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Pesticide Poisoning

Pesticide Poisoning: Protecting Health While Managing Pests

Pesticides help control pests that spread disease and damage crops, gardens, and homes. However, they can also harm people—causing symptoms like headaches, fatigue, nausea, confusion, and even coma. Some exposures lead to emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or death. Even pesticides labeled as “natural” or “organic” can be dangerous.

Children Are Most At Risk

Young children are especially vulnerable. They eat, drink, and breathe more than adults relative to their body weight and often play on floors or put objects in their mouths.

In 2025, 44% of pesticide exposure calls to the Minnesota Poison Control System involved children under age 5.

Prevent Poisonings at Home

Emergency? Call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222

Store Safely

  • Keep pesticides and chemicals locked away—out of children’s reach.

  • Use child-resistant packaging and close containers tightly.

  • Never store chemicals in food or drink containers.

Use Properly

  • Always read and follow label instructions. Pay close attention to safety distances from places like schools, homes, parks, and daycare centers, and to how long children and other people should stay out of treated areas after spraying or application.

  • Don’t leave products unattended while in use.

  • Keep children, pets, toys, and pacifiers away during and after pesticide use. Check the label for re-entry times.

  • Keep children and others away from pesticide-treated seeds, which are brightly colored. These may include weed-and-feed lawn seeds and farm crop seeds.

Clean Up

  • Remove shoes and clothing worn during pesticide application before entering your home. Wash work clothing separately from other laundry.

  • Clean up pesticide spills right away and wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling pesticides.

Choose Safer Products

  • Make sure all rodent control pesticides are in tamper-resistant bait stations.

  • DO NOT use illegal pesticides like Tres Pasitos or DDT. Look for an EPA Registration Number on the label and check the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to be sure the product is registered for use in Minnesota.

For more information on pesticide poisoning: