Pesticide use and regulation in urban Quebec: what you need to know
Based on the webinar presented by Manon Desjardins, agronomist and scientific advisor for the pesticide division at the Quebec Ministry of the Environment
This Q&A series summarizes the key points of the webinar on pesticide use and regulation in urban Quebec, particularly in relation to commercial buildings and pollinator protection.
Definitions and basic concepts
Q: What exactly is a pesticide?
A: A pesticide is a product intended to destroy or control an organism deemed harmful or undesirable, or to prevent or reduce the damage they can cause. Sometimes the goal is not to eradicate completely, but simply to control their presence. Pesticides can also be used to repel pests — for example, an insect repellent to drive away adult mosquitoes rather than eliminating their larvae.
Q: How is a pesticide composed?
A: A pesticide is made up of several distinct elements. The main active ingredient is the element that produces the intended effect, such as glyphosate or imidacloprid for example. Added to this are the formulation products that serve to bind the active ingredient and give it properties of adhesion, coverage, or that increase its solubility. Although the PMRA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency) evaluates all of these products, we do not always have access to details concerning the formulation products, which is why regulation often focuses on the active ingredient.
Q: How can one learn about pesticide risks?
A: There is an excellent tool called SAgE pesticides, developed in collaboration between the Ministry of the Environment, the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, and the INSPQ. This tool makes it possible to do a simple search on the active ingredient and check the effects on health and the environment. It offers detailed sheets but also short sheets with easily recognizable warning symbols.
For companies like Alvéole that manage urban hives, this tool is particularly useful for assessing the impact of pesticides on bees and recommending safe practices to their clients.
Health and environmental risks
Q: What are the main routes of pesticide exposure?
A: There are three main routes of exposure:
- The lungs: very rapid absorption, especially in confined environments or with aerosol products
- The mouth: hand-to-mouth contact after handling the product or contact with a treated surface
- The skin (main route): the product can penetrate directly through the skin, even if you wash your hands afterward
Q: What types of poisoning can be observed?
A: There are mainly two types of pesticide-related poisoning. Acute poisoning results from a very short-term exposure and manifests through symptoms that appear quickly, from a few minutes to an hour after exposure, including itching, nausea, vomiting, and headaches, and can in extreme cases lead to death. Chronic poisoning, on the other hand, results from long-term and regular exposure to a high-risk product, and can eventually cause serious illnesses such as certain types of cancers or Alzheimer's.
Q: What are the environmental risks?
A: There are two main forms of environmental pollution related to pesticides. Point pollution corresponds to a momentary contamination that occurs during the mixing or application of the product, for example when there is drift toward a nearby hive. Diffuse pollution, for its part, represents indirect contamination that occurs through leaching, infiltration, or runoff toward drinking water wells or waterways, creating risks for aquatic wildlife.
Portrait of urban use
Q: How is pesticide use distributed in Quebec?
A: In 2022, the distribution of pesticide use in Quebec broke down as follows: 77% were used in agriculture, making it the dominant sector, while 17% were intended for urban use including domestic and commercial uses. The remaining 6% concerned other specialized uses such as forestry, transportation corridor maintenance, and the energy sector.
Q: How is urban use distributed?
A: The breakdown of the 17% of urban use is divided into three main categories. Domestic-use products represent the largest share with 75% of urban uses, while 10% are dedicated to the management of green spaces and golf courses. The remaining 6% concerns professional pest management, that is the specialized services for the control of rats, mice, bed bugs, and other pests.
Q: What do biopesticides represent in urban use?
A: Within the 75% of domestic use, 73% of sales are biopesticides, mainly:
- Corn gluten meal for dandelion control
- Silicon dioxide for ants
- Certain Bacillus for caterpillar control
- Corn cob cellulose for rodent control
Regulatory framework
Q: How are regulatory responsibilities distributed?
A: Pesticide regulation in Canada operates according to a sharing of responsibilities among three levels of government. The Government of Canada, through Health Canada, is responsible for product registration, and the product label becomes regulatory and must mandatorily be respected. The Quebec government, for its part, regulates complementary aspects such as storage, sale, use, training, as well as spill and accident management. Finally, municipalities have the possibility to regulate more strictly than the province, provided that their regulations are compatible with the existing provincial regulation.
Q: What are the basic obligations?
A: The regulatory obligations are divided into two main parts. First, permits are mandatory for businesses, building owners, municipalities, and service companies that use pesticides, particularly when it comes to commercial-use products. Second, certificates are required for all persons who directly apply pesticides, which requires prior training and passing an exam. It is important to note that ongoing training is now becoming mandatory in the pest management sector.
Q: What are the current protection measures?
A: Several protection measures currently apply to treatments on lawn surfaces to ensure safety. During application, only the certified applicator must be present on site, and pets must not be exposed to the product. It is also essential not to contaminate untargeted surfaces such as swimming pools, park benches, or nearby hives. Applicators must respect specific distances from waterways, daycares, and schools, and mandatory signage must be installed after each treatment to inform the public.
New regulations
Q: What changes take effect in July 2025?
A: The new July 2025 regulations introduce considerably expanded prohibitions. On the one hand, the number of banned products will be practically tripled compared to the current list. On the other hand, the areas covered by these prohibitions extend well beyond lawn surfaces to now cover all green space maintenance, including trees, shrubs, flower beds, and even vegetable gardens.
Q: On what criteria are these new prohibitions based?
A: The new prohibitions are based on standardized criteria such as those of SAgE pesticides, with authorization maintained for products classified as light or low, while products from moderate to extremely high will be prohibited. Biopesticides all remain authorized since they all belong to the light or low category.
Q: What is maintained despite the prohibitions?
A: Despite the new prohibitions, the regulation maintains the authorization of all biopesticides, certain specific uses that limit the risks of exposure, as well as treatments necessary for the protection of the integrity of buildings and the built heritage.
Alternative solutions
Q: How to plan to reduce pesticide use?
A: Planning the layout from the design stage forms the basis of an effective preventive approach. It is recommended to integrate the landscaping directly when planning construction in order to anticipate the conditions favorable to a healthy environment. This approach consists of betting on biodiversity rather than monotonous rows of a single species, choosing native plants that are naturally more resistant to local conditions, and integrating plants that attract pollinators to create a balanced ecosystem.
Q: What are the good maintenance practices?
A: Offer optimal growth conditions:
- Water moderately and respect municipal restrictions
- Schedule automatic watering in the morning
- Aerate the lawn annually to improve its vigor
- Maintain a high mowing height: a long lawn remains moist, vigorous, and beautiful even during dry periods
- Accept that the lawn may temporarily turn yellow during dry periods
For commercial building managers, Alvéole also offers pesticide measurement and assessment services on commercial properties, helping to identify the safest practices to protect urban pollinators.
Q: How to apply tolerance and alternative methods?
A: The tolerance approach develops in several progressive stages. First, you need to learn to distinguish true pests from beneficial or simply harmless insects, then accept tolerating small quantities of organisms that do not really cause a significant problem. When intervention becomes necessary, it is appropriate to apply alternative methods before reaching an intolerable threshold, such as putting mulch in flower beds, putting insect netting on vegetable gardens, cutting branches affected by diseases, doing autumn maintenance by removing debris, or proceeding to manual collection of unwanted insects.
Resources and contacts
Q: Where can I find more information?
A: Several resources are available:
- SAgE pesticides: to assess the risks of active ingredients
- Quebec Ministry of the Environment website: list of municipalities that regulate
- Direct contact: pesticides@environnement.gouv.qc.ca for any question on regulation
- Alvéole: for pesticide measurement and assessment services on commercial properties, as well as specific recommendations for urban pollinator protection
Q: How to check municipal regulation?
A: The Ministry maintains an up-to-date list of municipalities that regulate pesticides, available on their website. Municipal regulations are generally posted on the websites of the municipalities concerned.
Conclusion
Pesticide regulation in urban Quebec is evolving toward a more restrictive approach with the July 2025 changes. The emphasis is on protecting public health and the environment, while encouraging the adoption of alternative methods and biopesticides. The key to success lies in good planning, information, and the adoption of an integrated pest management approach favoring prevention and tolerance.
For specific questions on regulation or advice adapted to your situation, do not hesitate to contact the pesticide team at the Quebec Ministry of the Environment.
