Prepare for Pesticide Spray Season – Part IX: Spray Drift With no Apparent Damage

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“Well, I don’t see any damage!”  This statement referring to possible pesticide drift is used over and over each spray season.  The wind is up, the pesticide is applied upwind of your property, you get a very strong whiff of chemical, but days afterward you see no apparent damage to any foliage downwind of the chemical application.  You make the effort to communicate with the spray applicator responsible for the application about your pesticide drift concerns and how the smell was so strong. You are very concerned you have been a victim of pesticide drift.  But, not surprisingly, you are met with the response, “Well, I don’t see any damage!”

Trust your instinct. If the wind is blowing towards your property even less than 10 mph the pesticide will drift onto your property even if you see no apparent damage hours and days after the application. The rule is:  If you are not willing to stand on your property downwind of the pesticide application, you must suspect drift.

Actual Pesticide Drift Case

Homeowners in Illinois were concerned each year about the pesticide applications happening in the field bordering their property. Even in calm winds, they could smell the chemical in the air. When they called the FS office responsible for applying the chemicals with their concern, they were told all the usual buzz words – new spray nozzles, large droplets, anti-drift added to the tank mix, and just smelling the chemical doesn’t mean it is drifting.  In other words, FS felt there was no drift happening and they were taking all precautions necessary. And, there was no apparent damage after their pesticide applications.

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