Proper Use of Pesticides

If not properly managed, pests can affect our quality of life in many different ways. Pests can represent a threat to public health and the environment as well as create significant negative impacts to the economy if they are not efficiently controlled.

Pesticides are products that are developed to control, destroy or inhibit the activities of pests. Some pesticide products are available for domestic use, while a larger number are available for commercial and restricted uses. All pesticide products are highly regulated at all levels of government.

Your Role

To limit the use of pesticides, Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) promotes various methods to effectively control pests and prevent infestations. In order to reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide use, you can:

• Answer the question: Do I really have a pest problem?
• Understand pest behaviour;
• Modify your physical environment to make it less attractive to pests; and,
• Modify your physical environment to altogether repel the pest.

If you choose to use pesticides, be sure to use them properly.

Consult this section to find out how to effectively control common household and garden pests, use your swimming pool and spa, maintain a healthy lawn and understand your role and governments' roles in mosquito control abatement programs.

Need more information?

We invite you to consult our fact sheets that describe our role, regulations, partnerships and that address important issues such as the re-evaluation of Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Treated Wood and other pesticide products.

You can also visit the Acts and Regulations section to find out more about pesticide regulation in Canada, or our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Additional Resources

• Important information on Homemade Pesticides