Dr. Stafford Tick Management Handbook - Newtown, CT

StaffordThe Connecticut Agricultural Experimentation Stationof pesticides or the application of restricted use materials in the area. There must be at least onecommercial supervisory pesticide applicator certi. ed in the type of application being made. InConnecticut, for example, a license for ornamental and turf application from the Department ofEnvironmental Protection is required for applying pesticides for tick control in the landscape. Sometree service companies (arborists) also treat for ticks. Although arborists are tested and licensed bythe state speci. cally for arboriculture services, they must also possess an ornamental and turf licenseto spray for ticks. Consumers should employ individuals who are licensed to spray for ticks andmay request to see the license or license number or check with the agency responsible for the statepesticide program to see if the . rms are properly registered and licensed. A commercial companyshould provide a consumer the name of the pesticide product to be used, the active ingredient in theproduct, the reentry period (the time before family members can safely reenter the treated area), andthe form of the pesticide and type of equipment to be used. In most states, companies are requiredto provide copies of the label and material safety data sheets (MSDS). With this information,additional information can be obtained over the Internet, from local Cooperative Extension of. ces,state agencies and pesticide alternative groups. Tips on hiring an applicator are available from EPA’sCitizen’s Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety (available at www.epa.gov). Some generalguidelines about a pesticide application that homeowners and commercial applicators should beaware of include:• Many states (including all New England states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) havenoti. cation laws that require customers or adjacent residents receive written notice prior toan urban pesticide application. Usually this noti. cation is provided only to those who requestit through a registry.• Pesticides should not be applied on windy days (greater than 10 mph) to avoid drift to nontargetareas.• Before the spraying, the windows and doors of the home should be closed.• Pesticides should be kept away from plants and play areas that you do not want treated. Mosttick control pesticides are for ornamental and turf use only and are not labeled for use onplants meant for human consumption. Most of these chemicals are toxic to bees and shouldnot be applied to areas with foraging bees.• Pesticides should not be applied near (within 25 feet) wetlands (i.e. lakes, reservoirs,rivers, streams, marshes, ponds, estuaries, and commercial . sh farm ponds) or near (within100 feet) coastal marshes or streams. Even organic pesticides are toxic to . sh and aquaticinvertebrates.• Family members and pets, especially cats, should be kept off the treated area for 12-24 hoursor other speci. ed reentry interval following the treatment (generally until a spray thoroughlydries).• Do not water the lawn after the application of a pesticide to avoid run off (there are a fewexceptions with some granular products which must be watered in). Do not apply within24 hours of rain to avoid run-off. Pesticides typically reach streams via run-off when rainshit a recently applied area or . ush treated soil or other matter into the water body. Once thepesticide has dried, however, some materials bind tightly to the soil or vegetation and do notreadily move or wash off. They will breakdown with exposure to sunlight and soil microbes.• Avoid pesticide applications near a wellhead. The shaft of the well should be tightly sealedand the well water source should be isolated from surface water source. Most acaricides usedfor tick control are water insoluble and pose little risk to wells by leaching through the soil,but direct exposure should be avoided.Bulletin No. 1010 67