Head Start Staff: 

What You Need to Know 

About Pesticide Poisoning

They buzz, they burrow, they crawl, they sting, 

they bite, they munch, and they torment. From 

insects to rodents, they can make our lives difficult. Pests, 

such as ants, cockroaches, mice, rats, and termites, can be 

particularly troublesome to families if left unchecked. However, 

many families are unaware of the serious health risks 

associated with the improper storage or use of household 

pesticides, the products we use to control or kill pest 

populations in and around a home. 

We encourage Head Start staff to teach families about the 

possible health effects pesticides can have on young children 

as well as the simple pesticide poisoning prevention efforts 

that they can incorporate into their regular household activities. 

In this way, families are armed with important safety knowledge that lets them make smart choices that effectively protect 

their children.

One of the simplest and most effective methods of preventing 

pesticide poisoning is storing household pesticides out of 

reach of small children in high, locked cabinets. 

Pesticides. What are they?

Pesticides are products used in and around the home to 

control insects (insecticides), termites (termiticides), rodents 

(rodenticides), fungi (fungicides), weeds (herbicides), and 

microbes (disinfectants). They can be sold in the form of 

sprays, powders, crystals, or balls. Since most pesticides are 

specifically created to be poisonous to pest populations, there 

are many potential risks associated with their improper use.

How do children come in 

contact with pesticides?

Children can come into contact with pesticides stored or 

applied in their homes, yards, day-care facilities, schools, 

parks, or on pets. 

Children often touch things (that may be contaminated with 

a pesticide) and put their hands in their mouths. They also 

crawl and play on floors, grass, or in spaces that might be 

contaminated with pesticides. These activities may put them at 

higher risks for poisoning. Exposure to pesticides may cause 

serious damage to a child’s health.

What are the symptoms of 

pesticide poisoning?

Pesticide poisoning symptoms may appear similar to the flu. 

If a child is experiencing any of the following symptoms listed 

below, contact your Poison Control Center immediately.

Important Facts You Should Know

• The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) data show that more than 50 percent 

of the two million poisoning incidents each year involve children younger than six years old. 

• Each year, poison centers receive thousands of calls from the public with concerns about potential 

exposure to common household pesticides.

• Over 90 percent of calls to the poison control centers concern poisonings that occur in the home.

• Among households with children under the age of five, close to half stored at least one pesticide 

product within reach of a child.

• Nearly 75 percent of households with no children under the age of five stored pesticides in an 

unlocked cabinet within a child’s reach—a significant figure since 13 percent of all pesticide 

poisonings occur in homes other than that of the child.
EPA 735-F-07-011

Immediate short-term effects include: 

• Headaches,

• Dizziness,

• Muscle twitching,

• Weakness,

• Tingling sensations, and

• Nausea.

How can pesticide poisoning 

affect a child’s health?

Pesticide poisoning is especially harmful to children since their 

brain and nervous systems are at the early, critical stages of 

development. The effects are not always immediate, and 

may show up years later as unknown illnesses. Because their 

bodies are still growing, children have less natural defenses 

and can develop serious health effects if overexposed to 

pesticides. 

Long-term exposure to pesticides may 

cuase serious health effects such as: 

• Birth defects; 

• Learning disabilities;

• Behavioral changes;

• Organ damage;

• Forms of cancer, including leukemia, breast cancer, 

and brain tumors; or

• Asthma symptoms. 

Where are pesticides commonly 

found?

Bathrooms and kitchens are the most likely areas of the home 

to contain improperly stored pesticides.

Common household pesticides in these 

areas are:

• Roach sprays and baits;

• Bath and kitchen disinfectants and sanitizers, including 

bleach; 

• Rat and other rodent poisons; 

• Insect repellents; 

• Products used to kill mold or mildew; and 

• Flea and tick shampoos, powders, and dips for pets.

Other household pesticides include:

• Swimming pool chemicals and

• Weed killers.

How can pesticide poisoning 

be prevented?

Curiosity is a normal stage of a child’s developmental process. 

These explorers are at greater risk for accidental poisoning.

By practicing the following pesticide poisoning 

prevention guidelines, innocent mistakes don’t 

have to turn into tragedies:

• Always store pesticides away from children’s reach, 

in a locked cabinet. 

• Install safety latches on cabinets. 

• Read the label first. Follow the directions exactly as 

they are written on the label.

• Remove children, pets, and their toys before applying 

pesticides (inside or outside). 

• Re-close a pesticide product if ever interrupted during 

application (e.g., phone call, doorbell, etc.). 

• Store pesticides in their original containers since a child 

can mistake another container for food or drink.

• Use child-resistant packaging correctly by tightly sealing 

the container after every use.

• Teach children that “pesticides are poisons” and not 

to be touched.

• Program or post the Poison Control Centers' national hotline 

number, 1-800-222-1222, in or near your phone.

For more information on pesticides or pesticide poisoning prevention, refer to EPA’s Pesticides Program 

Web site at www.epa.gov/pesticides, or call the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378.