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CALS OEH Pesticide Application

Pesticides

A pesticide is defined as any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest, or intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant.

All university personnel (includes faculty members, staff members, students, and any other university- affiliated individuals) who label, store, use, transport, dispose of, or clean up spills of pesticides are responsible for adhering to federal and state regulations, as well as Cornell Health & Safety Policy 8.6.

It is essential that teaching, research, extension, exterior ground maintenance and structural pest control involving pesticide use be conducted properly and legally for the protection of the pesticide applicator, other employees, staff, students, public health, and the environment.

The responsibility for ensuring that all work with pesticides at Cornell is conducted properly and legally rests on the individual user.

Pesticides in the news

Important Information To Know

For more information about specific pesticides in the news, go to CALS OEH Pesticides page.

Learn more about specific pesticides
a corn field
Corn field at Musgrave Research Farm. Credit: Matt Hayes (CALS)

Outdoor Ornamental Plants & Turf Pesticides

Beginning December 31, 2024, Article 33 (ECL 33-1301(13)) prohibits the treatment of outdoor ornamental plants and turf with pesticide products containing clothianidin or dinotefuran and beginning December 31, 2026, this prohibition is further expanded to include pesticide products containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, or acetamiprid.

To learn more, go to CALS OEH Specific Pesticides   

The Proper Use of Rodenticides

DEC Delivers October 2026 Issue NYSDEC

  • Follow the pesticide label- the label is the law!
  • All pesticides must be registered for use with the USEPA and NYSDEC for use in NY State. Find Registered Pesticides on NYSPAD 
  • IPM for Rodent Management- Learn more at Cornell IPM Rodent Management 
  • Safely clean up after rodent infestations- Protect yourself and others Center of Disease Control (CDC)

 

More on Rodenticides 

Pesticide Update: EPA's Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention

EPA Launches New Email Subscription Feature to Help Pesticide Users with Endangered Species Act Requirements

With the new feature subscribers will receive:

  • Notifications of major Bulletins Live! Two system updates
  • Announcements of new PULAs

  • Alerts about changes to existing PULAs

     

To subscribe, please visit www.epa.gov/endangered-species/bulletins-live-two-view-bulletins

Learn more about pesticides

Policies, Certification, and Regulations
Specific NYS Regulatory Requirements
Record Keeping and Reporting
Management and Environmental Protection
Health and Safety
Specific Pesticides
Transporting Pesticides
Research with Pesticides
Sprayer Calibration/Calculations

Pesticide Resources

Contact the Cornell Pesticides Office

Phone: 607-255-0485
Email: pesticides [at] cornell.edu (pesticides[at]cornell[dot]edu)