Part 5: In North Carolina, The Label is the Law- Understanding What Denotes a Safe Pesticide for Fighting the HWA
Story by Sam Calhoun
Feeling a bit overwhelmed concerning what steps you should take (if any) to stop the hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA) in your backyard? Confused over treatment options? Need to know which chemicals are reliable and which are not?
We’re lucky here in the High Country to have an expert information source called the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Extension’s mission is to provide information and resources to state citizens so they can make good decisions—including decisions about treating the HWA.
“We get 15 to 20 phone calls per week on the [HWA],” said Jerry Moody, Avery County Cooperative Extension agent. He and his colleagues are happy to take the calls; they’ve been concerned about the HWA since 1997.
At that time, Moody and the Cooperative Extension began looking for local infestations and attempted to hold informational meetings for the general public, but because no one yet had the tiny white pest, no one showed up. But that all changed in four years.
In 2001, Moody and his associates found an HWA infestation off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pineola and they began to organize. Before 2001, no cases were found in Avery County, “so we knew it was only a matter of time,” said Moody. “Now, we’re in the middle of a pandemic.”
Since then, the Cooperative Extension has been working hand in hand with all local applicators who work to control the HWA, and although they praise these professionals for the hard work they do, Moody and his associates want the public to know some of the legal measures that have been put in place to protect the environment while simultaneously combatting the HWA.
“In North Carolina, the label is the law.”
Moody provides information about pesticide options for fighting the HWA. He has been pleased so far with how well area pesticide applicators have operated—using properly certified chemicals and an array of proven methods.
“I don’t know of anyone doing anything wrong,” said Moody. “All the people who have an applicator license are doing what they’re doing well.”
Nevertheless, there are certain recommendations and facts that Moody thinks the general public should understand.
“In North Carolina, the label is the law. [The Cooperative Extension] can only recommend products that are research based. We can only recommend products that are pesticides,” said Moody.
When Moody speaks about “the label,” he’s talking about the information printed on or attached to the pesticide container. The label directs the user how to properly use the material and what protective equipment must be worn when applying it. The label also provides basic information identifying the product and the manufacturer, an ingredient statement, first aid statements, statements regarding hazards to humans and animals, environmental hazard statements and storage and disposal statements.
The applicator is responsible for applying registered pesticides. The three main types of registrations are federal registration, special local needs and emergency exemptions from registration. The pesticide label and container will contain the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration number and will guarantee a consumer that the pesticide in question has research to support that it does what it says it does.
Think of pesticides, not as harsh chemicals, but as plant pharmaceuticals. When you get a prescription from the doctor, you trust that the pharmaceutical is supported by research and testing. In other words, you trust that the pharmaceutical is legit and you aren’t the first person to use the compound for your particular ailment. Also, you’re sure to follow the label to make sure that you are using the pharmaceutical in the correct manner.
“It’s the same thing,” said Moody, referring to pesticides used to fight the HWA.
When consumers purchase a chemical to treat their HWA infestation and find the EPA registration number and the NC Department of Agriculture registration number, they should rest assured that sufficient research has been done on the product and that it will kill the HWA if applied properly.
Why These Registrations Are Important…
Basically, these numbers prove that research has been done on the effects of the pesticide and when applied properly, it will provide the promised results. If the product is not labeled, then it can’t be marketed as a pesticide, but rather must be labeled as a “soil amendment” or “soil enhancer.” If a product is a soil amendment or a soil enhancer, no research supports its use for killing the HWA, so homeowners should ask their applicator if the product they are using is registered and intended for use against the HWA.
In the case of Imidacloripad—the most popular pesticide in use in the fight against the HWA—“it’s safe when compared to other pesticides, but it’s still designed to kill,” said Moody. So he recommends that consumers pay attention to the label. Ever since a study was done with the pesticide in Virginia, Cooperative Extension warns users of Imidacloripad to maintain a 50-foot buffer from any water source. This is an example of why it’s important to read the labels and why it’s important to conduct research on widely used pesticides. These studies protect the environment from further damage, beyond the damage the HWA could have done.
The moral of the story is to look for the registration numbers and to educate yourself on all the potential effects of the pesticide products. Need help? “We’re here to educate,” added Moody, referring to the purpose of the NC Cooperative Extension.
Moody’s Take on the Fight Against the HWA…
Moody breaks down HWA treatments into three categories: soil injections, stem injections and foliar applied (spray). “They’re all right,” he said, “because each tree is different.”
He added that the process can be compared to chemotherapy in cancer patients. Sometimes, the chemotherapy does its job and helps kill the cancer, but sometimes it doesn’t—it just depends on the individual reaction of the patient. It’s the same with trees. Sometimes, one method may work very well, but if it doesn’t, another solution should be considered. It all depends on the reaction of the specific tree. And if none of the methods works, Moody said, “a chainsaw is not a bad option either.”
“There’s not a best way to treat this thing,” Moody continued. “Whether any method is used, the tree still has to take the chemical up into the tree. It all depends on the overall health of the tree.”
Moody said he’s seen all three treatment methods work. “There’s nothing written in black and white about this issue,” he said.
For this reason, Cooperative Extension gathers the HWA pesticide applicators once per year and takes them out into the field to study some of the older trees that they have treated. While revisiting hemlocks that they treated for the HWA years ago, Moody asks the group to state what treatment option they used and whether the results are positive or negative. The group is able to assess the effectiveness of different treatments and gains a better understanding of how to fight the HWA.
“It’s all changing,” said Moody, who said that at this time next year he will have new information about treatment options for the HWA.
“This will take years,” he said. “We’re still in the learning phase—it’s trial and error. There’s not a set way to do this. It’s a pretty fluid situation.”
But while in that continuing learning phase, the NC Cooperative Extension is here to help. Call the Watauga County Cooperative Extension at 828-264-3061 or call the Avery County Cooperative Extension at 828-733-8270.
TO PART 6
If you have comments or experiences that you think will help with this community education project, send them via email to sam@highcountrynews.info.
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