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Quick answer
Pesticide poisoning is illness or injury caused when a pest control product is swallowed, breathed in, or gets on the skin or in the eyes, ranging from mild skin or eye irritation to life-threatening effects.
Most reported cases are mild, but some are serious. If someone is unconscious, struggling to breathe or having seizures, call 911. For anything else, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 and keep the product label at hand.
Quick facts
The key facts about Pesticide Poisoning, with sources:
- Emergency
- Call 911 for unconsciousness, trouble breathing or convulsions 2
- Poison Help line
- 1-800-222-1222; have the label ready 2
- Product questions
- NPIC: 1-800-858-7378 2
- Routes
- Swallowing, breathing in, eyes, skin 2
- Severity (7 states, 2007–2011)
- 89.3% low, 9.4% moderate, 1.2% high, 5 deaths among 5,795 non-work cases 4
- Children under 6 (2024)
- 29,541 pesticide exposures reported to U.S. poison centers 5
- Eye exposure
- Rinse with clean running water for at least 15 minutes 2
Key takeaways
- Pesticide poisoning happens through four routes: swallowing, breathing in, the eyes and the skin.
- Call 911 for unconsciousness, trouble breathing or seizures; otherwise call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
- The product label has first-aid steps, so keep it with the person and bring it to the phone or hospital.
- Do not make someone vomit unless Poison Help or the label tells you to.
- Most cases come from everyday products used at home, and young children account for a large share of calls.
If this is happening now
Act first, read later
Call 911 if the person is unconscious, has trouble breathing or is having convulsions. Otherwise call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Check the product label for first aid and have it in hand when you call 2.
What pesticide poisoning means
A pesticide is any product made to kill, repel or control pests: bug sprays, ant baits, rodent poisons, weed killers and some disinfectants.
Poisoning is harm to a person or pet from too much contact with one.
It can follow a single large exposure, such as a child drinking from a bottle, or contact during or after use, such as touching wet spray.
Health agencies count these as “acute pesticide-related illness and injury.” A CDC report of non-work cases in seven states from 2007 to 2011 found 5,795 cases. Insecticides were linked to 63% of them, followed by herbicides at 10.3% and insect repellents at 8.5% 4.
The effects depend on the product, the amount and the route. The EPA lists four routes: swallowed, in the eye, on the skin and breathed in 2. Some products irritate the skin. Others act on the nervous system.
Doctors use a specific guide for this. The EPA’s Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings, 6th edition, is a reference for clinicians on spotting and treating pesticide exposures 3.
How exposure turns into poisoning
Each route reaches the body differently, so first aid differs too.
- Swallowed. Often a child, a product stored in a food or drink container, or bait within reach. The EPA warns that children may mistake a pesticide in a soft-drink bottle for something to drink 8.
- Eyes. Splashes or spray drift. The EPA notes that eyes absorb pesticides quickly 2.
- Skin. Spills, wet treated surfaces or soaked clothing. Pyrethroid contact can cause stinging, burning, itching or tingling 7.
- Breathed in. Mists, aerosols, fumes or dust in a closed space. The EPA’s first step is fresh air 2.
- Check for danger signsUnconscious, not breathing, seizing → 911
- Read the labelFirst-aid steps are printed on it
- Call Poison Help1-800-222-1222
- Do the route stepEye: rinse 15 min. Skin: drench, remove clothing. Air: move to fresh air. Swallowed: no vomiting unless told
- Bring the labelTo the phone call and the hospital
This is a summary of EPA guidance, not medical advice. Follow what Poison Help and the label tell you. Source: [2]
Warning signs by type of pesticide
| Pesticide group | Signs reported by our sources |
|---|---|
| Organophosphates | Early: dizziness, headache, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, heavy sweating; narrowed pupils. Late: fluid in the chest, convulsions, unconsciousness. Usually within 12 hours of exposure 7 |
| Carbamates (N-methyl) | Similar to organophosphate poisoning 7 |
| Organochlorines | Hyperexcitability, tremors, convulsions; also malaise, headache, fatigue 7 |
| Synthetic pyrethroids | Skin stinging, burning, itching, tingling 7 |
| Most implicated in non-work cases | Pyrethroids (2,709 cases), pyrethrins (922), organophosphates (562), 2007–2011 4 |
Pyrethroids are common in home products. The CDC report notes they are low in toxicity when used as intended but can cause harm when used in larger amounts than recommended 4. See our page on pyrethroids for more.
Example: how severe reported cases were
These are real counts from the CDC’s report on acute non-work pesticide illness in seven states, 2007–2011 4.
| Severity | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 5,173 | 89.3% |
| Moderate | 545 | 9.4% |
| High | 72 | 1.2% |
| Death | 5 | 0.1% |
| Total | 5,795 | 100% |
Children aged 5 and under made up 12.2% of all cases (707) and 19% of high-severity cases; none of the deaths were in that group 4. The lesson: most cases are mild, but the serious ones skew young, so storage matters.
Where the term shows up
On the product label. First-aid steps and a note to call a poison center are printed there. The EPA says to check the label for first-aid directions 2. Our pesticide safety guide explains the rest of the label.
In a pest company’s plan. The EPA says a company’s proposed program should list the active ingredients, their possible health effects and typical symptoms of poisoning 9. See our page on the pest control treatment plan.
In public health data. NIOSH tracks work-related pesticide illness through the SENSOR-Pesticides program and poison center data 6. Poison centers report all calls to the National Poison Data System 5.
In a medical record. Doctors may cite the EPA’s clinical guide when treating a case 3.
Why knowing the signs helps
There is no “benefit” to poisoning. The closest real angle is what early recognition gives you.
- You act sooner. Organophosphate symptoms usually start within 12 hours of the last exposure 7, so linking a headache to yesterday’s spraying matters.
- You call the right line. Poison Help gives first-aid direction; NPIC answers product questions 2.
- You avoid harmful “fixes,” such as forcing vomiting 2.
- You give doctors what they need: the product name and EPA registration number from the label 2.
What first aid and data can and cannot do
First aid buys time; it does not treat poisoning. Serious cases need medical care, and the right treatment depends on the product. That is why Poison Help and the label come first.
Pesticide symptoms overlap with common illness. Headache, nausea and dizziness have many causes, so the link is easy to miss. Tell any doctor what was used, when and how.
Official counts run low. The CDC report covers only seven states and cases that reached surveillance 4. Poison center figures count calls, not every exposure 5.
Cost: what drives the risk, not a price
There is no price on this page. The calls themselves are free to the public through Poison Help. The real cost drivers of poisoning are the human ones: product type, amount, route, the person’s age and how fast help comes.
Prevention is the cheaper side. Buying only what you need, keeping products locked away and hiring a licensed company that uses low-risk methods all cut the odds. The EPA advises not stockpiling and buying only what you will need soon 8.
Our guide to integrated pest management explains how to use fewer pesticides in the first place.
First aid by route (EPA guidance)
Follow the label and Poison Help first. These are the EPA’s general steps 2.
- Swallowed: Do not make the person vomit unless emergency staff on the phone or the label tells you to 2. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious person 7.
- Eye: Hold the eyelid open and rinse gently with clean running water for at least 15 minutes. Do not use eye drops, chemicals or drugs in the water 2.
- Skin: Drench the area with water and remove contaminated clothing. Wash skin and hair with soap and water. Wash or throw away the clothing separately 2.
- Breathed in: Get the person to fresh air at once and loosen tight clothing. Open doors and windows. If you would need a respirator to go in, call the fire department and wait 2.
- Not breathing: Call 911; give rescue breathing if you know how 2.
- Then: Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 with the label in hand 2.
Everyday habits that prevent poisoning
- Keep pesticides in their original labeled containers; never move them into food or drink bottles 8.
- Store them out of reach of children and pets, ideally in a locked cabinet 8.
- Remember that child-resistant does not mean child-proof; close caps tightly 8.
- Never store pesticides near food, animal feed or medical supplies 8.
- Keep rodent bait in a tamper-resistant station; see the rodent bait station page.
- Follow the label’s re-entry wording before people or pets go back into a treated room.
Who is most at risk, and when to get help
Young children are the largest single group. In 2024, U.S. poison centers logged 29,541 pesticide exposures in children 5 and under, 3.4% of all substances in that age group and ninth on the pediatric top-ten list 5. Adults 20 and over had 39,152 5.
Call Poison Help for any suspected exposure, even if the person seems fine. Call 911 for the danger signs. See a doctor for symptoms that develop later, and tell them the product name.
If a professional treatment led to the exposure, also tell the company and your state pesticide agency. Our guide to choosing a pest control company covers asking about safety before you hire.
Rodent poisons and pets
Rodent baits are made to be eaten. If a child or pet may have eaten bait, call Poison Help (for a person) or a veterinarian (for a pet) right away, even with no symptoms, and keep the package. For rodent problems around kids and pets, a licensed rodent control service can use enclosed stations.
Rules and programs that bear on poisoning
Federal (EPA, FIFRA). Pesticides sold in the U.S. are registered by the EPA, and their labels carry first-aid directions that the EPA tells you to check first in an exposure 2.
The EPA also expects a pest company to explain the health effects and poisoning symptoms of the active ingredients it proposes to use 9.
Clinical guidance (EPA). Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings, 6th edition, by James R. Roberts and J. Routt Reigart, was developed under an EPA cooperative agreement with the Medical University of South Carolina for health care providers 3.
Surveillance (CDC/NIOSH). SENSOR-Pesticides tracks acute work-related pesticide illness in partner states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas and Washington, with Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Oregon as technical-support partners 6.
States. Among the seven states in the CDC 2007–2011 report, New York requires physicians and health care facilities to report suspected or confirmed pesticide poisonings to its Pesticide Poisoning Registry within 48 hours of treating the patient 1, and North Carolina (3.29 per 100,000) and Louisiana (3.30) had the highest rates 4.
Reporting rules differ by state, so ask your state health department.
Who to call, and for what
| Line | Number | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 911 | 911 | Unconscious, trouble breathing, convulsions 2 |
| Poison Help | 1-800-222-1222 | Any suspected exposure; first-aid direction 2 |
| NPIC | 1-800-858-7378 | Questions about a product and its toxicity 2 |
| Veterinarian | Your vet or an animal poison line | Pets that ate or touched a pesticide |
| State pesticide agency | Varies by state | Reporting misuse or a problem with a professional application |
Common myths about pesticide poisoning
- Myth Make them throw up right away.
- Reality The EPA says to induce vomiting only if emergency staff or the label tells you to 2.
- Myth A quick rinse is enough for the eyes.
- Reality The EPA says to rinse for at least 15 minutes with clean running water 2.
- Myth Home bug sprays are too weak to matter.
- Reality Pyrethroids and pyrethrins, common in home products, were the most implicated ingredients in non-work cases 4.
- Myth Child-resistant caps make it safe to leave out.
- Reality The EPA says child-resistant does not mean child-proof 8.
- Myth No symptoms means no problem.
- Reality Organophosphate symptoms may not show for hours; they start within 12 hours of the last exposure 7. Call Poison Help anyway.
How state programs differ
Poison Help reaches your local poison center from anywhere in the U.S. What differs by state is surveillance and reporting. NIOSH lists 13 SENSOR-Pesticides states 6.
In the CDC’s 2007–2011 data, rates of non-work pesticide illness were highest in Louisiana (3.30 per 100,000) and North Carolina (3.29), followed by Oregon (1.99) 4. Those numbers partly reflect how actively states look for cases, not only how many happen.
Your state agriculture or pesticide agency also licenses applicators and takes misuse complaints.
What to do with this information
Save two numbers in your phone now: Poison Help, 1-800-222-1222, and NPIC, 1-800-858-7378. Put the Poison Help number on the fridge.
Before you use or hire for any pesticide, ask: Is there a lower-risk option? Our page on non-chemical pest control covers several. If a pesticide is used, keep the label, store it locked away, and follow the re-entry wording.
If an exposure happens, call 911 for the danger signs. For anything else, grab the label and call Poison Help, then do the step for that route.
Quick decision guide
Unconscious, not breathing or seizing: call 911. Any other exposure: call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 with the label. A product question with no symptoms: call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378. A pet exposure: call the vet now.
Questions about Pesticide Poisoning
What are the first signs of pesticide poisoning?
Early signs depend on the product. Washington State University lists dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, heavy sweating and chest tightness as early signs of organophosphate poisoning, often with narrowed pupils.
Pyrethroids on the skin can cause stinging, burning, itching or tingling. Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for any suspected exposure, and 911 for unconsciousness, trouble breathing or seizures.
What should I do if my child swallowed bug spray?
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away, or 911 if your child is unconscious, struggling to breathe or having a seizure. Have the product label in hand.
Do not make your child vomit unless Poison Help or the label says to, because some products do more harm coming back up. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious child.
How long after exposure do symptoms appear?
It varies by product and amount. For organophosphates, Washington State University says symptoms start within 12 hours of the last exposure. For organochlorines, symptoms can begin about 30 minutes after a massive exposure but usually develop more slowly. Skin irritation from pyrethroids can start soon after contact. Call Poison Help even before symptoms appear.
What do I do if pesticide gets in my eyes?
Hold the eyelid open and rinse gently with clean running water for at least 15 minutes, as the EPA advises. Do not put eye drops, chemicals or drugs in the rinse water. The EPA notes that eyes absorb pesticides quickly. Then call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 with the label.
What do I do if I spilled pesticide on my skin?
Drench the area with water and take off any contaminated clothing, the EPA says. Then wash your skin and hair well with soap and water. Wash the contaminated clothes separately from other laundry, or throw them away. Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for advice on the product, especially if irritation or other symptoms develop.
Is Poison Help only for emergencies?
No. Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 is for any suspected exposure, including when the person seems fine, and it connects you to your local poison center.
Call 911 instead when someone is unconscious, has trouble breathing or is having convulsions. For general questions about a pesticide product and its toxicity, NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 is the right line.
How common is pesticide poisoning in children?
Common enough to rank on poison center lists. In 2024, U.S. poison centers recorded 29,541 pesticide exposures in children 5 and under, ninth among substance categories for that age group. In the CDC’s 2007–2011 seven-state report, children 5 and under were 12.2% of non-work cases and 19% of high-severity cases.
Which pesticides cause the most poisonings at home?
In the CDC’s report on non-work cases from 2007 to 2011, insecticides were linked to 63% of cases. The most implicated active ingredients were pyrethroids, pyrethrins and organophosphates. Pyrethroids are low in toxicity when used as intended but can cause harm in larger amounts. Herbicides and insect repellents were the next most common product types.
What information should I have when I call for help?
Have the product label or container, since it carries the product name, active ingredients, EPA registration number and first-aid steps. Know the person’s age and weight if you can, how they were exposed, roughly how much and when. Bring the label to the hospital too. The EPA says to check the label for first-aid directions.
Can a pet be poisoned by pest control products?
Yes. Pets can eat bait, lick treated surfaces or walk through wet spray. Call your veterinarian or an animal poison line right away and keep the package. Keep pets out of treated areas for the full time on the label, and ask a pest company to use enclosed bait stations where pets live.
Sources
- New York State Department of Health, Pesticide Poisoning Registry: Guidance for Health Care Professionals (revised May 2017), retrieved .
- U.S. EPA, First Aid in Case of Pesticide Exposure, retrieved .
- U.S. EPA, Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings, 6th Edition, retrieved .
- CDC MMWR, Acute Nonoccupational Pesticide-Related Illness and Injury, United States, 2007–2011, retrieved .
- Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center), National Poison Center Statistics, 2024 (NPDS data), retrieved .
- CDC NIOSH, Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance, retrieved .
- Washington State University, Crop Protection Guide: Pesticide Poisoning, retrieved .
- U.S. EPA, Storing Pesticides Safely, retrieved .
- U.S. EPA, Choosing a Pest Control Company (EPA 735-F-05-010), retrieved .
Expert review
Written by the HyrePest Research team. Not yet reviewed by an outside expert. We say so rather than imply a review that has not happened; see our editorial policy.
How the numbers were checked: First-aid steps and phone numbers are from EPA’s first-aid page. Symptom descriptions are limited to those in Washington State University’s guide and the CDC MMWR report.
Case counts and severity are from MMWR (2007–2011, seven states); 2024 poison center counts are NPDS data as published by the National Capital Poison Center. SENSOR state roster is NIOSH’s.
No doses, antidotes or treatment instructions are given; this is not medical advice. Held for G-REV: a toxicologist or poison center professional should review before indexing.
Suggest a correction. We fix errors and say what changed.