CREATING A PESTICIDE-FREE LANDSCAPE
		Every time you douse your lawn with pesticides, you may be poisoning birds, wildlife, and possibly even yourself. Each year Americans pour 67 million pounds of pesticides on their lawns and gardens. This is three times more per acre than the amount that the average farmer applies! According to the EPA's wildlife mortality incident database, three of the commonly used pesticides for home use kill thousands of birds every year. Aside from the chemicals acting as a poison to the birds, the insects that pesticides kill supply a major food source for many birds. So what should you do? Your best defense against pests and weeds is to plant strong native trees, shrubs, and grasses. This will minimize the need for pesticides. In addition there are other, safer methods to protect your yard. First and foremost, avoid the following pesticides:
Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) – One of the most commonly used pesticides in the US, CHLORPYRIFOS IS BEING PHASED OUT FOR ITS HOME AND LAWN USES. This is good news for wildlife. This pesticide has been implicated in over 200 wildlife incidents documented in the EPA’s Ecological Incident Information System (EIIS) database. Aquatic organisms like fish and crayfish, birds (including Red-tailed Hawks, American Robins and Boat-tailed Grackles) and important pollinators such as bees have all been poisoned by this pesticide. If you are purchasing any new pesticide products, take a look at the active ingredients and avoid buying product using Chlorpyrifos (under the agreement companies are allowed to sell their stock of products for these uses until 12/31/2000). Diazinon Reregistration -Diazinon is another pesticide commonly employed around the home; over 6 million pounds of it are used in the US each year. Diazinon is highly toxic to birds, mammals, beneficial insects, and aquatic and marine organisms. The US Fish and Wildlife Service in its comments on the re-registration of diazinon stated “the Service is extremely concerned about the continued exposure and effects of diazinon on birds. Bird kills have been documented and associated with legal use according to label application rates.” In other words, DIAZINON KILLS BIRDS WHEN USED AS DIRECTED. PLEASE CONSIDER THE EXTREME TOXICITY OF DIAZINON TO BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE BEFORE USING IT AROUND THE HOME OR ON YOUR LAWN. Most importantly, make sure the pests you think you are treating for (like turf grubs) are actually present (See previous section on detecting pests). More environmentally friendly alternatives to diazinon include milky spore disease (for Japanese Beetle grubs), commercially available nematodes (worms that infect grubs), or less toxic pesticides like Imidacloprid (Merit) or halfenozide (Grub-B-Gone). To find out when the EPA’s final recommendations on the re-registration of Diazinon will be available for public comment please check the BirdCast site, or the Toronto Environment Alliance and the Organic Landscape Alliance site. Systemic Pesticides – Systemic pesticides are designed to be taken up by the plant and incorporated into its tissues. Some of these, such as such as Dimethoate, may be incorporated into berries and can poison the birds which consume them in the fall and winter. DO NOT USE SYSTEMICS ON TREES AND SHRUBS THAT PRODUCE BERRIES. Rely on alternatives like insecticidal soaps and superior oils. 10 Steps for Responsible Pesticide Use