PESTICIDES, HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Beneficial insects and wild life
All parasites and predators are considered beneficial where one or more of their life stages prey on other insects. Many insects are commercially available abroad for the biological controls of pests. Insects and animal life that are of great importance in gardens include: parasitic and predatory wasps; flies including tachinid, bee and hover; predatory stinkbugs including assassin bugs; ground beetles; mantids, ladybirds, frogs and toads; dragonflies, damselflies and many other aquatic species; lizards including skinks, agamas and chameleons; various snake species; birds; predatory nematodes; decomposers including earthworms, dung and darkling beetles.
Visit the website of Biobest in Belgium at: www.biobest.be to view images of the many beneficial organisms used in Europe to combat pests.
Information regarding these wonderful creatures can be found in
“The Garden Guardian’s guide to environmentally-responsible garden care “
Information on various biological controls for use in integrated crop management to control problem pests can be found on the Syngenta Bioline website. Visit www.syngenta-bioline.co.uk/ICM.htm to experience the world of beneficial insect predators and parasites used commercially in greenhouse and field crop production.
Pesticides: health and environment This section will become an important part of updating gardeners on the developments regarding withdrawal, restriction or even banning of pesticides.
For information regarding the list of products with unsupportive data withdrawn under review by the European Union, visit the publication site of:
Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD)
 www.pesticides.gov.uk/publications
Websites containing information regarding health and environmental concerns of the wide use of organophosphates and various other pesticides:
Organophosphate pesticides review:
cfpub.epa.gov
Chlorpyrifos fact sheet:
www.epa.gov/REDs/factsheets/chlorpyrifos
Most small home garden pack size chlorpyrifos and various other organophosphate formulations have been voluntarily withdrawn by their suppliers from the shelves for use in the South African home garden since March 2009. This clearly shows that suppliers have become more environmentally-conscious and that South Africa is following the trends set in the European Union, United States and other countries.
EPA information regarding carcinogenic pesticides:
www.epa.gov/pesticides/carlist
EPA information regarding carcinogenic pesticides:
www.epa.gov/pesticides/carlist
EPA chemical pesticide product fact sheets:
www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemical
www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/alpha (alphabetical order)
EPA product fact sheets regarding biopesticides:
www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients
EPA product fact sheets regarding new active ingredients:
www.epa.gov/opprd001/factsheets
EPA product fact sheets regarding new active ingredients:
www.epa.gov/opprd001/factsheets
Human health and wildlife relevant data on endocrine disruption:
European Commission Endocrine Disrupters website :
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/endocrine/strategy/substances_en.htm
If you have questions regarding the possible negative effects of pesticides on your health and environment, please send an e-mail to:
johangerber@nashuaisp.co.za
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