The size of the market
Approximately 600 domestic products containing 100 pesticide active ingredients, including both indoor and outdoor pesticides are registered for use in the UK.
Although traditionally the biggest suppliers of home and garden pesticides have been the major producers of agricultural pesticide (members of the industry association the Crop Protection Association), recent changes have introduced other suppliers to the market. Rhone-Poulenc, AgrEvo, Monsanto and Zeneca all sold their businesses to the Scotts Company of the US.
The growth of the market over the past few years echoes the popularity of gardening programmes and gardening magazines. Gardening is an important leisure activity, and gardens themselves are of particular environmental importance in urban areas. A study of sampled aerial photographs of Greater London undertaken by the London Ecology Unit indicates as much as one fifth of the ground cover is taken up by private gardens and
allotments(1). This report underlines the importance of suburban gardens as habitats. Based on these findings, Brent Council has estimated that private gardens represent approximately 850 ha within their borough, a major habitat area, and has placed residential gardens at the top of their Local Biodiversity Action Plan
priorities(2).
Storing up trouble
Little is known about how people use home and garden pesticides. A recent report from the Health and Safety Laboratory looking at indoor pesticide application for fleas and cockroaches noted that ‘very little work has previously been conducted in real life
settings.’(3)
Labelling gives some information on product use but little on storage or disposal. Storage instructions generally say ‘keep away from children and pets’ but do not have to specify that the products be kept under lock and key. One researcher estimated that as much as 20% is disposed of by householders pouring it directly down the sink or
drain(4). A further finding of that survey was that most people keep hazardous household pesticides rather than dispose of them.
In a small-scale survey of 50 households in Surrey conducted by Alison Weaver of Imperial
College(5), most users stored pesticides in the garden shed. The garage was the next most popular location, but some were stored in the kitchen. Only about one third of the households stored their pesticides under lock and key.
National Poisons Information Service figures underline the concern for home and garden use of pesticides. The data is based on calls by general practitioners for advice. In evidence to a parliamentary select committee in 1987, 69% of enquiries concerning poisoning by pesticides related to children under twelve who had come into contact with pesticides at home in the house or
garden(6).
Recognising a pest
Pesticides are used to kill pests, but what is a garden pest? Most insecticides in this context are used to kill ants but the damage that ants do in the garden is minimal. One troubleshooting guide talks of the good, the bad, and the misunderstood. Earwigs are disliked more for their looks than for any damage they do in the
garden.(7) But in terms of economic damage, the vine weevil is regarded as Britain’s number one garden pest.
The top 10 pests for 1998 as assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) were in descending order vine weevil, slugs and snails, ants, rabbits, glasshouse red spider mite, squirrel, soft scale, cushion scale, apple-leaf mining moth, and chafer grubs. The top 10 plants causing gardeners problems were lawns, apple, camellia, lilium, rose, fuchsia, pear, bay, oak, and
plums(8).
The view from advisory bodies such as RHS or Gardening Which? magazine of amateur use of pesticides is that gardeners often do not identify the pest that they are using the chemical against, or they identify it wrongly. An insecticide may be used to treat a fungal infection, or a chemical may be used when the plant may simply require care. Frost damage can look like insect damage. There is often a failure to recognise the early stages of a problem, so that by the time the chemical is applied, it is too late.
Garden centres have no organised provision of adequate advice for gardeners and steer buyers towards chemicals. Only organisations like the Henry Doubleday Research Centre cater for organic gardeners, and in the meantime garden chemicals are advertised as safe and environmentally friendly. Indeed consumers are confused as to whether such chemicals are pesticides at all.
Policy lacking
In the agricultural sector, pesticide minimisation is the policy aim – this says that the amount of chemical used should be the minimum necessary and compatible with health and environmental protection. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) shares the approval of home and garden pesticides with MAFF’s Pesticides Safety Directorate, but neither have a policy for amateur users.
HSE is in the process of establishing its policy position. Its current approach is to assess risk; to decide what are the appropriate control measures; and to promote ‘responsible use’ of chemicals. But meanwhile the Department of Trade and Industry promotes the industry and growth in product sales. HSE remains concerned about the way consumers use chemicals, and describes the results of research into consumer behaviour ‘quite depressing’.
It is clear that more research is needed into the way garden chemicals are used, stored and disposed of. Consumers need to understand pest identification and pest problems better. There is also a clear case for minimising such use and making advice on alternatives more readily available. Indeed given the potential for misuse and the existing problems of identifying and disposing safely of pesticides currently used and stored the question has to be asked – should pesticides be used at all in gardens?
(PB)
References
1. DG Dawson and A Worrell, The amount of each kind of ground cover in Greater London, London Ecology Unit, 1992.
2. Brent Council, Brent Biodiversity Action Plan (draft), 1999.
3. V Weale and H Goddard, The effectiveness of non-agricultural pesticide labelling, Health and Safety Laboratory, HSE Books 1998.
4. S Heaven and E Kerrell, Attitudes to hazardous household waste: the waste wagon survey results, Save Waste & Prosper Ltd, 1993.
5. A Weaver, Amateur-use garden pesticides in the UK: an evaluation of policies for risk management, Imperial College, London 1999.
6. House of Commons Select Committee on Agriculture, The effect of pesticides on human health, HMSO, 1987.
7. Gardening Which? The fall guys, Consumers Association, 1997.
8. RHS (unpublished), 1999. Figures are based on all postal, telephone and visitor enquiries answered by the Entomology section.
Material for this article was provided by Alison Weaver of Imperial College, London, UK.
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 48, June 2000, pages 3-6]