pesticide facts!

Acephate- Used for seed treatment, and can block enzymes in the nervous system, if the enzyme is blocked, the nervous system can't work properly, and it eventually fails. 

Beneficial insects – some examples are ants, bees, and spiders, when these pests get killed, the plants that are growing will have a harder time and less will grow successfully. 

Cancer/Carcinogen - A carcinogen is something that scientists believe can cause cancer. The chance that being exposed to a carcinogen will lead to cancer depends on many things, like the amount someone is exposed to, the length of time they were exposed to it, and how strong its effect is. 

DDT- a well-known pesticide that was initially used by the military in WW II to control malaria, typhus, body lice, and bubonic plague, but some animals ended up having birth defects when fed DDT 

Environment – Pesticides, if used correctly can help the environment, but usually it doesn’t because people tend to overuse them, causing ongoing harm to the environment. 

Ferric Phosphate -  When combined and formulated, the granules can kill slugs and snails when eaten. Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). However, if any animal eats too much iron, it can cause stomach upset and other problems.  

Glyphosate - It is applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses. The sodium salt form of glyphosate is used to regulate plant growth and ripen specific crops. 

Health and safety – Although pesticides may cause many long-term health issues, they also prevent the causation of some, especially diseases. 

Insecticides - pesticides that are formulated to kill, harm, repel or mitigate one or more species of insect. Some disrupt the nervous system, while others may damage their exoskeletons, repel them or control them by some other means.   

Japanese beetles - cause damage to ornamental, garden, and agricultural plants. They are invasive to the United States and are not found there naturally. They often find plants in nurseries, orchards, greenhouses, and field crops to feed upon. The beetles can cause serious damage to leaves, fruit, and flowers on almost 300 different plants.  

Kids and pesticides – When a kid, who’s nervous system is still developing, comes in contact with pesticides that are known to cause some nervous system damage, they are at a higher risk and shouldn’t come in contact with any pesticides if possible. 

Lambda-cyhalothrin - disrupt the normal functioning of the nervous system in an organism, which may cause paralysis or death, and temperature influences insect paralysis and the toxicity of this pesticide 

Malaria – A disease spread by mosquitos, and some cases were prevented by the use of DDT 

Natural pesticides – many of these are home remedies and may work, but they do not have labels, so they may become dangerous too. 

Organic foods - Organic foods are produced by farmers that do not use many of the conventional synthetic pesticides, and the NOP also regulates the harvest and handling of those foods as well as the organic claims on the product labels. 

Pyrethroids - manmade chemicals that are similar to the natural insecticides pyrethrins. 

Quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) - antimicrobial pesticides that control viruses, bacteria, and other germs on surfaces. They break open the membranes of bacteria and outer coatings of viruses. Breaking the membrane causes cell death, and the length of time it takes to kill germs depends on the quat and its concentration. 

Repellents - they can help reduce your risk of being bitten by insects and therefore reduce your risk of getting a disease carried by mosquitoes or ticks, but sometimes, it can be difficult to decide which product to use when you are planning to be outdoors.  

Safe uses - Some of the most important factors include selecting the appropriate product, and using that product according to the label directions. The label directions are written to minimize the risk of problems and to define the legal uses for the product. 

Testing for pesticides - When pesticides enter our environment, many things affect how long they will last and where they will go. Laboratory testing can be very expensive, and the results are often difficult to understand, and just because a pesticide is present in the environment or in the body does not mean there is a meaningful health risk. 

Unregistered pesticide products - Generally, a pesticide is any substance or mixture that is used to control or repel a pest. All pesticides must be registered by the EPA before they are sold in the United States, except "minimum risk pesticides." 

Vinegar – Also known as Acetic acid, is known for weed control. Many people choose it because it is natural but acetic acid can damage skin and eyes, especially at concentrations commonly found in weed killers. 

Water - Multiple federal and state agencies, including the EPA, work together to regulate pesticides and protect our waters. Pesticides can be beneficial for the control of pests like weeds and insects, but ALL pesticides have some level of toxicity to organisms that live in or drink water. 

eXtinction – Although few species have gone extinct due to pesticides, many of them have been close to it, for example the bald eagles from DDT. 

Yellow suits – HAZMAT SUITS!!!! Needing hazmat suits for spraying pesticides shows that they are not safe and therefore the people spraying them need lots of protection. 

Zinc phosphide - an inorganic compound that combines phosphorus with zinc and is used in rodenticide baits. When an animal eats the bait, the acid in the animal's stomach turns the zinc phosphide into phosphine, a very toxic gas. Phosphine is also released by aluminum phosphide and magnesium phosphide, used as fumigants in stored grain.