Clint Perkins

Have you ever:

— Sprayed your tomatoes for bugs, only to find that the spray you used wasn’t supposed to be used on vegetables?

— Wiped out your lawn along with the weeds figuring that, if some lawn treatment was good, more would be better?

— Sprayed your pasture with a weed killer labeled for turfgrass only?

— Made a second trip to the store because the product you bought the first time turned out not to be right for the job?

— Put something in your pond to kill pond weeds and killed all your fish?

— Fertilized your lawn with weed-and-feed fertilizer and then had a tree show symptoms of herbicide damage?

If you’ve ever “been there, done that,” you already know that reading the label first can save you time, trouble and money.

In my career as an agricultural Extension agent, I have seen all of the above situations. Nearly every time it led to an unhappy producer. It is hard to tell someone that they cannot eat the bounty of their vegetable garden because they used a product that is not cleared for use on vegetables. In the past 15 years, I have seen trees and shrubs that have died from an application of a weed-and-feed fertilizer or edging around trees with the wrong herbicide.

Not reading and following labels and improper mixing, are two major complaints that state regulatory agencies deal with. Probably No. 1 is label violations. This includes the use of a product on plants or sites no longer supported by the label or not following label instructions. For example, the labels for many pesticides have been changed over the past four to five years as a result of the EPA’s reregistration program. Consequently, many uses for products, such as diazinon and lorsban, have been eliminated. Some applicators may continue to buy and use products on plants or sites that are no longer on the label. Reading the label before you buy and use a pesticide is imperative.

Improper tank mixing of different pesticides: Read compatibility statements and other directions carefully. Problems here can be due to prohibited tank mixes that cause interactions. There can be plant reactions from combinations of certain classes of pesticides that are applied days, or even weeks, apart.

Read the pesticide label and follow its directions exactly. You may only use the pesticide on sites or crops listed on the label. For instance, the pesticide label will tell you if you may use the pesticide inside your home. If you are treating a vegetable garden, be sure the label says you can use the pesticide on your garden crop. Also, many turf and ornamental pesticides may not be used on food plants. The label may tell you what plants should not be treated because of the chance of injuring the plant, or under what conditions you may, or may not, apply the pesticide.

The pesticide label also tells you about special precautions you must take when you use the pesticide. These include keeping other people, and especially children, away from the area where the pesticide is being applied. It will also include statements warning about not contaminating foods, feeds and water; not applying pesticides when it is windy; or not allowing the pesticide to drift or run off.

The pesticide label will contain a signal word that will tell you how toxic the product is to humans. There are three signal words: “CAUTION,” “WARNING” or “DANGER.” Signal words will usually be in capital letters. Least toxic products carry the signal word CAUTION. Products with the signal word WARNING on the label are more toxic. The most toxic pesticides have the signal word DANGER on their labels.

The pesticide label contains other information to protect you from exposure. It lists personal protective clothing and equipment that you must wear when mixing and applying pesticides. The label will also tell you how long you must wait until you can re-enter a treated area, or how long you must wait to harvest food plants after an application. It provides first aid information under a section called “Statement of Practical Treatment” or “First Aid.” Read the label and know what to do, and what not to do, in an emergency, before you need to. The label also has telephone numbers to call in case of an exposure or a spill.

The pesticide label will tell you what amount to use for different target sites. Never use more than the label says. Using more pesticide than the label says exposes you to more pesticide, can injure plants or damage treated surfaces, can harm non-target organisms, such as beneficial insects and can leave illegal residues on food plants.

The pesticide label will also tell you how to store the product safely, and how to dispose of the empty container or unused pesticide properly.

Pesticides are toxic, but they can be used safely and without detrimental effects to humans or to the environment when used according to label directions. If you have any further questions, please contact the Smith County Extension Office, 1517 W. Front St. in Tyler, or call 903-590-2980.