How to Safely Spray our Herbicides
When you need to remove stubborn kudzu, itchy poison ivy or tough dandelions and clover, you need a tough herbicide. Hand-pulling weeds just isn’t an option when you need to eradicate acres of weeds and brush. A powerful herbicide is the answer but we can’t stress enough that these products need to use properly and safely.
Never allow the spray to drift.
We recommend spraying our herbicides, like RM18, RM43, Compare-N-Save Quick Acting Weed & Grass Killer and Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass & Weed Killer 41% Glyphosate, on a calm day to avoid the possibility that the wind could blow the spray to other plants. This drift can not only kill plants and landscapes you desire to keep but could make it land in areas, like water, where it can harm other plants and animals.
Keep people and pets away while you’re spraying.
Not only can drift harm plants but it can harm people and pets. We recommend spraying alone and protecting yourself with the proper safety equipment. Always wear a longed-sleeve shirt, long pants and shoes and socks. Wear chemical-resistant gloves for all mixers and loaders, plus applicators using handheld equipment. Protective eyewear, including goggles, face shield or safety goggles, is a must.
Don’t spray to the point of runoff.
Our herbicides are powerful but toxic to aquatic invertebrates (unless made especially to spray around water) and should not be allowed to run off into storm drains, drainage ditches, gutters or surface waters. To minimize this risk, try to spray when no rain is predicted for 24 hours to help ensure the rain doesn’t wash the pesticide off the area you just treated. Rinsing your equipment over the treated area will help avoid run off to water bodies or drainage systems.
Never mix the herbicides with another product unless recommended on the label.
Some of our herbicides benefit from the use of a surfactant, others don’t. In fact, mixing an oxidizing agent with an herbicide could cause a hazardous chemical reaction. Always thoroughly read the label for every Ragan & Massey product you buy before using.
Allow the spray to dry completely.
The job is not over until the spray has completely dried. Most of our herbicides are completely safe when they’re dried and have no entry restrictions to pets, people or livestock.
Wash up thoroughly once you’re done.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and maintaining your personal protective equipment. If none exist, we recommend washing these items in detergent and hot water separately from other laundry. Get rid of any clothing that has been drenched or heavily contaminated with one of our products. Don’t forget to wash your hands with plenty of soap and water before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet. Try to wash up and change into clean clothing as soon as you’re done.
Following these tips will keep you and your loved ones safe. But, we can’t stress enough to read the labels of all our products to make sure you are following the directions to the letter. This is the best way to use our products and will make sure they’re the most effective at doing their job-killing 100s of unwanted weeds, brush and grasses!