Pesticides poison humans, non-target insects, pets, livestock, the soil and aquatic life when not safely stored and disposed of. Follow these simple rules to avoid any calamities:

1) ALWAYS keep all pesticides in their original, labeled containers in an area away from food, pet or livestock feed, children, pets or livestock.

2) If unable to use up the chemical or to give it away, NEVER pour the remaining contents into sinks, toilets, outside drains or onto the ground.

3) Take any non-empty containers to your county or state designated hazardous waste collection site WITHOUT FAIL. Find them online or by telephoning your local health or environmental management departments.

4) DO NOT burn or reuse empty containers. Instead, follow the label directions for proper disposal.

From Ants to Yellow Jackets, Crown Gall to Nematodes, I resolve to work tirelessly with you to identify and apply least-toxic methods of pest control for your home, garden, business, farm or school.

Please visit my forum or write me directly here with your questions and comments.

May you and yours be truly blessed in the new year, please come back to visit often and do not miss the exciting info available at all of the About.com sites.

Quick, decisive and continued action is needed to control ant emergencies, such as these simple steps:

1) Perform an inspection for ant columns, decide what the attractant, food or water source is and remove it or dry it up.

2) Clean the area around entry points, temporarily plugging them with petroleum jelly.

3) Caulk or apply gel baits at entry points or put out bait stations. Avoid active ingredients such as cyfluthrin, permethrin and propoxur as they are so fast acting, they kill only foragers and have no effect on the colony. Slower acting baits are carried as food back to the colonies where their active ingredients can eliminate dozens of ants and permanently cripple the marauding population.

4) Do not spray insecticides outdoors as rain or irrigation waters wash them away easily and they end up polluting ground water, streams and rivers.

From the land of Volvo and ABBA comes a scientific study that examined the relationship of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and exposure to various pesticides.

The researchers found that insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide exposures were not quantifiable risk factors for developing the cancer, yet persons exposed to herbicides and arsenic compounds (such as those found in wood preservatives and some pesticides) had appreciably higher risks of developing malignant Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Read more here.