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An eye-opening reminder about dangerous pesticides

Be careful around garden chemicals; important safety tips to remember

Illustration of pesticide exposure
(Illustration courtesy UC Integrated Pest Management, Pest Note 74126)


Pesticides can do more than kill unwanted insects; they can harm you, too.

Cherry Hoover found that out the hard way while cleaning out her garage. That included pesticides, miticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemical cures that had accumulated over several years. (Remember: The suffix “cide” means “killer.”)

Hoover is president of the Sacramento Floral Design Guild and a national award-winning rose exhibitor and arranger. She has been a dedicated gardener most of her life. She’s handled lots of garden chemicals.

But she let her guard down while packing up boxes of old chemical containers.

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Hoover recalled. “I almost lost my sight in one eye.”

The culprit: Her cellphone. Hoover had her phone with her while she was working. “I somehow got some chemicals on my hands and then got them on my phone,” she recalled. “Then, I touched my phone (without gloves) and must have touched my face.”

Specks of the unidentified chemical managed to migrate into her eye.

“My eye was paralyzed,” said Hoover, who had to go to the emergency room. “My pupil was frozen open for nearly two weeks. My doctor wasn’t sure it would ever go back (to normal). I couldn’t sleep. It was terrible.”

Fortunately, it was a small enough amount that its effects eventually wore off and Hoover’s eye returned to normal. But her experience was a cautionary reminder: Be extremely careful and alert when handling dangerous chemicals.

“The dumbest things can get you,” said Jolene Adams, former president of the American Rose Society. For local rose clubs, Adams recently led a workshop on chemical safety, her specialty.

Dangerous chemicals can be absorbed quickly, almost instantly, through our skin, nose, mouth and eyes.

“Dermal – through your skin – is the most common,” Adams explained. “You can accidentally splash something on your skin or pick something up.”

Nose and eyes often are overlooked as pathways for chemicals to enter our bodies, Adams noted. “The moist skin inside your nose loves to attract dust. Your eyes are very sensitive.”

When handling any chemicals, wear protection, she said.

“Use chemical-resistant gloves – not vinyl, not rubber, not hospital gloves,” Adams said. “Chemicals will go right through most household or vinyl gloves. But don’t stop there. Wear chemical-resistant shoes, too; not tennis shoes and definitely not sandals.”

Adams also urged the use of safety goggles, a face shield, a hat and a respirator. Use a N-95 facemask at a minimum. She recommends use of protective clothing such as disposable paper coveralls.  Always wear long sleeves and pants when working with chemicals.

Better yet, use fewer chemicals. Wean your garden off pesticides and herbicides. Most problems can be solved by other means, such as integrated pest management, she noted.

When you do buy chemicals, buy the smallest amount – not the largest package, Adams said.

“Never bulk-buy garden chemicals,” she said. “They degrade over time. If you buy less, you have less to get rid of later.”

Never pour chemicals down the drain or mix them together, she added. Always keep them in their original containers with all the warning labels. When disposing of them, do it properly via your city or county’s waste disposal services.

And just in case, memorize the emergency number for Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222.

An excellent guide to pesticide use and safety from the UC Integrated Pest Management system can be found in Pest Note 74126 .

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Garden Checklist for week of Dec. 8

Make the most of dry weather while we have it this week. Rain is returning.

* Rake leaves away from storm drains and gutters. Recycle those leaves as mulch or add to compost.

* It’s not too late to plant something. Seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Trees and shrubs can be planted now, especially bare-root varieties such as fruit trees or rose bushes. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from winter rains.

* Plant bare-root berries, kiwifruit, grapes, artichokes, horseradish and rhubarb.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Brighten the holidays with winter bloomers such as poinsettias, amaryllis, calendulas, Iceland poppies, pansies and primroses.

* Keep poinsettias in a sunny, warm location; bring them inside at night or if there’s rain.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while they’re dormant.

* Clean and sharpen garden tools before storing for the winter.

* Mulch, water and cover tender plants to protect them during threat of frost. Succulent plants are at particular risk if temperatures drop below freezing. Make sure to remove coverings during the day.

* Rake and remove dead leaves and stems from dormant perennials.

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