Stormwater Best Management Practices:
Pesticide Application
The application of pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides and rodenticides to buildings and landscaped areas, has the potential to end up as pollutants in stormwater if not managed properly.
To minimize stormwater pollution from the mismanagement of pesticide applications, you can do the following:
- Determine how much and what types of pesticides are applied in your operation (including pest control as well as landscape operations).
- Facility managers should track pesticide applications by maintaining a pesticide application record.
If it is raining or about to rain or excessively windy, pesticide applications should be re-scheduled to avoid unnecessary runoff. - Storm drains in the immediate vicinity of pesticide application areas or drains that could potentially be impacted by runoff, must be covered during treatment.
- Preventive chemical applications should be minimized to reduce unnecessary treatments and to prevent environmental releases.
- The widespread use of dormant oils and herbicides on shrubs and trees should only be used in response to the existence of actual or anticipated pest outbreaks.
- Rodent burrows located along the banks of rivers and streams should not be chemically treated. Rodent trapping and removal of food sources is preferred.
- The application of termiticides must not be in an area near a well, stream or other water source. A preferred method of control is to use wooden stakes impregnated with toxicants as baits for termites as an alternative to soil treatment since significantly less chemical is used.
