MD Pesticide Applicator cheat sheet

Signal words by acute oral LD50 (mg/kg): DANGER plus skull and crossbones at 50 or below; DANGER at 50-500 for severe eye/skin effects; WARNING at 50-500 oral; CAUTION above 500 up to 5000; no signal word above 5000.

FIFRA is the federal law that requires every pesticide sold in the U.S. to be registered by EPA and used in a manner consistent with its labeling; the label is legally binding and a use inconsistent with labeling is a violation.

A Section 2(ee) recommendation permits a use at less than the labeled rate, or against a pest not listed on the label, only when the treated site, crop, or commodity already appears on the label.

Private applicators must keep records of restricted-use pesticide applications for a minimum of 2 years, including date, product, EPA registration number, rate, site, crop, acreage, and applicator name.

Sprayer calibration: GPA = (ounces collected per nozzle divided by 128) multiplied by (43,560 divided by the square feet covered by that nozzle); 43,560 sq ft = 1 acre, and 43.56 sq ft = 1/1000 acre.

Product needed = (labeled rate per acre x acres treated) divided by the concentration of active ingredient in the formulation being used.

Droplets smaller than about 150-200 microns are the main source of particle drift; coarser droplets, lower pressure, larger nozzle orifices, and drift-reduction tips reduce off-target movement.

Vapor drift results from high-volatility formulations or high temperatures and inversions; ester formulations, high air temperatures, and low relative humidity increase the risk.

Container rinsing: triple rinse by filling each container about one-quarter full with water, capping, agitating or rinsing at least 30 seconds, and adding the rinsate to the spray tank; containers then go to a pesticide container recycling program or landfill permitted for that purpose.

The economic threshold is the pest population at which the value of crop loss prevented equals the cost of treatment; at or above that level control is economically justified.

The preharvest interval (PHI) is the minimum number of days between the last application and harvest; harvesting before the PHI is a label violation and can leave illegal residues.

Resistance management requires rotating among mode-of-action groups identified by WSSA (herbicides), IRAC (insecticides), and FRAC (fungicides) codes, and limiting repeat applications of the same group.

Herbicide carryover injury appears when a soil-residual product persists into a sensitive rotational crop; follow labeled recropping intervals and confirm suspected soils with a bioassay before planting.

Protect pollinators by applying when the crop is not in bloom or after bee foraging hours, and by following label pollinator-protection statements and any state apiary notification requirement.

Scouting at regular intervals with sweep nets, beat sheets, or visual counts detects pests before populations cross the economic threshold and allows spot rather than whole-field treatment.

Granular soil insecticides must be incorporated, banded, or otherwise placed as the label directs; granules left on the soil surface are off-label and can be carried to water by runoff.

Treated seed is never to be used for food, feed, or oil; it must be colored, labeled as treated, stored separately, and disposed of according to the label.

Turf calibration uses a measured area of 1/1000 acre (43.56 sq ft); the ounces collected in that area equal gallons per 1000 sq ft, and multiplying by 43.56 converts to gallons per acre.

Preemergent crabgrass control is timed to soil temperatures of 50-55 degrees F at 2-inch depth for 3 to 5 consecutive days, often cued by forsythia full bloom; prodiamine and pendimethalin must be applied before germination.

Postemergent weed control works best on actively growing weeds at air temperatures of roughly 65-85 degrees F and with adequate soil moisture; treating drought-stressed or heat-stressed weeds reduces control and increases turf injury.

Phytotoxicity risk on turf and ornamentals rises above about 85-90 degrees F, with high humidity, on wet foliage, or when oils and surfactants are added to an already sensitive treatment.

Read the plant-back interval before replanting ornamentals into soil treated with a residual herbicide; some products require months before sensitive species can be installed.

Tree and shrub treatments can be applied as foliar, basal bark, soil drench, or trunk injection; soil drench and trunk injection rates are often stated per inch of trunk diameter at breast height.

Damping-off and root rot in nursery stock are managed by avoiding overwatering, improving drainage and media porosity, using clean containers, and sanitizing benches and tools.

Adjuvants such as surfactants can remove the waxy cuticle of ornamental foliage; add them only when the label for that specific ornamental use permits.

Bareground programs combine a residual preemergent herbicide with a postemergent product; residuals control germinating weeds while the postemergent component controls established vegetation.

Woody brush is most effectively controlled by late summer to early fall applications, when carbohydrates are moving toward the roots and the herbicide is translocated downward.

Basal bark treatment applies an oil-carrier herbicide to the lower 12-18 inches of the trunk; it works best on stems under about 6 inches in diameter and when bark is dry and not frozen.

Cut-stump treatment requires applying herbicide to the freshly cut cambial surface immediately after felling, because the vascular tissue seals and uptake drops sharply within minutes to hours.

Use low-volatility formulations and avoid application during temperature inversions or when wind exceeds label limits; drift onto crops, water, or sensitive plants creates both injury and liability.

A written right-of-way vegetation management plan maps sensitive areas such as schools, hospitals, wells, apiaries, and water bodies, and specifies buffer widths and alternate methods.

Plant growth regulators such as metsulfuron and other low-rate products reduce height and mowing frequency while maintaining a grass cover that resists erosion.

Maintain untreated buffer strips along ditches and streams to keep herbicides out of surface water, and confirm that any product applied near water is labeled for aquatic use.

Use only products whose labels specifically list the aquatic site (pond, lake, ditch, canal); standard agricultural formulations and adjuvants are not legal substitutes for aquatic-labeled products.

Federal law requires an NPDES permit for pesticide applications to waters of the United States; in Maryland this is handled through a general permit administered by the Maryland Department of the Environment with required notification.

Prevent dissolved oxygen crashes by treating no more than about one-third of the vegetated area at one time and waiting for decomposition before treating the next section.

Correctly identify the target plant as emergent, floating-leaved, submersed, or algae; copper products are algicides, while 2,4-D, diquat, fluridone, and glyphosate formulations have distinct labeled spectrums.

Copper toxicity to fish and invertebrates increases in soft, low-alkalinity water; check label restrictions on hardness and alkalinity before treating.

Observe label setback distances from water intakes, potable water supplies, and irrigation diversions, and honor labeled irrigation or livestock watering restrictions after treatment.

Time treatments to the plant's susceptible growth stage; treatments made during active growth or before seed set are generally more effective than dormant-season applications.

Keep application records that include the water body, acreage treated, product, rate, and date, because NPDES and state reporting requirements apply to aquatic applications.

Integrated mosquito management ranks source reduction first, then larviciding, then adulticiding only when surveillance counts exceed a predetermined action threshold.

Ultra-low-volume adulticide droplets in the roughly 10-30 micron range stay airborne long enough to contact flying mosquitoes; applications are made at dawn or dusk with light wind.

Larvicides include Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, methoprene, and temephos; rotating modes of action delays resistance in treated populations.

Surveillance tools include CDC light traps, gravid traps, landing-rate counts, and larval dipping; trap counts identify which species are present and when to treat.

Protect honey bees and other pollinators by notifying registered beekeepers before adulticide applications and by avoiding applications to blooming plants during foraging hours.

Anticoagulant rodenticides pose secondary poisoning risk to raptors and pets; use tamper-resistant bait stations, secure baits from children and non-target animals, and remove carcasses.

Tick control emphasizes treating vegetation and harborage used by hosts, keeping grass mowed, and using labeled repellents or permethrin-treated clothing for personal protection.

Application methods defined by labeling include crack and crevice, void, spot, broadcast, and perimeter; the label specifies which method and what rate is permitted at each site.

Termiticide soil treatment uses labeled dilution and volume, commonly about 4 gallons of finished solution per 10 linear feet per foot of depth in a trench, plus rodding or vertical barriers.

In food-handling and food-storage areas use crack-and-crevice, void, or bait placements rather than broadcast sprays, and never allow product to contact food, utensils, or food-contact surfaces.

German cockroach control relies on gel baits, bait stations, and insect growth regulators; repeated use of a single bait matrix can produce bait aversion, so rotate matrices and actives.

Rodent management begins with exclusion and sanitation, then uses snap traps or secured bait stations; glue boards and snap traps are preferred where rodenticides cannot be secured.

Ant and cockroach control is improved by species identification and by treating nesting sites and trails rather than applying repellent perimeter sprays that cause budding or scattering.

Monitoring with sticky traps and pheromone traps documents population trends, verifies that treatments worked, and supports an integrated pest management program.

Post-application notification and re-entry requirements for occupants of schools, hospitals, and multi-unit housing are label and state requirements, not optional courtesy steps.

Pressure treatment is specified by AWPA standards, which set the preservative retention in pounds per cubic foot and the required penetration depth for each hazard or use category.

Preservatives include CCA, ACQ, borates, creosote, and pentachlorophenol; CCA, creosote, and pentachlorophenol are restricted-use and are not for residential interior use.

Borates are effective against insects and decay fungi but leach in wet or ground-contact service, so they are limited to protected, above-ground, interior applications.

Ground-contact service requires a higher retention than above-ground use; check the end tag to confirm the wood is rated for soil contact before installation.

Field cuts, notches, and drilled holes expose untreated wood and must be brushed with copper naphthenate or another labeled field treatment before installation.

Decay fungi and wood-destroying insects require moisture; wood kept below about 20 percent moisture content and away from soil contact resists decay and termite attack.

Treated wood scrap is not burned in stoves, fireplaces, or boilers; dispose of it by ordinary trash collection or a permitted landfill according to the label and state rules.

Fumigants are gases that must be held inside a sealed enclosure; tarpaulins, tape, sand snakes, and sealing of openings are essential to maintain a lethal concentration.

Efficacy depends on the product of concentration and exposure time (CT); monitoring gas concentration during the exposure period is required by most fumigation labels.

A Fumigation Management Plan is required for structural fumigations and must document the site, sealing method, dosage, monitoring, aeration, and clearance procedures.

Post the fumigation site with warning signs at all entrances, secure the structure, and never enter a fumigated space alone or without the respiratory protection and monitoring specified by the label.

Phosphine reacts with moisture in grain or air to release the gas, is corrosive to copper and other metals, and can produce delayed toxicity, so re-entry is restricted until aeration is complete.

Sulfuryl fluoride is an odorless structural fumigant; because it has no warning properties, monitoring devices and strict posting and clearance procedures are essential.

Methyl bromide is a restricted-use fumigant with buffer zones, notification requirements, and certification and training obligations that apply before any application.

Clearance must be documented with monitoring equipment before occupants, workers, or animals are allowed back into a fumigated structure.

Do not make aerial applications during a temperature inversion or when wind exceeds the label limit, typically 10 mph; use drift-reduction nozzles and the labeled aerial rate and droplet size.

Aerial swath width and displacement must be adjusted for wind and aircraft height; GPS and automatic flow control improve accuracy and are required documentation tools for many operations.

Aerial applicators must hold the proper certification and follow label statements specific to aerial application, including any buffer zones and downwind sensitive-area restrictions.

Treated seed must be colored to distinguish it from food or feed, labeled as treated, and never used for human food, animal feed, or oil.

Pneumatic planters can release insecticide-laden dust that drifts onto blooming plants; follow label dust-reduction measures such as using appropriate seed lubricant and avoiding planting when bees are foraging.

On-farm hopper-box and seed-treating applications must follow the labeled rate for the specific crop and seed size, and some seed-treatment products are restricted-use and require certification.

Clean seed tenders, augers, and planters between seed lots to avoid carrying treated seed into untreated fields or mixing varieties and treatment levels.