Pesticide Information

A pesticide is any substance used to kill, repel or reduce the number of pests and the damage they cause. Pests are living things that can cause harm, damage or are nuisances to plants, people or animals.

Pests can include:  

• Bacteria and Viruses (germs).
• Fungi (mold).
• Insects.
• Rodents.
• Weeds.

Pesticides include:

• Disinfectants (bacteria and virus killers).
• Fungicides (fungus killers).
• Herbicides (weed killers).
• Insecticides (insect killers).
• Others, such as animal repellants, nematicides (nematode worm killers).

People can be exposed to pesticides in many ways, such as:

• Breathing in contaminated dust or dirt.
• Eating contaminated food.
• Touching a pesticide with bare skin.
• Using certain medications (such as, lindane used to treat lice and scabies).

The most common pesticide exposure routes among the general public are:

• Mixing pesticide products.
• Not following the label instructions.

The most common pesticide exposure routes at work are:

• Spill or splash (not related to equipment failure).
• Mixing pesticide products.

Factors that put you more at risk for pesticide illness or injury include:

• How toxic the pesticide is.
• How long the person was exposed to the pesticide.
• How much pesticide the person was exposed to.
• How the person was exposed to the pesticide, such as breathing in, in the eyes, on the skin or eating or drinking it.

One-time pesticide exposures have been linked with:

• Eye, nose and/or throat irritation.
• Headache.
• Nausea.
• Seizures.
• Shortness of breath.
• Skin irritation.
• Coma.
• Death.

The best way to prevent pesticide exposure is to not use them. Reduce or remove pests by keeping food and water sources unavailable.

When pesticides are needed, make sure to:

• Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before use.
• Never mix different pesticides or different cleaning agents together.
• Wear required gloves, eye protection or masks.
• Do not spray pesticides outdoors when it is windy.
• Wipe rather than spray disinfectants/cleaning products indoors.
• Wash your hands and clothing after using pesticides.
• Store pesticides in a safe place away from children and pets.

Michigan

MDARD

• Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division.

MDHHS  

• Eat Safe Fish Program - Learn more about eating safe, local and healthful fish from Michigan.
• Michigan Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (MiTracking).
  • Pesticide-related Illnesses and Injuries - Explore Michigan data.
• MDHHS and MDARD urge residents to use caution when buying and using pesticides (Press Release - February 2026).

Michigan State University

• Occupational and Environmental Medicine
  • Pesticide Illness and Injury.
    • Pesticides Annual Reports 2003-Current.

National

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• National Environmental Public Health Tracking - Pesticide Exposure.
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance.

National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)    

• Minimizing Exposure (Fact Sheet).

U.S. EPA

• Pesticides.