<h3><strong><img class="size-medium wp-image-43977 alignright" src="https://theenterprise.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2021/02/pesticides_1613222110-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />February is National Pesticide Education Month, and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provided the following suggestions to help ensure pesticides are used safely in homes and gardens: </strong></h3> <ul> <li><strong>Read and follow the label. The label is the law.</strong></li> <li><strong>Store pesticides in their original containers with proper labels.</strong></li> <li><strong>Keep children and pets away from stored pesticides and during pesticide applications.</strong></li> <li><strong>Keep pesticides away from food and dishes.</strong></li> <li><strong>Identify the pest before purchasing pesticide. This will help you select the pesticide that will work best for your specific pest issue.</strong></li> <li><strong>Only apply the amount specified on the label.</strong></li> <li><strong>After using a pesticide, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water. Wash any clothing that may have been exposed to pesticides immediately and keep them separate from other items.</strong></li> <li><strong>Beware of "home brews" to treat for pests as they may do more harm than good.</strong></li> <li><strong>Contact your <a href="https://ext.vt.edu/offices.html">local office of Virginia Cooperative Extension</a>, as they are a wealth of information.</strong></li> </ul> <span style="font-weight: 400"> If your pest issue continues or you would prefer not to do it yourself, consider hiring a licensed pesticide business. For a list of licensed pesticide businesses in Virginia, visit </span><a href="http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticide-business-license.shtml"><span style="font-weight: 400">www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticide-business-license.shtml</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">. For additional information regarding the use of pesticides in Virginia, please visit </span><a href="http://www.vapesticidesafety.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400">www.vapesticidesafety.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400">For more pesticide related information contact the </span><a href="http://npic.orst.edu/"><span style="font-weight: 400">National Pesticide Information Center</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400"> </span>
