The Wisconsin Gardener

If you're in the habit of using any of these products, be aware. So major changes are coming. This is Karen Delahaut, and she's the IPM outreach specialist for the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Karen, what's changing? What's going to happen to these? >> Well, Shelley, all of these products contain the insecticide chlorpyrifos, which is commonly know a Lorsban or Dursban. Recently the EPA has canceled the use of chlorpyrifos. >> Who is most likely to be using these products? >> Everybody uses these products. On the commercial scale, apple growers use it, commercial vegetable growers us it to control cabbage and onion maggots. Corn growers use it for corn root worm control. Structural pest control people use it for termite control and for carpenter ants. We've got an example of carpenter ant damage right here. >> Is that these deep gauges? >> Yeah, those little ants. >> Wow! I can see wanting to have something to control those then. >> And there really isn't an effective alternative to Dursban for carpenter ant or termite control. >> Wow. What about in my own back yard, can I use it? >> In your own back yard, sure you can use it, as wasp and hornet sprays. You can also use it on turf to control insects such as sod webworm, cutworm, armyworm. And for trees and shrub, using it to control borer insects, such as bronze birch borer, linden borer, ash borer and viburnum borer. >> I know birch borer can be a problem. That's more in the south part of Wisconsin though, right? >> Yes. Birch borer actually can occur anywhere in Wisconsin, but in the southern part of the state trees are just a little bit outside of their native range and they're stressed more. It's the stressed plant that attracts the birch borer. So it really sounds like this is everywhere. Everyone could be using this for a number of insects. >> That's correct. >> Then why is it being banned? >> It's being banned for health reasons. Chlorpyrifos is a type of insecticide called an organophosphate, and organophosphates kill insects because they're nerve toxins, or nerve poisons. However, because insects are technically animals, this same effect then can happen to other animals,including humans. >> Okay, so I think I'd be worried about my pets too, and kids. >> Yes, you need to be worried about pets and kids as well. It's probably most serious implications would be for pregnant women or children, because of the developing nervous system. With children, they're going to be exposed to a lot of it just being in landscape areas, parks and yards and things like that. >> Ban means it's going to vanish immediately? Or what's going to happen? >> No, actually, it hasn't been banned. It's been canceled. >> There's a difference? >> Yes, there is a difference. Ban means it's prohibited for use, whereas canceled means that you can continue to use what you have in your garage if you want to. >> But we won't be able to buy it soon? >> Right. After next year, you won't be able to buy it, but you can continue to use what you have as long as you use it according to the label directions on the container you own. >> But it sounds like if it's being canceled for health reasons, I really don't want to be using it. >> Well, that's your choice. There really aren't any alternative for borer control, and you may choose to continue to use it just for that. If you don't feel comfortable, you can dispose of it. >> How do I do that safely? >> Don't dump it down the drain or the storm sewer, Shelley. Take it to your local Clean Sweep site and they'll take care of it for you. >> Okay, what do I do instead for the insect pests I have? >> Start an IPM plan for the home and that will work great for insects as well as diseases. With the IPM plan, do things like rotating crops in the vegetable garden so you're not planting the same thing in the same place all the time. Also, sanitation is good. Get rid of those infected or infested plant parts at the end of the season, so they don't have stuff to spread next year. And more importantly, when you're designing a landscape and just starting out, put the right plant in the right place. >> Don't put the full sun plant in the dense shade. >> Correct! >> Some basic good gardening techniques, whish is really what IPM, integrated pest management, is. >> Yes. >> Okay, some good advice. Thanks Karen. Remember, there are some other pesticides out there that work on these insects, however they are also being looked at very closely by the EPA.