Bottom Line: Pesticides are rarely, if ever, needed in home gardens. Most of the bugs in our garden help it grow! The pests we need to keep in check can be controlled using targeted and alternative methods.

Lawn Pesticides are rarely, if ever, needed for home lawns. Chemicals in them are linked to adverse long-term health effects. In particular weed and feed type products, which mix fertilizers with pesticides, result in unnecessary pesticide use.

Less than 2% of the insects you encounter in the garden will be pests. The vast majority of insects in your yard are not harmful - they're either beneficial or neutral. In the interest in keeping them alive, take a targeted, selective approach to dealing with the insects that are pests. Spiders, bees, ladybugs, and dragonflies are good examples of bugs that we want in our garden, along with many others, they help your garden grow!

Common outdoor insect pests including aphids, mosquitoes, snails & slugs, and yellow jackets can be controlled using integrated pest management (IPM) practices. IPM is a strategy that emphasizes less-toxic control solutions that cause the least environmental damage; keeping pests at acceptable, low-levels.

Take Action:

• Find your local forecast. If rain is coming do not use pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizer.
• Find less toxic pest control products at Ace Shoreview Hardware and Home Depot in San Mateo.
• Download Bay Friendly gardening guides.

For more information about disposal, call the County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Hotline at (650) 3634718 or visit them on the web at http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us

All above information gathered from the San Mateo County Wide Water Pollution Prevention website: http://flowstobay.org.