Ontario Pesticide Education Program

Farmers must use Domestic pesticide products in Class D to manage weeds, insects and plant diseases affecting lawns and gardens around their home.  Before using a pesticide, farmers should consider using alternative control methods such as cutting/mowing of vegetation. Farmers are not allowed to use Class B or C pesticides for cosmetic purposes such as for maintaining lawns and gardens around the farm house, vegetation control on paths, driveways and parking areas which are not part of an agricultural operation.   Class D pesticides are available for purchase from home and garden retail stores.

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks:  Pesticides Specialist Offices Region Field Offices Telephone Central 5775 Yonge St, 8th Floor Toronto    M2M 4J1 1-800-810-8048 416-326-6700 West-Central Ontario Gov't. Bldg., 119 King St. W., 12 th Flr Hamilton    L8P 4Y7 1-800-668-4557 905-521-7640 Eastern 1259 Gardiners Road, Unit 3 Kingston    K7P 3J6 1-800-267-0974 613-549-4000 Southwestern 733 Exeter Rd., London    N6E 1L3 1-800-265-7672 519-873-5000 Northern 199 Larch Street, Suite 1201 Sudbury    P3E 5P9 1-800-890-8516 705-564-3237 Ontario Gov’t Bldg., 435 James St. South Suite 331, 3 rd Floor Thunder Bay    P7E 6S7 1-800-875-7772 807-475-1205 Technical Assessment and Standards Development Branch Pesticides Section 40 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto   

A high tunnel is a single or multi-bay walk-in structure without a foundation, typically covered with impermeable material and set over crops in a field. This is different from a greenhouse. A greenhouse is a permanent, enclosed, walk-in structure where crops grow in a media on elevated benches, containers or troughs placed on the ground. Farmers control the environment, such as temperature, humidity and ventilation, and pesticide drift stays inside the greenhouse. Pesticide labels don’t have specific directions for use in high tunnels. You may use pesticides with directions for either greenhouse or field uses for a specific pest and crop. If possible, choose a pesticide that has directions for both field and greenhouse uses. A high tunnel environment is unique. It is neither a greenhouse nor a field.  When using pesticides inside high tunnels, remember that: pesticide residues could breakdown more slowly, crops could be injured more easily, and Certified Farmers an

Groundhog Control Groundhogs or woodchucks are present throughout Ontario and may require control in some cases. Fumigants that contain aluminum phosphide are sold in Ontario to control groundhogs.  These fumigants release a highly poisonous and flammable gas when moisture is present.  Read the label completely, follow all safety precautions, and prepare a fumigation management plan before you use these pesticides. A Certified Farmer can fumigate a groundhog borrow using aluminum phosphide on his/her own agriculture operation if she/he follows these requirements and rules: Requirements You must have adequate respiratory equipment on your person at all times during the fumigation and use the equipment as required by the pesticide label. Rules Ontario Regulations under the Pesticides Act require that the Certified Farmer must make sure that: •   burrows open to the outside, not into a building, •   all groundhog burrow entrance holes are at least 30 metres