Pesticide FAQ's

Natural Yard Care and Pesticide Information

What is a pest?

"Pest" means an injurious, noxious or troublesome living organism, but does not include a virus, bacteria, fungus or internal parasite that exists on or in humans or animals.

What is a pesticide?

A pesticide is a microorganism or material that is represented, sold, used or intended to be used to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate a pest and includes, but is not limited to:

• a plant growth regulator, plant defoliator or plant desiccant;
• a control product as defined in the Pect Control Products Act (Canada); and/or,
• a substance that is classified as a pesticide by the Integrated Pest Management Act (British Columbia).

Disposal of Unused Pesticides

Never dispose of leftover pesticides down the sink, into the toilet, or down a sewer or street drain. Pesticides may interfere with the operation of wastewater treatment systems and/or pollute waterways. Pesticides may harm fish, plants, and other living things if they reach a waterway.

Pesticides are accepted at:

Scott Road Bottle Depot
Unit #2-12111-86 Avenue in Surrey, BC
Returned containers must be tightly sealed and clearly labeled with their contents. Pesticide container size cannot exceed 10L and must have both the poisonous (skull & cross bones) symbol and Pest Control Product (PCP) number.

For more information contact Product Care Stewardship Program.

Tips for a Pesticide-Free Yard and Garden

The Canadian Cancer Society, the British Columbia Lung Association and the Audubon Society are among just a few of the highly respected organizations that support reducing the use of pesticides, particularly when their use is cosmetic (or ornamental) and provides little or no health benefit to humans. In Delta, Pesticide Use Control Bylaw No. 6788, 2009 regulates the non-essential or cosmetic use of pesticides on residential and municipally owned land. Use the following practices to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides around your yard and garden.

• Overseed every year to create a dense lawn that will crowd out weeds
• Fertilize naturally with manure and compost
• Encourage good bugs: worms, lady bugs and spiders
• Mow less often. Keep grass 6cm tall to crowd out weeds and grow longer roots
• When watering, allow the sprinkler to soak the grass, to build deep roots
• Rake out thatch to discourage pests
• Dig out any weeds by hand
• Rotate the species of vegetables and flowers in your garden from year to year, or at least rotate the same species between locations, to discourage soil diseases and insects from setting in
• Schedule the planting and harvesting of your plants to avoid the times when insects are most abundant and damaging
• Put bird feeders and bird houses in your yard; birds are a natural form of insect control

Alternatives to Traditional Pesticides for Addressing Common Pest Issues

Free Sustainable Gardening Workshops

The Corporation of Delta offers free Sustainable Gardening Workshops for Delta residents at the McKitrick Garden at Sungod Recreation Centre in North Delta. 

How can I get more information?

For a list of plants that thrive in our regions visit www.greatplantpicks.org and www.evergreen.ca

For a list of plants that are currently considered invasive in BC visit www.invasiveplantcouncilbc.ca

The Earthwise Society also provides workshops and events on the subject of natural gardening and lawn care. Visit www.earthwisesociety.ca for more information.

If you wish to hire an eco-sensitive landscaper to help maintain your lawn and garden, visit the PlantHealthBC website for a listing of landscape professionals with pest management accreditation at www.PlantHealthBC.ca