“Pesticides make you sick.” September 2020
For many years beyond ‘Silent Spring’ we’ve heard pesticides make you sick. I am a Female Native Long Islander, a homeowner and a Former NYS Certified Applicator, 13 years. I heeded these warnings very seriously. Many applicators did. In the early eighties many forward thinking companies transitioned themselves from ‘traditional coverage’ to Integrated Pest Management. It was a very exciting period. Pesticide reduction was on the horizon, mainly due to owners and operators of arboricultural and landscaping firms who were taking the risk of changing their programs. Remember: Gypsy moth was still a huge problem. Homeowners knew dose as full coverage. “If you’re not going to spray everything, what am I paying you for?” Now we know better. Customers have been informed, not only by the firm that they’ve probably known for years, but by other sources. Those sources that informed us that “Pesticides make you sick”.
Networks, Coalitions, Campaigns, Initiatives et cetera have done an astounding job of informing the public regarding the deeds of their Professional Applicators. (This is the part I’ve always felt called for torches and crowds). The legislators heard the cries and went into action. Laws were put into place. Companies must: provide a contract , use approved wording in the contracts, provide labels and additional re-typing from parts of the labels, provide dates, post approved signs, mark the rig, et cetera, et cetera. Next up, The “Aesthetic Pesticide Ban Bill” ( NOTE: Homeowner use is exempt, Again). The world is now becoming a safer place......or is it?
I am a Long Island homeowner and I’ve had people knock on my door to collect $ and to inform me that “Pesticides are making me ill”. I’ve read the handouts. My God!! I’m (was) a Professional Applicator! I’m making myself sick as well as all my clients! Many of these people considered me a harbinger of spring or a protector of their largest investment. They enjoy me and I them! This can’t be!
I sat down at my desk, looked over to my pesticide label packet to find out the folly of my ways. Which NYS Registered Pesticide is it?! Is it the Diatomaceous Earth or the BT thurengiensis? Is it the Insecticidal Soap or the Refined Horticultural Oil? Maybe it’s the Crop Surround wax. I read the labels, corresponding MSDS sheets, BCERF information and more. I’ve refused requests from clients for harsher chemicals, have never ground injected pesticides and never purchased beyond a ‘Caution’ label. I promote soil health, beneficial organisms, and better cultural practices.
I read my neighborhood pamphlet again. I needed to choose ‘Organics’ or ‘Alternatives’. Organics: Hmmm. Never did like the adoption of the word ‘Organic’. It’s too confusing with too many interpretations and definitions. Gasoline, Strychnine, and Nicotine are organic, the last two were registered for use as pesticides in the past... Acephate is an Organic-Phosphate and one of the few registered pesticides that has an antidote on the label (acetylcholine). Commonly used by homeowners Acephate attacks the nervous system. It’s the same type of chemical Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery were disarming in ‘The Rock’. Glass beads filled with a ‘Cholinesterase inhibitor commonly found in pesticides’. See? Even the movies know ‘Pesticides make you sick.’ I’m getting dizzy, my heart is beating faster. I need to find the answer. I think I’ll move on to alternatives.
Alternatives to pesticides: Garlic Barrier or Cedar Oil. These are a confusing ones. They advertise use as a mosquito and pest repellant and has no EPA #. Can they be used by a Professional Applicator to repel mosquitoes and pests? If there’s no EPA # does it matter which DEC Applicators license is used, if any at all? I’ve sat in on the Professional Educational seminars to find out and I’ll admit I’m still confused.
I tried to keep up with the ever-morphing rules and regulations that restrict the pesticide trade. I read labels, explored new products and made choices. I also tried to keep in mind I was making everyone sick with my profession.
While posting my millionth lawn sign so I could apply Diatomaceous Earth to Hostas for crawling insect problems, a Homeowner next door is applying a systemic pesticide onto the ground. The same pesticide is showing up in the groundwater and is no longer available to the Certified Applicator. Across the street is a loving Dad who is spending time with his toddler son. They’re applying the second of four lawn application together. Matching shorts and sandals, both pushing the spreader, it’s a Norman Rockwell moment.
On that same day I am brought into the ‘orchid greenhouse’ by a very proud client. She is fiercely strict about the ecological balance of her grounds, yet the greenhouse chemical shelf has: (no joke) malathion, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, acephate, captan to name a few. I’m dizzy. I ...need ...air.
I go outside. I stopped for a moment. My blood pressure was raised. My heart was in my throat. I was nauseous. My mind was spinning. Organics, alternatives, networks and legislators, rumble-tumbles, ground water, Homeowner applications & Their Warehouses of Pesticides.........I thought I would have a heart attack.
Then it hit me........My epiphany. What am I doing and WHY am I doing it? Pesticides are making me sick!! The misinformation, the politics, the lobbies, the rules & regulations, hoops and hurdles, homeowner applications, etc.
I stepped back for a moment to get a breath. Pesticides made me sick. I’m afraid it’s true. I’ve decided to explore my options and imagine my life without offering pesticides...no more permits, registering, reporting..........And it’s true .........I’m feeling better already. After 13 years without the pesticides I HAVE found alternatives, improved landscapes, Increased Beneficial ANIMAL populations, many methods and approaches to a life without pesticides. Do I have all the answers to failing landscapes or plants? No, but I’m working on it. I’m happy to share ideas, just ask. Stay well and Happy.