Store Your Pesticides Safely

Matthew Schuster

Minidoka County Extension Educator

This is just a quick note to all of you who use pesticides to control weeds, diseases, and insects.

A new publication has been released by the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System called “Idaho Homeowner’s Commonsense Guide to Pesticides: Storing and Disposing of Home & Garden Pesticides.”

The publication first describes the storage of pesticides. Since pesticides are poisons, consider the accessibility to children or pets.

In addition, never store pesticides in anything but the original container. Store in cool, dry place that is ventilated. Never store them next to anything flammable.

Keep them in a locked room out of the reach of children, and away from food, feed, or clothing.

When it comes time to dispose of your pesticide read the label first. It provides specific information as how to dispose of the container and any pesticide that may be left over. Never pour unwanted pesticides down the drain, down storm sewers, on the ground, or down the toilet.

If you use all of the pesticide dispose of the container immediately. Don’t use them for any other purpose, don’t recycle them, and don’t bury or burn them.

Products like ready-to-use pesticides (ant baits or hose-end sprayers), flea and tick collars, or pressure treated wood can usually be thrown away with the trash (read the label to make sure).

And finally, don’t keep contaminated clothing, especially leather shoes. Pesticides often adsorb to the material, which results in exposure every time you wear them.