# How far from a house must apple pesticide spraying be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-from-a-house-must-apple-pesticide-spraying-be/356182 "2006-05-10T03:23:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gorgonzola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@Gorgonzola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgonzola)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-from-a-house-must-apple-pesticide-spraying-be/356182/1 "2006-05-10T03:23:39Z")
Dopers, I am hoping you can help me out with some curiosity I have regarding a subject I know little about and am not even sure how to research. A friend living in South Australia is thinking of buying a house in Lenswood, which is by all reports an “apple growing town.” I think it’s a great-looking property and home for a decent price (I’m sorry I can’t provide the link for privacy reasons). She liked the house initially, too, but someone remarked that a lot of pesticide spraying goes on thereabouts, and it’s got her worried that she and her family and pets will end up poisoned – if not directly by the spraying, then by using the rainwater (which collects in a trough running off the roof) or by using the well-water on the property. I think this unlikely – people have been living in the area and on the property for many years – and it’s not THAT good of a price, if you get my meaning. So I don’t think she should be put off the house by that. Sooo, I’m curious: - What kinds of pesticides are used in apple-growing? - How dangerous are they to people? - How much of a buffer zone does there need to be between pesticide spraying and residential areas to provide safety? (One answer my friend received on this was 2-5 km, which seemed pretty huge to me, but again I don’t know much about this.) - Can someone provide a reliable reference for this topic? Thanks in advance!