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Herbicide drift killing everything [Photos], who do I contact?

sansidensansiden Posts: 6
edited August 2021 in Problem solving
Hello, I wish my first post  could be a positive one but I'm in a bit of a panic and need some advice. After watching the farmer spraying in high wind the other day, needless to say, everything in my garden is affected. This can't be right, Who sprays diquat or 2,4D in high wind next to a residential area with children playing about?! My partner and I have been feeling very poorly since the spraying, headaches, dizzyness and very dry mouth. I am quite worried is there anything we can do to stop them doing this???
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  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    That's unacceptable by any standards.  I would start with the government advice on this, assuming you are in the UK?

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    edited August 2021
    I don't really know. Are you sure it was a herbicide being sprayed and not some sort of feed or something else? Are you certain the damage to your plants was caused by the spray?

    If the answer to both questions is yes and (bearing in mind that you feel unwell) I'd contact environmental health as a first port of call. They may be the right people or they will probably know who is.

    You could also contact the NFU for advice and perhaps your parish council can assist - especially as you're unlikely to be the only household affected.

    Obvs all these answers are only relevant if you're in the UK. I've lived in different locations surrounded by arable farms for the last 30 years and I've NEVER known local farmers to spray weedkiller in windy conditions. A little muck spreading yes - herbicide - no.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • sansidensansiden Posts: 6
    Topbird said:
    I don't really know. Are you sure it was a herbicide being sprayed and not some sort of feed or something else? Are you certain the damage to your plants was caused by the spray?

    If the answer to both questions is yes and (bearing in mind that you feel unwell) I'd contact environmental health as a first port of call. They may be the right people or they will probably know who is.

    You could also contact the NFU for advice and perhaps your parish council can assist - especially as you're unlikely to be the only household affected.

    Obvs all these answers are only relevant if you're in the UK. I've lived in different locations surrounded by arable farms for the last 30 years and I've NEVER known local farmers to spray weedkiller in windy conditions. A little muck spreading yes - herbicide - no.
    Hi Topbird, thanks for your reply, I did think it could be something I had done, but it has affected everything, weeds, trees and all. I have contacted Defra to see if they can get it sorted. I am not sure if our fruit and veg is safe to eat and thats why we are feeling ill or if inhaling it the other day is why, i'm pretty sure its the spray though.

    Thanks again.
  • sansidensansiden Posts: 6
    BobTheGardener said:
    That's unacceptable by any standards.  I would start with the government advice on this, assuming you are in the UK?

    Hi Bob, I'm taking a look now, thanks for helping.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    Defra can certainly tell you what you need to do. I will say those pictures do not look like herbicide damage, they look more like fungus.
    What is in the field? There are very few things that would have herbicide sprayed on them at this time of year.
  • sansidensansiden Posts: 6
    Skandi said:
    Defra can certainly tell you what you need to do. I will say those pictures do not look like herbicide damage, they look more like fungus.
    What is in the field? There are very few things that would have herbicide sprayed on them at this time of year.
    Hi Skandi,  potato stubble they were spraying, which went from green to brown in about 2 days.  It will be hard to prove a cause without a lab test I guess.
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    edited August 2021
    DEFRA is probably as good a starting point as any. I'd make some proper notes about what has happened - in case this needs to be taken further. Presumably you know the name of the farm involved. Do you also know the name of the farmer? Do you know if it was the farmer or a contractor doing the spraying? Can you find out? Make a note of dates and times and weather conditions when you saw them spraying and take lots of photos of what you consider to be the resultant damage.

    I wouldn't eat the fruit and veg until you know what they might have been sprayed with. I would also consider a phone call to your GP or 111 for advice if you're still feeling unwell. I suspect there's little you can do now other than drinking loads to flush things through your system - but I don't know. Difficult if you don't know what you may have ingested.

    You should also find out if anyone else has had similar problems. If there's a whole group of you with damaged gardens etc that makes a strong case for 'somebody' to pursue the farmer - partly for compensation but mainly to stop this happening again. Spraying damaging chemicals in high winds is unacceptable full stop. Spraying non-damaging substances is part of living next to a farm.

    Has anything like this happened before?
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Just seen Skandi's post. I agree that the damage on the pictures you've posted could just as easily be caused by fungal infections as by herbicides.

    You need to be certain a herbicide is the cause of the damage - which is why you need to find out if any neighbours have been affected. Herbicide will not have drifted just into your garden unless you're an isolated property.

    I'll also tag @Dovefromabove into this thread. Her family are arable farmers and she'll probably have more idea what the farmer might have been spraying and whether it's likely to have damaged your garden. (Hope you don't mind Dove?🙂)
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    Inform the Environment Agency as well. They will be particularly concerned with any potential aquatic pollution.
  • sansidensansiden Posts: 6
    Thanks all. It could be viral/fungal. I will have a look up and down the street and see if its a wider issue, as i know blight and PM have been rampant this year. I have never seen such a broad affect from these though. Thanks again.
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