I have a stone driveway that has weeds growing amongst the stones. In my opinion, the weeds annoy me and gives my driveway an unkempt appearance. My normal course of action is to spray the weeds with an herbicide to kill the unwanted plants.

Did you know an herbicide is classified as a pesticide? Pesticides are any products that make a claim to control pests that competes with or annoys humans.

In general, a pesticide is a chemical or biological agent that deters, incapacitates, kills, or otherwise discourages pests. Pests can include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes (roundworms) and microbes that destroy property, cause nuisance, or spread disease or are disease vectors.

An example of a disease vector is mosquitoes (pest) that spread (vectors) West Nile Virus (viral pathogen). All pesticides have an Environmental Protection Agency EPA registration number and an establishment number listed on the pesticide label.

An example of a common household pesticide product is Lysol disinfectant spray. Lysol disinfectant spray makes a claim that it kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including the coronavirus on hard and soft surfaces. The Lysol disinfectant spray label also has an EPA registration number and an establishment number listed. Lysol is a registered trademark of Reckitt.

All pesticide products are mandated by the EPA to have either attached or located on the product, a pesticide label. It is up to the end user, or the one using the pesticide product to understand and follow all directions found on the pesticide label.

Did you know not following all labeled directions on the pesticide label is a violation of federal and state laws?

Most pesticide products are labeled with the brand or trade name, product name, common name, the short version of active ingredient and ingredients statement.

Here are two examples of fictitious or fake pesticide products-

EVERETTS Kill’Z ALL (brand or trade name)

Weed and grass killer (product name)

Glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine, (Glyphosate- common name) in the form of its isopropylamine salt.

Glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine, (ingredient statement) in the form of its isopropylamine salt .

EVERETTS Kill’Z ALL (brand or trade name)

Weed and grass killer (product name)

Imazapyr, isopropalamine salt (Imazapyr- common name)

Imazapyr, isopropalamine salt (ingredient statement)

Note these two fictitious products have same brand or trade names and products names. However, the common names and ingredients statements are different.

These two products are not the same. It is imperative that you read and follow entire label directions before using any pesticide product.

This is what I found when I went to my favorite garden center to purchase a weed control product for my driveway.

I reached for the brand name and product name that I used in previous years. Upon looking closer, the common name and the ingredient statement were different.

Uh, oh. Yes, I read the label right there in the store. I am glad I did. The product was not safe to use because of the landscape shrubs would have been injured or killed that were planted next to the driveway.

I am finding this is happening across the board with pesticide products. Often the brand or trade name and product names are the same. The Common names and ingredients statements are different.

Remember, it is up to the end user, or the one using the pesticide product, to understand and follow all directions found on the pesticide label.