About SprayDays and Pesticides

SprayDays California is a tool to look up information about the scheduled applications of specific pesticides, referred to as restricted material pesticides, that are used on farms.

SprayDays was developed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to provide transparent access to information in advance of the scheduled use of California restricted material pesticides in production agriculture.

Agricultural communities in California are interested in more information about pesticide use in their region. The community in Kern County initially started a conversation about a pesticide application notification system through their local AB 617 Community Emissions Reduction plan. Following this request, the 2021-2022 State Budget provided DPR with funding to develop a statewide system to increase public access to information prior to intended applications of restricted material pesticides on farms across California.

Not all scheduled pesticide applications included on SprayDays will occur.

SprayDays provides information about the scheduled use of a restricted material pesticide in production agriculture (on a farm). If the intended application is approved by the county agricultural commissioner, a grower or applicator has up to four days following the scheduled application date to start the pesticide application. The grower or pesticide applicator may also decide to cancel or reschedule for a variety of reasons, including a decrease in the pest presence or changes in weather conditions that may cause an application drift.

No. SprayDays provides information only on specific pesticides used on farms called restricted material pesticides. The information about scheduled use of restricted material pesticides is provided to the Department of Pesticide Regulation through the restricted material permitting process, which requires a grower or pesticide applicator to submit a “notice of intent” to the county agricultural commissioner for review and must get approval before they can use a restricted material pesticide.

Information will be available on SprayDays 48 hours in advance of the intended application of fumigants and 24 hours in advance of all other restricted material pesticide applications or as soon as practicable.

Active ingredients are the chemicals that make a pesticide work to control or eliminate the target pest. Some active ingredients are designated as "restricted materials" because they can have more potential impacts on people and the environment if they are used incorrectly or if you are exposed.

National Pesticide Information Center provides health and safety information on active ingredients. You can call them directly at 1-800-858-7378 or contact them by email at npic@oregonstate.edu with specific questions.

We also have information specific to some active ingredients used in California on the Community Health page.

Pesticides may be applied in different ways. The method used depends on the type of pesticide and the crop it is used on. All restricted material pesticide applicators must be trained and licensed before they can apply these pesticides.

• Aerial: The pesticide is applied by an aircraft or drone.
• Ground: The pesticide is applied using hand-held sprayers or tractors.
• Fumigation: The pesticide forms a gas when applied.
• Other: The pesticide is applied using other application methods such as with a bait-box, through irrigation lines (chemigation), or soil injection.

The “treated amount” is the size of the area where the pesticide will be applied. In agricultural uses, the treated amount is typically reported in acres. One acre is slightly smaller than a football field.

Treated amount can help determine the scope and duration of the application. A grower or pesticide applicator has up to four days from the intended start date to begin the pesticide application, after they have received approval from the county agricultural commissioner to use the pesticide.

The EPA Registration Number identifies a pesticide product and is legally required to be on the label of all pesticide products registered in the United States. This means the pesticide has been evaluated by the U.S. EPA prior to being used or sold in the country.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation additionally evaluates pesticides’ risks to people and the environment before they can be used in California and continuously evaluates pesticides after they are registered to protect people and the environment.

The EPA Registration Number can be used to find pesticide products in the Department of Pesticide Regulation's product label database.

Information provided through SprayDays may not reflect actual pesticide applications or align with Pesticide Use Reports.

SprayDays provides information before scheduled applications of restricted material pesticides in production agriculture. Some applications may not occur if the application is not approved by the county agricultural commissioner or if there are changes in weather or conditions that would impact the application or if the pest issue decreases and the pesticide is not needed. If the intended application is approved by the county agricultural commissioner, a grower or applicator has up to four days following the scheduled application date to start the pesticide application.

Because applications are intended and require County Agricultural Commissioner approval, information provided through SprayDays may not reflect actual pesticide applications or align with Pesticide Use Reports.

All agricultural pesticide use is currently required to be reported to county agricultural commissioners, who in turn, report the data to the Department of Pesticide Regulation, sometimes referred to as DPR. The agricultural pesticide use information is reported through Pesticide Use Reports, which reflect the applications that did occur. The Department of Pesticide Regulation has been collecting Pesticide Use Reports for more than thirty years. These reports can be found on the Department's website.

Growers and pesticide applicators are already required to submit a “Notice of Intent” to their County Agricultural Commissioner prior to the agricultural use of a restricted material pesticide. Regulations to support the launch of SprayDays required these notices to be submitted electronically so DPR could share that information with the public. More information and a fact sheet on the regulatory requirements for growers and pesticide applicators is available on DPR’s website.

SprayDays includes information on scheduled use of specific pesticides called restricted material pesticides.

A restricted material pesticide has a higher potential than other pesticides to cause harm to people, animals, the environment, or other crops. Restricted materials, along with all other registered pesticides in California, have been evaluated by the Department of Pesticide Regulation for risks or impacts they could have for people or for the environment. Restricted materials are a highly regulated category of pesticides in California with significant restrictions on how and where they can be used and who can use them.

The State’s restricted material permitting process requires anyone who applies restricted material pesticides (growers or pesticide applicators) to hold a license and an annual permit to apply restricted materials. Prior to the application of a restricted material, the grower or pesticide applicator must submit a “Notice of Intent” to their county agricultural commissioner for review and approval.

More information can be found at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

No. While the word “spray” is used commonly to describe pesticide applications, not all pesticides are sprayed using equipment or from the air. Some pesticides are injected into the ground or applied in other ways. Additionally, not all pesticides that may be applied are restricted materials, which means that pesticides may be sprayed that do not show up as a notification in SprayDays California. Some “sprays” occurring aerially may also be a fertilizer, not a pesticide. Fertilizers are not included in SprayDays.

SprayDays is not limited to sharing information just on pesticides that are “sprayed” but will include the intended or scheduled application of all uses of restricted material pesticides in production agriculture.

SprayDays includes information on California restricted material pesticides used in production agriculture.

Restricted material pesticides are subject to a high level of regulatory restrictions to protect people and the environment.

Production agriculture is agricultural activities directly related to the cultivation and harvesting of agricultural crops and other agricultural commodities. This includes operations such as crop production in orchards and fields, greenhouse and nursery production, and livestock farming for meat, milk, and egg production.

You can find science-based pest management recommendations through the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM) Program. UC IPM provides practical, research-backed methods that incorporate both pesticide and non-pesticide techniques to help growers, land managers, and pest control professionals manage pests effectively while minimizing unintended impacts on people and the environment.

You can visit the UC IPM Agriculture page for in-depth pest management strategies, official guidelines, and monitoring techniques for managing insect, mite, nematode, weed, and disease pests in production agriculture. UC IPM also offers a variety of publications, how-to guides, and online training materials to assist with pest identification and management planning. Print resources can be found at the UC IPM Publications Page.

UC IPM also works through Cooperative Extension (UCCE) to deliver localized pest management information in every California county. You can find your nearest office by visiting the UC ANR County Offices Directory and selecting your county for local support.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation, sometimes referred to as DPR, evaluates all pesticides for risks to people and the environment before they can be used in California. The Department of Pesticide Regulation develops and enforces measures to reduce pesticide risks to people and the environment, including restrictions on how and where pesticides are applied, and who can apply them. Examples of the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s work include:

• Requiring distances between applications and places where people may be (residences, schools, and other sensitive sites)
• Limiting times of pesticide applications
• Restricting what crops a pesticide can be used on
• Requiring certain application methods that prevent pesticides from drifting
• Testing produce to control for pesticide residue on the fruits and vegetables that you buy

Pest management protects crops, cities, parks, forests, homes, and businesses from pests including weeds, insects, and diseases. There are many different types of pesticides to target specific pests. Department of Pesticide Regulation evaluates all pesticides for risks and impacts to human health or the environment before they can be used in California. Restricted materials are a specific classification of pesticide that have more regulation and restrictions on their use to protect people and the environment.

Restricted materials are a highly regulated category of pesticides in California with many additional restrictions on their use. The Department of Pesticide Regulation works closely with county agricultural commissioners to support local oversight, approval and enforcement of laws and regulations related to the use of restricted materials.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation continuously reviews pesticides based on emerging science, illness reports and other information to inform new laws and regulations to protect people and the environment from potential pesticide risks.

To reduce potential risks to people and the environment, the Department of Pesticide Regulation is accelerating the availability and adoption of safe, effective, and sustainable pest management in California.

Department of Pesticide Regulation provides education and outreach, and also funds research projects and programs that expand the use of a broad range of alternative and sustainable pest management approaches.

More information can be found at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

Please see the Community Health page for more information.

You may also contact the National Pesticide Information Center for more information about a specific active ingredient. You can call them directly at 1-800-858-7378 or contact them by email at npic@oregonstate.edu.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission is to protect people and the environment by fostering sustainable pest management and regulating pesticides. California’s pesticide regulatory system—including all the pesticide use laws and regulations, and the state and local enforcement of those laws and regulations—is designed to protect people and the environment. SprayDays is an information resource that provides advance information about intended restricted material pesticide applications in production agriculture. The goal of SprayDays California is to provide transparency and access to information in advance of restricted material pesticide applications, complementing the current and existing regulatory system that strictly evaluates and regulates pesticide use in California.

You can sign up to receive text or email messages with information in advance of scheduled restricted material pesticide applications in production agriculture on the Sign-Up page. You will need to enter a valid postal address. Text messages and emails will be distributed if there is an application planned in the 1 square mile area the address is located and any surrounding areas. The address you use can be a residence, business, school, or other location, it does not have to be a home address. You can sign up for multiple addresses.

You can sign-up to receive text messages or emails about upcoming, planned restricted material pesticide applications used in production agriculture. You can visit a local library or somewhere with internet to sign-up on the SprayDays website. You do not need regular internet access to receive text messages via your cell service.

Please visit the User Manual for information on how to sign-up for text messages or emails.

Please login using the email or phone number you used to sign up for notifications (login button is available at the top right of your screen). Once you login, you will access a dashboard to unsubscribe or manage your notifications.

Personal information is not required to search the web-based SprayDays Map.

To receive information by email or text message, an email address or cell phone number is required. Email addresses, cell phone numbers and any related personal information will be used by Department of Pesticide Regulation only to provide the user information about scheduled restricted material pesticide applications in production agriculture. Users who register and subscribe to SprayDays may unsubscribe and/or delete their account at any time and their information will not be stored.

There are strict legal and regulatory requirements for how the state gathers or may use personal information, including an individual’s name, physical address, email address, or cell phone number. Additional information about the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s protection of personal information can be found in our department’s privacy policy.

If you are experiencing symptoms such as difficulty breathing, please call 911. For free, first aid advice, please call Poison Control Center (available 24 hours a day in 100 languages) at 1-800-222-1222.

It is important to report any suspected pesticide illness, incident, or concern to your county agricultural commissioner. You can contact them by calling 1-87PestLine (1-877-378-5463).

If you are experiencing symptoms such as difficulty breathing please call 911. For free, first aid advice, please call Poison Control Center (available 24 hours a day in 100 languages) at 1-800-222-1222.

Symptoms of pesticide exposure may include:

• Flu-like symptoms (tiredness, headache, or dizziness)
• Blurred vision
• Stuffy nose, sore throat, or coughing
• Eye, nose, or skin irritation
• Excessive sweating
• Vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach cramps
• Nervousness, confusion, loss of coordination

Call 911 Immediately if you:

• Feel weak or unable to walk
• Feel discomfort in your chest
• Have pinpoint pupils
• Foam at the mouth and nose
• Have problems breathing
• Lose consciousness

It is important to report any suspected pesticide illness, incident or concern to your county agricultural commissioner. You can contact them by calling 1-87PestLine (1-877-378-5463).

Please contact us if you have any technical issues or feedback.

For the first three years following system launch, Department of Pesticide Regulation will collect annual feedback on the notification system from the public, Department of Pesticide Regulation’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC) and the State Board of Food and Agriculture to inform any iterative changes or updates to the system. This feedback will be included in an annual report issued by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, which will be available on the department’s website. Department of Pesticide Regulation will issue a final report on the system three years after the regulation goes into effect.

You can connect with your county agricultural commissioner by calling 1-87PestLine (1-877-378-5463). You can also search for your County Agricultural Commissioner’s contact information on this website.