Pesticide drift is the movement of a spray solution from the intended target to a place where it is not wanted, or the movement of spray droplets or pesticide vapors out of the sprayed area. Drift problems include: 1. damage to susceptible off-target sites; 2. a lower pesticide rate than intended on targets, which can reduce efficacy and waste pesticide and money; and While some level of drift either during or after an application will always occur, understanding the factors that affect it can minimize its effects. Spray drift of pesticides away from the target is an important and costly problem facing both commercial and private applicators. Spray drift near your home could come from pesticides being applied to lawns, gardens, parks, or nearby farming areas. To report pesticide drift in Minnesota, call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798, day or night, seven days a week. Pesticide drift occurs whenever pesticide leaves the intended target site through the air during or soon after application.. Pesticide drift may cause injury to farm workers and other people, particularly children, adjacent crops or other non-target plants, livestock, sensitive environments, fish and wildlife. If the distance downwind is doubled, the amount of drift decreases five-fold. For medical emergencies, immediately call 911. Handling human pesticide exposure takes priority over handling pesticide drift. Inversions occur when warm air, which is light, rises upward into the atmosphere and cool air, which is heavy, settles near the ground. Spray drift is defined by the APVMA as the movement of spray droplets of a pesticide outside of the application site during, or shortly after, application. Distance downwind. Follow the label for first aid and call the Poison Center at 800-222-1222. According to Michelle Wiesbrook, University of Illinois pesticide safety educator, this is the most important time of year to form good relationships with your neighbor. Pesticide drift. Both pesticide applicators and their neighbors are at risk for a slew of negative effects of pesticide drift. All spray operators need to be concerned about pesticide drift and must make efforts to mitigate drift in all forms. Pesticide spray drift happens when a pesticide stays in the air long enough to drift off the area being sprayed and onto other areas by accident. It does not encompass off-target movement of a pesticide caused by runoff, volatilisation, erosion, or any other mechanism that occurs after spray droplets reach their intended target. Applying pesticides during a temperature inversion can result in damaging, long distance drift.