An eye opener - Suburban vs. agricultural pesticide use

When we think of pesticides, we often think of industrial-grade agricultural pesticides. We think: "They use so much pesticide for farming. Personal or suburban pesticide usage must be lower, right? Right?"

Wrong.

According to a historical National Research Council study, suburban lawns and gardens receive more pesticide applications per acre (3.2-9.8 lbs per acre on average) than agriculture (2.7 lbs per acre on average).(1) That's over 3.5 times the amount!

Definitely a sobering thought. Consider your family, your pets, your environment and your lawn this lawn care season. Make the right choice: go pesticide-free.

Source
1. National Research Council. 1980. Urban Pest Management. National Academy of Sciences; Abrams, R. Attorney General of New York. 1991. "Toxic fairways: Risking groundwater contamination from pesticides on Long Island golf courses," Environmental Protection Bureau; Pimentel, D., et. al. 1991. "Environmental and economic impacts of reducing US agricultural pesticide use." Handbook of Pest Management in Agriculture, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Florida, p.679.