Professional pesticide products can only be stored, purchased and applied by individuals who hold a recognised qualification in pesticide application.
When using pesticides ALWAYS READ THE LABEL: USE PESTICIDES SAFELY AND AWAY FROM VULNERABLE AREAS SUCH AS PONDS AND STREAMS.
Continuing changes in the pesticide regulations, have led to the withdrawal of many garden pesticides. Some have been withdrawn for safety or environmental reasons but many more for commercial reasons.
The garden market is often too small to justify the expensive tests necessary to get government approval to license a pesticide. Prevention and organic/cultural controls of pest and disease are therefore becoming more important with fewer pesticides available.
How can I obtain a recognised NPTC qualification to apply professional pesticides?
- The Guernsey College of Further Education provides a range of suitable City & Guilds NPTC courses that cover the legislation and codes of practice that must be adhered to as well as offering qualifications for different types of application such as tractor mounted or knapsack sprayer. They can be contacted on 227500.
Which pesticide should I use?
- It is important to identify both the plant or crop requiring treatment and the pest or disease causing the problem before deciding if a pesticide is necessary. The States Analytical Laboratory provides free pest and disease identification and advice on which garden or professional pesticide is most suitable as well as alternative methods of pest and disease control.
- Some pesticides have been assessed as too great a risk to the local environment for general professional use and so are either banned or restricted via licensing to ensure that they are only used under certain conditions. Please see the Guernsey Health and Safety Executive's hazardous substances page for further details
What Alternative Are There to Pesticides?
- Pesticides are designed to kill and control pests, weeds and fungi. However, they can also kill or discourage the wildlife you want to attract to your garden, including the predators that eat pests.
- If you do not want to use pesticides, there are many alternatives such as non pesticide sprays, biological control, crop rotation, resistant varieties etc. These methods can be found in the leaflet
Common Garden Pest and Diseases 2023 [481kb]
Please contact us if you require further information on the choice or application of pesticides.
