Using Pesticides Safely at Home: Labels, Storage and Emergencies

You have decided a pesticide is the right next step, or you already have a bottle under the sink and want to use it without putting your family or pets at risk. Pesticides are designed to be toxic to the pests they target, and the same products can harm people, pets and the environment when they are misused. This guide shows you how to read the label, choose and apply a product carefully, store and dispose of it, and respond if something goes wrong.

First, make sure you need a pesticide

Pesticides often get used on a problem that was never a pest at all, or on the wrong pest. Identify the pest and fix the food, water and entry points it depends on before you buy anything. Our guide to integrated pest management walks through that decision, and our pest prevention plan covers the cleanup and sealing that solve many problems without any product.

How to read a pesticide label

The label is a legal document. Every pesticide registered or sold in the US must have one, and it is illegal to use a product in a way the label does not allow, including how much you apply and where. In short, the label is the law. Read the whole thing before you buy, again before you use the product, and once more before you store or throw it away.

Here is what to look for:

Check that your pest and your site (indoors, lawn, vegetable garden, pet bedding) are both listed. Do not trust the pictures on the package. A product labeled only for ornamental plants must not go on food crops.

Signal words

Signal words describe only short-term toxicity to people. They say nothing about long-term effects like cancer, and nothing about harm to bees, fish, wildlife or other non-target animals. Read the precautionary statements for that.

Choose the least-toxic option that works

• Start with the lowest-risk choice: baits in enclosed stations, insecticidal soaps and oils, and microbial products where they fit the pest.
• Pick ready-to-use products for small jobs so you do not have to mix anything.
• Treat spots, not rooms. Apply only where pests live and travel, like cracks, crevices and runways.
• Buy only what you need for the current problem so you are not storing leftovers for years.
• More is not better. Using more than the label allows will not kill pests faster. It wastes product and raises the risk to your family.

Some products are restricted to licensed applicators, and some problems, like termites, need products and equipment only professionals have. If that is your situation, see our guide on choosing a pest control company.

Apply it safely

• Wear protective gear. At a minimum: chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile, neoprene, butyl or rubber), eye protection, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed shoes. Add anything else the label lists. Skip cotton gloves and light dust masks, which can soak up liquid and hold it against your skin.
• Never use outdoor products indoors. Many outdoor products stay toxic longer inside.
• Keep children and pets away from treated areas for as long as the label says.
• Keep dedicated measuring tools marked for pesticide use only, stored away from the kitchen.
• Mix only what you will use at one time. Do not store diluted leftovers.

Never put a pesticide in a food or drink container. People, including children, have been poisoned and killed by drinking from a soda bottle that held a pesticide. Keep every product in its original labeled container.

Total release foggers (“bug bombs”)

Foggers carry their own risks: the propellant can catch fire, and the mist is harmful to breathe if you go back in too soon. Use them only when truly necessary. If you do:

• Use the right size and only one per room. Never use a fogger in a closet, cabinet or under a counter.
• Keep it at least six feet from flames, pilot lights and appliances that cycle on and off, like refrigerators and air conditioners. Most fogger propellants are flammable and can cause a fire or explosion.
• Get everyone out, including pets, and remove uncovered food, toys and pet dishes. Put a sign on the door.
• Stay out for the full time on the label, then open windows and doors to air the room out before going back in.
• Do not rely on a fogger for bed bugs. See our guide to bed bug treatment options instead.

Store pesticides safely

• Keep products in their original containers with the labels intact, tightly closed.
• Store them in a locked cabinet in a well-ventilated utility area, garage or shed, out of reach of children and pets. Child-resistant packaging is not childproof.
• Never store pesticides near food, animal feed or medicine.
• Keep flammable products outside the living area and away from furnaces, grills, cars and mowers.
• Avoid spots that flood, or where a leak could reach a drain, well or stream.

Dispose of leftovers the right way

• Follow the storage and disposal section of the label.
• Use it up according to the label, or give it in its original container to someone who will use it correctly.
• Take leftovers to a household hazardous waste collection. Many communities run one; check with your city or county.
• Never pour pesticides or rinse water down a sink, toilet, sewer or storm drain.
• Rinse empty containers as the label directs, then dispose of them as the label says. Never reuse them for anything else.

Protect pets, pollinators and water

• Pets: Keep them out of treated areas, store baits where they cannot reach them and cover or remove aquariums before any indoor treatment.
• Pollinators and beneficial insects: Some products that are low in toxicity to people are highly toxic to honey bees, parasitic wasps and earthworms. Read the label for bee warnings and follow them.
• Water: Do not apply before rain or irrigation, on windy days, or on driveways and sidewalks where runoff reaches storm drains. Never clean equipment where the rinse water can reach a waterway.

What to do after an accidental exposure

1. Call 911 for any emergency, such as someone who has collapsed or cannot breathe.
2. Call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. It connects you to your local poison center.
3. Follow the first aid section of the label while you wait, and have the product container with you when you call.
4. For pets with serious symptoms, go straight to a veterinarian or emergency animal hospital. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) and Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) also take calls, though both may charge a fee.

For questions that are not emergencies, like how risky a product is or how to clean up a small spill, call the National Pesticide Information Center at 800-858-7378.

Pesticide safety questions

Is a “natural” product automatically safe? No. Any product used to kill or repel pests is a pesticide, whatever its source. Read and follow the label on every one.

Can I use a yard insecticide inside the basement? Only if the label lists indoor use. Outdoor-only products must not be used indoors.

Can I pour a small amount of leftover spray down the drain? No. Use it up as the label directs or take it to a household hazardous waste collection.