NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

November 5, 1998

Never Store Pesticides in the House, Safety Specialist Advises

Protecting expensive pesticides means keeping them from freezing, but don't be tempted to store them in the house, advises a North Dakota State University agricultural safety specialist.

"No container of pesticides should ever be stored in the house," says George Maher of the NDSU Extension Service. "You would never think of having your family sleep in bed with a loaded gun under the covers. Keeping pesticides in the house is just as unthinkable." The danger of spills, escaping fumes, fire, poisoning and other mishaps is too great to store pesticides in a home, Maher says.

The best strategy is to avoid storing any pesticides at all over the winter, Maher says. That means only buying as much as you will use during the crop season. "Buying products on sale may seem like a good deal, but finding secure heated storage for large amounts of pestcides can be time-consuming and expensive," Maher says. "It doesn't take long to eat up any initial savings."

The first step to finding suitable storage for pesticides is to consult the label, Maher says. Labels will detail proper storage conditions. Some products must be kept from freezing while others do not.

If you do have pesticides that require warm storage, check with neighbors and your pesticide dealer to cooperate on storage, Maher says. Some dealers may rent storage for the winter months. If pesticides that require warm storage do freeze, consult your pesticide dealer about reductions in effectiveness and possible disposal of ruined products.

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Source: George Maher (701) 231-8288

Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629