. We will focus on insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides which are the most familiar pesticides to most homeowners.
Insecticides are used to control insects. Having knowledge of the most vulnerable stage of development in the insect’s life stages is important for targeting control. Also, confirming the insect’s identification is crucial because different insect types are controlled by different insecticides. When choosing a product, consider the effect the insecticide will have on other insects, birds, and pets. Some insect control has no effect on unintended targets and some are deadly.
Fungicides are used to inhibit or kill fungus growth. They are often used as a preventative. Proper timing of applications is of utmost importance to ensure efficacy. Make sure to read the label to ensure proper application timing and methods.
Probably the most well known pesticides are herbicides. Herbicides are used to control weeds. They can be classified into several categories including organic versus inorganic, systemic versus contact, and selective versus nonselective. In many cases, organic pesticides are no less dangerous or toxic than nonorganic pesticides. The word “organic” has many meanings. In regards to herbicides, the term organic herbicides refers to the origin being derived from natural occurring sources rather than synthetic. Systemic herbicides translocate throughout the plant while contact herbicides kill at the point of contact. Selective herbicides kill only plants in a specific family while nonselective herbicides will kill any type of plants it contacts. An herbicide can be in several categories. For instance, an inorganic, systemic, nonselective herbicide is a commonly used herbicide type. This type of herbicide will kill any plant it comes in contact with, it is synthetic, and it travels through the plant to kill at the root. These types of herbicides often take up to two weeks to show full effects.
When using pesticides make sure you are thoroughly reading the label. Use as directed! Use the correct pesticide for the correct pest. Using a higher dose than directed does not make the herbicide more effective. Actually, for systemic herbicides, mixing at a stronger dose can burn out the plant before the herbicide can translocate through it to the root. Also, using an insecticide that does not kill the insect you are attempting to target can kill beneficial insects and make your pest problem worse. Organic pesticides are not necessarily safe pesticides. Again, read the label. Read it before you buy the product, read it before you use the product, and read it before you store the product.