Nobody wants to share their home or garden with pests like mosquitos, cockroaches, aphids, or rodents, but using chemical pesticides to manage them often has unknown and unintended consequences. Though approved for use in your home or garden, if careful instructions for use and disposal are not followed, they can cause harm to people, pets, beneficial garden insects such as bees and ladybugs, beneficial soil organisms such as earthworms, and aquatic life in our oceans and waterways. Rain can also transport harmful chemical pesticides directly into our local water supply through local storm drain systems. 

The good news: There are many effective and sustainable techniques that skip the chemical pesticides. 

Step 1: Prevents pests

Preventing pests in the first place will save you the time and money it costs to be rid of them later. Pests need access to food, water, and shelter just like us, so eliminating those sources in your home and garden will help keep the pests away. 

• Remove sources of food.
• Seal openings, cracks, and crevices to prevent access to your home.
• Prevent water from accumulating. Mosquitos only need a tablespoon of water to breed. Check these common areas after a rain: old tires, buckets, watering cans, tarps, potted plant saucers, barrels and bins, grills, bird baths, artificial ponds and fountains, and more.
• Native and climate appropriate plants are often resistant to pests, disease, and fungus. 
• Choose plants that attract beneficial insects that will prey on pests. For example, ladybugs eat aphids, orb weaver spiders, often found in gardens, eat mosquitos, and praying mantises eat just about everything, including aphids, flies, and slugs. Note: choosing the right plants to naturally attract beneficial insects is preferable to purchasing and releasing these insects. Insects purchased from stores or online are often non-native species and can be harmful to native insects. Read more about this method here. 

Step 2: Remove pests sustainably

If pests do make themselves present in your home or garden, you can remove them without chemical pesticides. Apply physical or mechanical removal techniques such as the use of force, barriers, or traps. Hose insects off of plants, apply mulch to kill weeds, and use sticky traps for insects like ants. Read more about controlling ants here. 

Last resort: proper use and disposal of pesticides 

If chemical pesticides become necessary, make sure to use and dispose of them properly. Always read the instructions and warnings on the label, and follow the tips below. 

• Choose the least toxic product available. Learn more here. 
• Choose a USEPA registered product. 
• Do not apply pesticides the day before watering or irrigating your garden or within 24 hours of expected rain. 
• Spot treat where needed instead of over applying pesticides to a large area. 
• When the product is empty, rinse with water and re-use the water as you normally would use the product. Once completely emptied, dispose properly. Pesticides are considered a household hazardous waste. Have your hazardous waste collected at your door or find a drop off site here. 

Learn more about sustainable pest management from South Bay Cities Council of Governments.