Pesticides at Home, Explained Without the Jargon

Pesticides are designed to harm living things, and accidental poisonings, especially of young children, often happen with products stored or used carelessly at home.

Key takeaways

• The product label: is a legal document; use only as directed
• Storage: in the original container, locked up and out of children's reach
• Most useful single change: Remove food, water and shelter for pests: seal cracks, fix leaks and store food in sealed containers.
• Commonest mistake: Transferring pesticides into food or drink containers.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

The short answer

Products used in and around the home to kill or repel insects, rodents, weeds and other pests.

Where it fits

This is part of Environmental Health. The rest of this page works through the figures and then the practical side.

The numbers, in one place

What that means in practice

Put another way, here is what it asks of you:

• Remove food, water and shelter for pests: seal cracks, fix leaks and store food in sealed containers
• Read the whole label before buying and using a product
• Keep children and pets away from treated areas for as long as the label says
• Choose baits in child-resistant stations over sprays and foggers
• Wash hands after use and wash work clothes separately

What gets people into trouble

What to watch out for:

• Transferring pesticides into food or drink containers
• Using outdoor products indoors or more than the label directs
• Using illegal pesticides such as unlabeled "Chinese chalk" or products without an EPA registration number

Related topics

• What the Guidance Really Says About Poisoning Prevention at Home (Injury Prevention)
• Storing Medicines: What Published Guidance Supports (Medicines Safety)
• The Evidence on Safe Disposal of Medicines, Without the Hype (Substance Use and Recovery)
• The Evidence on Infection Prevention at Home, Without the Hype (Immunity)

Where to go next

• Starting Out With Pesticides at Home
• Your Questions About Pesticides at Home, Answered
• Pesticides at Home — the reference entry
• Environmental Health: The Complete Guide
• What the Guidance Really Says About Everyday Noise Exposure
• The Evidence on Sun and the UV Index, Without the Hype

When to speak to a doctor

See your doctor if you develop rash, eye irritation, headache or breathing problems after using a pesticide, and bring the label. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away for any swallowing, skin or eye exposure, and call 911 if someone has trouble breathing, a seizure or is unconscious.

Where this comes from

• EPA — Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety
• EPA — Read the Label First

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.