Keep chemicals, pesticides from going down the drain. A new public service campaign kicks off to educate residents on how they can keep dangerous residential pesticides out of the Ventura County watershed. The public service campaign is sponsored by "Community for a Clean Watershed," a program established two years ago by the Ventura Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Program, a coalition of storm water quality management agencies in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of Ventura...

more photos Fighting insects with insects. The bug also can reduce a crop's yield by 60 percent to 75 percent, agriculture officials said. The beetle, which feeds on grasses and the leaves of most cereal crops - including spring and winter wheat, barley and oats - reached Oregon in 1999 and now infests 19 of the state's counties. Insecticides cost roughly $14 to $17 per acre, agricultural officials say. Scott Simmons, a crop consultant for Round Butte Seed Growers, based in Prineville,...

The European Parliament s Environment Committee on June 26 endorsed plans by the European Commission for a ban on aerial spraying with pesticides as part of a wide-ranging strategy to cut down the use of these products, which are needed by farmers but can be highly damaging to human health and the environment. The European Parliament s Environment Committee on June 26 endorsed plans by the European Commission for a ban on aerial spraying with pesticides as part of a wide-ranging strategy...

Law enforcement suspects the insecticides and fungicides were stolen for resale on the black market in the agricultural industry. We use that much in a week s time, he said, explaining the chemicals are used on pepper, cantaloupe, watermelon, squash and cucumber. The chemicals had just been delivered and were stolen after being left alone at the facility for only four hours. The best we can figure is somebody stole the chemicals, and we got too close to them and they panicked or something...

Disease and insect pests can build up resistance to pesticides, especially if pesticides are overused. Pesticides also are chemicals we should not put into the environment unless needed. A pesticide should only be applied after a problem is diagnosed, it is determined control is needed to reduce unacceptable damage and it is the right time of the season to apply a pesticide for effective control. It's too early for white grub damage, however, now is the right time to apply insecticides...