Can an herbicide ever be a pesticide?

Tom Dunlap

Tom Dunlap

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Serious etymological question

Last night I saw an add on tv from a law office soliciting clients to sue Monsanto about Roundup injuries

most of the rims my ears tune them out. But then I heard them say ‘Roundup pesticide’. When I looked at the screen it was printed there too

Did they get it wrong?

Or am I missing something in the difference between pesticide and herbicide?

This isn’t about the legal case, just language
 
If you force-feed a Monsanto executive enough Roundup, it works as a pesticide.
:bailando:

Actually, I think too many people expect lawyers to be intelligent, with good attention to detail and capable of critical thinking and analytical reasoning.

Some are. Many are not.

"Roundup is the brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum glyphosate-based herbicide originally produced by Monsanto, which Bayer acquired in 2018. " -- Wikipedia
 
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From the EPA's website https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate glyphposate (roundup active ingredient) has been used as a pesticide since the 1970's. In addition to being an herbicide... sounds like it might be dual use, depending on the label.

For example triclopyr is registered for terrestrial and aquatic use, however dosage rates and application times are drastically different depending on location. So dual use isn't outside the norm.
 
In Florida, I take a pesticide applicator test. If I pass, I can take a test for natural areas and weed management, which is generally used to apply herbicide in natural areas. However, I can apply any pesticide suited towards managing weeds and natural areas, so I could theoretically apply insecticide. I guess my point is that the categories are "pest-management centric". If an insecticide also kills a plant, then those categories break down immediately. And, what's a pest/weed?, etc., right? It's not a phylogenetic type of question, but the phylogenetic relationship of the solutions we apply is just a correlation to the fact that we are treating pests.
 
An organism growing where you don't desire it...is a pest. Pesticides are made to kill those organisms. The subsets of pesticides include fungicides, rodenticides, herbicides, insecticides, miticides and even molluscicides.
 
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By labeling it as the more generic pesticide designation, people think "bug spray" and not "weed killer" and it takes on a more sinister connotation, since pretty much everyone knows better than to huff bug spray. Something designed to kill weeds might be just as toxic, but Monsanto has gone out of their way to paint all herbicides as being harmless to humans. The lawyers want us to view the more sinister pesticide moniker as an immediate, "Danger, Will Robinson!" flag.

Sounds like a really smart tactic, except that it usually has the opposite effect. Most people see it for what it is... an attempt to slant the whole issue in one direction, by a group that's generally viewed as being more sleazy than reliable... lawyers.

It's a legitimate problem, and personally, I think gimmicky crap like that does nothing to help. It's an ambulance-chaser tactic used by lawyers who specialize in suing anybody that might settle out of court to avoid publicity.

Lawyer goes to doctor for a minor operation. Nurse wheels him into a dark room to wait for the anesthesiologist to put him under. He asks the nurse why the room is so dark, and she tells him they had to draw the blinds shut because there was a fire across the street and they didn't want him to wake up and think he had died.
 
Tom Dunlap said:
Serious etymological question

Last night I saw an add on tv from a law office soliciting clients to sue Monsanto about Roundup injuries

most of the rims my ears tune them out. But then I heard them say ‘Roundup pesticide’. When I looked at the screen it was printed there too

Did they get it wrong?

Or am I missing something in the difference between pesticide and herbicide?

This isn’t about the legal case, just language
Click to expand...
Is this a serious question ? Is it true if you don’t use it you loose it?
 
Tom Dunlap said:
Uh...what do mean???
Click to expand...
A herbicide is a pesticide.

A fungicide is a pesticide
An insecticide is a pesticide
---Racist comment deleted---by Tom Dunlap...this is not acceptable on Treebuzz


so to answer your question a herbicide is always a pesticide. Figure it out.
 
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bck56 said:
A herbicide is a pesticide.

A fungicide is a pesticide
An insecticide is a pesticide
---Racist comment deleted---by Tom Dunlap...this is not acceptable on Treebuzz


so to answer your question a herbicide is always a pesticide. Figure it out.
Click to expand...
So are you an asshole or something? Smartest guy in every room you're in?
 
Here’s my beef, this forum is suppose to be a group of professionals, specifically towards arboriculture. (At least everyone claims they are an Arborist). Part of being a professional in this industry is having a sound knowledge of warranted chemical applications. This includes a full spectrum of pesticides. State wide and nation wide resources have always been readily available to help any one enter this field with the proper education to pursue a professional career. To many people fail to utilize these resources, claim they are a professional, misguide clients and overall lower the standards of the green industry. So I am offended when life long member of this forum don’t understand the fundamentals of being an Arborist because they are just a small percentage of the people that keep this industry suppressed compared to other professional fields. If you don’t like that, than take a hike. I encourage any one in this industry to promote their never ending quest of gaining knowledge and maintaining a higher standard. A herbicide is and will always be a pesticide. A pesticide is a just a general term. I run a reputable out fit and I charge appropriately. I do everything everyday to promote my business and the green industry in general. More people should do the same and no one would be asking stupid questions.
 
There are many facets to arboriculture. I know some great arborists who have never strapped on a harness and climbed a tree. There are others who have never done a root collar excavation. I've never participated in a crane removal. Some very good arborists never do pesticide applications. Not doing those doesn't make them a bad arborists.

You say you "encourage any one [sic] in this industry to promote their never ending quest of gaining knowledge and maintaining a higher standard". Somebody who, obviously, doesn't do pesticides asks a question and is subsequently insulted for asking by another who claims to value gaining knowledge? Do you see the contradiction there?
 
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