LEE REICH/The Associated Press

A pesticide's label will indicate how toxic the chemical is to humans.

In an ideal world, pesticides would never be needed in the garden.

In the real world, occasionally they are needed.

That doesn't mean you need harsh chemicals.

A pesticide is anything that kills a pest, from DDT, which kills just about every insect, to baking soda, which is effective against certain fungus diseases. If you decide a pesticide is absolutely necessary, choose and spray the material with utmost care to avoid harming the environment, yourself and even the plants you are trying to protect.

Don't let your guard down just because you are spraying something "natural," such as rotenone. Rotenone was used by primitive fishermen as fish poison, and is still deadly to fish if it seeps into any stream or pond.

Rotenone is also quite toxic to humans, more so than Malathion, a common chemical pesticide. Here are tips on handling them.

As elementary as it sounds, reading the label is the first step to correct use of any pesticide.

Read over the plants and pest problems listed. Is your particular plant and problem on that list? If not, don't use that pesticide; it may not be effective. Before you reach for pesticide, figure out what pest, whether it's a mite, an insect, a fungus, or a bacterium, is causing the problem. (Pesticides cannot control virus diseases.) Your local Cooperative Extension office can help here.

The next thing you want to find out from the label is just how toxic the pesticide is to you. Look for one of three signal words:

Caution means that the product is only slightly toxic, or relatively nontoxic.

Warning is the next step up, signifying a moderately toxic pesticide.

Danger-poison means that the material is highly toxic; a teaspoon or less could kill you.

More detailed information on the label, or perhaps in a booklet attached to the label, will tell you what protective gear, such as gloves or a respirator, is recommended.

A few general precautions with any pesticide will keep you from having to call your local poison-control center (usually listed at the beginning of your telephone directory):

Always store pesticides in their original containers. People have been known to take a sip of pesticide foolishly stored in an old water bottle.

Store pesticides well out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Never eat, smoke or drink when handling pesticides.

Avoid getting splashed, and never stick the end of your hose into the spray solution. A drop in water pressure could lead to the solution siphoning back into your water lines.

Protective clothing should be made of nonabsorbent material.

Take precautions to minimize adverse impacts on the environment and the plants that you are spraying. The best time to spray is early morning or late evening, because the air is calm and bees, back home in their hives, will be spared exposure.

If you spray more than one pesticide, check the labels for compatibility before mixing them or else you might end up with a sicker looking plant than you started with.

Reserve a special sprayer for weedkillers because it's difficult to remove their residue. The residue might kill your plant.

The Associated Press