Selecting Pesticides and Nonchemical Alternatives: Green Thumbs' Rules of Thumb Decision Tools

Abstract

This study of a sample of home gardeners indicates that rules of thumb, or heuristics, are used to select between chemical pesticides and nonchemical alternatives. Such rules of thumb serve to simplify otherwise complicated choice decisions. Heuristics commonly used to choose pesticides include how safe, effective, efficacious, and economical they are, whereas for alternative products consumers more often take into account convenience, efficiency, competency, and handiness. Generally, in an overall ranking of 24 individual choice attributes, pesticies rank low on these attributes where alternatives rank high and vice versa. Gender, age, and years using pesticides are significantly correlated with pesticide selection.

Socio-demographic characteristics of UK families using pesticides and weed-killers

“…This study was unable to investigate differences in usage by gender or between specific ethnic minorities as has been reported in other studies (Grieshop et al, 1992;Whyatt et al, 2002). The relative importance of maternal and partner factors may allow some tenuous inferences about gender differences.…”

“…The strong housing effect may in part reflect non-homeowners passing the responsibility for treating problems to the property owners leading to lower family usage. Some studies have investigated other factors such as pride in the home or neighbourhood, attitudes to nonchemical alternatives and risk assessment of the perceived benefits and hazards of pesticides (Grieshop and Stiles, 1989;Grieshop et al, 1992;Grey, 2003;Robbins and Sharp, 2003). These factors may describe usage better than sociodemographic factors but they are beyond the scope of this study.…”

“…Although nonchemical alternative methods of control exist, these chemical products provide an easy and effective solution (Grieshop et al, 1992). Evidence of their success is that over 90% of households in the USA and UK use them (Savage et al, 1981;Grieshop and Stiles, 1989;Davis et al, 1992;Grieshop et al, 1992;Adgate et al, 2000;Grey, 2003). More recent or larger surveys may suggest this figure is declining in the USA to about 75% (Whitmore et al, 1992;Donaldson et al, 2002;Berkowitz et al, 2003).…”

“…Nevertheless, studies have suggested higher use by males (Grieshop et al, 1992) or have reported positive correlations with income, education and house value (Robbins et al, 2001;Robbins and Sharp, 2003).…”