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I watched in dismay as my neighbor nonchalantly sprinkled oodles of chemicals on her yard. I'd like to point to the storm drain located just inches from her yard's edge and explain how everything that runs into it travels directly into Puget Sound.

The bulk of evidence shows that pesticide use by homeowners damages our environment and water resources. In fact, scientists have found 23 different pesticides used by homeowners in Puget Sound streams. "Stuff does not go away," says Mike Sato of People for Puget Sound. "Everything runs downhill here." During spring rains, pesticides run off sidewalks, driveways and slopes to the nearest storm drain and into streams, lakes and bays. Very small quantities are enough to harm fish and aquatic life.

Home users are applying a potpourri of pesticides at an ever-accelerating rate: 10 percent more each year. Home use of pesticides is now ten times the rate applied per acre by farmers. Particularly distressing is the routine misuse of these chemicals by homeowners. Less than a quarter of the homeowners using "weed and feed" services know they are applying herbicides to their yards. Studies show that home users routinely apply more than the recommended dose, don't read labels, follow directions or take precautions. They also use the wrong products for the pest or problem.

Fortunately, many homeowners and communities are starting to implement solutions, including using least-toxic gardening methods and designing yards or parks to eliminate the need for pesticides altogether. The first step is to understand what's in all these products and the negative impact of using them. Only then can we choose better alternatives for the environment.

What is a pest? A pest is defined as any unwanted living thing (insects, mice or other animals, weeds, fungi and bacteria or viruses). It's a pest because it causes damage.

What is a pesticide? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls it any substance or mixture used to prevent, destroy, repel or alleviate any pest - insecticides kill insects, herbicides kill plants, rodenticides kill animals and fungicides kill plant diseases. Humans make synthetic pesticides. Alternative solutions are biologically based, naturally occurring or organic.

What's in all these products? One day at a neighbor's home, a truck pulled up and started spraying the entire yard, filling the air with fine mist. Alarmed, I asked what they were spraying. "Oh, I don't really know, but they say it's OK for kids," was the answer. Personally, I'd rather know exactly what's in the mixture.

The name Weed B Gone tells you little about what's in the container. Inside is a mix of active ingredients: namely pesticides, (like those found in the streams), inert ingredients (the carrier, solvent or sticking material - which can make up 99 percent of the mixture and be more toxic than the listed ingredients) and impurities (like dioxin or DDT). A New York State Attorney General's report says more than 200 chemicals used as inert ingredients are federally listed hazardous pollutants. Older pesticide containers have even more problems, or "break-down products," that can be more toxic than the original pesticides. But I wouldn't browse around the home and garden aisles reading active ingredient lists for fun. Understanding each one practically requires a Ph.D.

How poisonous are they? The level of poison, or toxicity, is relative - most anything, including salt and sugar, is toxic in a large enough amount. But the active ingredients of pesticides are toxic to most living things in very small amounts. Most pesticides were developed as part of war efforts to kill or harm, not for residential use.

My neighbor on one side uses rat poison. I worry about our daughter Alexi and our cats being curious about what's inside those containers. Many pesticides approved by the EPA for home use have known serious toxic effects, like eye damage, skin burns, kidney failure and cancer. A Science journal review of 98 studies of pesticide use found an increased cancer risk in 50 percent of those studied. Two of the most commonly used insecticides (diazanon and chlorpyrifos) were recently banned from home use because of their high toxicity to birds and wildlife. This toxicity translates into killing bees, butterflies, birds and pond and stream life. The Audubon Society estimates homeowner pesticide use is responsible for the deaths of anywhere from seven million to tens of millions of birds each year.

Especially bad for kids, pets and wildlife. Alexi and I frequently walk home from her preschool, and she explores multiple yards en route. I don't relish the repeated don'ts I must give her on weed picking, but what chemical brew does each yard hold? Because children are smaller, eat and drink more relative to their body weight, are still developing and play in the dirt more, they are more susceptible to toxins.

A recent University of Washington study of Seattle four-year-olds found one or more pesticides in 99 percent of the children tested. Children whose parents used pesticides had much higher concentrations. High levels were found even in families that had not used pesticides in months because some chemicals don't go away and can be tracked into the house. Notably, the only child with no trace of pesticides was from a family that used no pesticides and bought only organic produce. "Take a look at what you are using," suggests Mike Sato. "If it says, ‘Keep out of reach of children,' it's not good for other living things." For both Alexi and I, it's really sad that all those yards are off-limits.

The Audubon Society suggests reducing pesticide use by designing yards that don't need them. Use natives, minimize lawn and pest prone species, and remove features that attract pests, such as breeding and hiding spots.

Dealing with pests: OK, I admit, I used to use slug bait. Now I focus on natural predators and tolerance. In my vegetable beds, I plant extra so the bugs can have some too. Except for ever-present slugs, apple maggots and aphids, I barely notice pests in my yard. Soap and water solutions work on aphids, and I am trying a new apple maggot trap this year. Last year I controlled maggots with heavy mulching and cleaning up apple tree litter. Or try:

• Protect and encourage natural predators by releasing beneficial native insects (like ladybugs and green lacewings) and encouraging other predators like dragonflies, toads, spiders, birds, bats and snakes.
• To encourage predators, use plants that attract birds; add water features, toad houses and bat boxes and create stone and wood piles.
• Try old-fashioned methods — pluck, wash or vacuum bugs from plants.
• Use physical barriers — spread hazel nuts, oyster shells or natural grade diatomaceous earth around beds to control slugs.
• Use row covers (lightweight breathable fabric) to block insects.
• Use mint oil to control wasps.
• Try traps, lures and non-toxic baits — yellow sticky cards for aphids, red sticky apples for apple maggots and beer or yeast for slugs.
• Use "friendly" alternatives carefully. Many microbial (e.g. Bt - Bacillus thuringensis) and botanical insecticides (e.g. rotenone) can be harmful to insects and toxic to humans.

If you do use pesticides:

• Be sure you identify the pest — is it really a problem? Use synthetic pesticides as a last resort, and then only the least-toxic ones. Read labels carefully — is it safe for fish and wildlife? Use as little as possible — spot spray.
• Lock up all pesticides, and keep them away from children and pets when in use. Keep children and pets away from areas where pesticides have been applied recently.
• Dispose of pesticides only at hazardous waste facilities and discard outdated pesticides immediately.

Managing unwanted weeds: My favorite way to control weeds is to mulch. My least favorite, but most often practiced, is hand pulling them. Or try:

• Practice tolerance — are a few weeds that bad?
• Pull weeds using new back-friendly tools.
• Use a heat source — try boiling water.
• Use cardboard, layers of newspaper or mulch to prevent germination.
• Spray diluted solutions of vinegar and water, soap and water or cayenne (or other hot pepper) and water or vegetable oil on pests like aphids.
• For lawns, a layer of corn gluten meal prevents dandelion and other weeds from germinating. (see April 2004 issue)
• Fungal diseases can usually be treated with several applications of compost or liquid compost "tea."
• Avoid "weed and feed" services (mixtures of pesticides and fertilizers).

I would like my eco-friendly yard practices to spread around my neighborhood and beyond. It's my goal to invite all my neighbors to an in-home Gardening for Life workshop that the Audubon Society sponsors. This program provides each participant with practical steps for creating healthier yards, neighborhoods and habitats. I hope to garner support for this at my next block-watch meeting. If it catches on, maybe life in Puget Sound will be protected. As Sato says, "People usually think of large problems, like tanker spills, but it's really the small things that individuals can do to make a difference."

Marian Wineman is a freelance non-fiction and grant writer and an environmental consultant. She is an avid pesticide-free gardener who lives in Seattle with her husband, 4-year-old daughter and two cats.

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