Backyard Gardener: Using pesticides safely in your garden
Pesticides have evolved over time and should always be handled with care. A scene we never want to see today – children improperly handling pesticides (lower left, John C. French Sr., Bugwood.org). Many people remember widespread use of DDT (top left, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org). Least toxic pesticides include Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (upper right, UC IPM). A typical insecticide label includes both common and chemical names for the active ingredients along with the signal word: CAUTION (lower right, Texas A & M Agrilife Extension). (Jeff Schalau/Courtesy)