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Criteria for Least-Toxic
Pest Control Options
Least-Toxic
Options - Use with Justification --------------------------------------------------------------------
When a pest problem has been accurately diagnosed and has reached
unacceptable levels, taking action may be justified. The
following criteria have been used to identify pest control
options least likely to have negative side effects:
-
Non-chemical options. These include
mechanical devices that kill or capture pests, or prevent
access. Insect traps, fly swatters, door sweeps, sealing caulk,
copper mesh, quality as non-chemical options..
-
Pesticides with low toxicity to
humans and other animals. These pesticides have a CAUTION signal word on the pesticide label. Pesticides labeled
DANGER, WARNING or “Restricted Use” do not qualify.
If a pesticide is exempt from EPA registration (under 40 CFR 152.25), it must meet the criteria for a
CAUTION label as determined by MSDS and other manufacturer data.
If a pesticide is a dust,
powder
or aerosol, it must be used in a way that reduces inhalation
hazard, for example, applied to cracks or crevices sealed after the
application, or as a directed spray into the entrance of an
insect nest.
Pesticides may not include inert or active ingredients that are:
-
Nervous system toxicants such as cholinesterase inhibitors or neurotoxins on the Toxics Release
Inventory published by US EPA; or
-
Classified as possible,
suspected, known, likely or probable carcinogens or reproductive toxins according to the State of California EPA List of Chemicals Known to Cause Cancer or Reproductive
Toxicity,
US EPA List of Chemicals Evaluated for Carcinogenic
Potential or the International Agency for Research on
Cancer; or
-
Classified
as known endocrine disruptors according to the State of Illinois EPA
or other authority; or
-
Included on US EPA’s List 1 or 2: Inerts of Toxicological Concern or Potentially Toxic Inert Ingredients.
In addition, any pesticides meeting the following criteria are prohibited for use outdoors:
-
Label precautionary statements including “toxic” or “extremely toxic” to bees, birds, fish,
aquatic invertebrates, wildlife or other non-target
organisms, unless these organisms are the target pest.
-
Pesticides may not include ingredients with moderate or high mobility in soil, according to the Groundwater Ubiquity Score (GUS), or with a soil half-life of
30 days or more (except for mineral products).
Finally, products should be effective for the use(s) indicated on the product label, if applied according to the instructions provided; and be used in a manner consistent with practices that preserve natural enemies and delay pest development of resistance to the product.
NOTE: Product evaluations do not generally consider the presence of contaminants or impurities in active or inert ingredients or in formulated products. While we are aware that some products do contain contaminants that would fail our screening criteria, it is generally not possible to obtain such information reliably and uniformly for all products. Since we do not wish to penalize manufacturers who disclose such information, we have decided to disregard this information unless the US EPA or other authority has indicated that a particular contaminant occurs in a well-defined product or group of products and poses significant concerns, (e.g. hexachlorobenzene contamination in pentachlorophenol).
Use with
Restrictions ---------------------------------------------------------------------
In
some cases, least-toxic options may not be adequate to resolve an
unacceptable pest problem. For those situations, we have
identified options which do not meet our criteria for least toxic
but where the potential for harm can be
reduced by taking specific precautions.
Other Options ----------------------------------------------------------------
There are many products on
the market that do not meet our criteria for least toxic. Look for
least-toxic options as alternatives to these products..
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