Fruit growers need to be aware of significant pesticide label changes

Jackie Perkins<albertj9@msu.edu> and Erin Lizotte<taylo548@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - April 25, 2025

An ever-increasing number of pesticide labels require applicators to utilize the Bulletins Live! Two system to check for additional use limitations to protect endangered species and their habitat.

A pesticide applicator applies pesticides in a fruit orchard. — Photo by ikerby36.gmail.com, depositphotos

Anyone applying agricultural pesticides needs to be aware of changes coming to pesticide labels across the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed an online system called Bulletins Live! Two that determines if additional pesticide use limitations are needed to protect threatened or endangered species or habitat based on the application location, pesticide product and application month. The Bulletins Live! Two system is intended to avoid blanket use restrictions and instead limit restrictions to geographic and time-specific uses that should be avoided to protect endangered species and their habitat. These changes are currently impacting pesticide application in Michigan.

Not all products require the Bulletins Live! Two system. At this time, a limited number of herbicides and insecticide labels are impacted. Impacted labels will include a new directive under the “Directions for Use” section, which instructs visiting the Bulletins Live! Two website to check for additional pesticide limitations based on the application details (date, location, product). Applicators are only required to consult the Bulletins Live! Two system if the label that came with the pesticide container in their possession directs them to.

If a pesticide label directs you to Bulletins Live! Two, you are required to follow the pesticide use limitations found on both the label and on the bulletin generated by Bulletins Live! Two. Compliance is the applicator’s responsibility.

A screenshot of the Bulletins Live! Two website, as of April 23, 2025. — Bulletins Live! Two website, accessed April 23, 2025.

To generate a bulletin, you will need the following information:

Location that you plan to spray (select manually on digital map or enter as an address/coordinates).
Application month and year.
The product EPA registration number, found on the pesticide label.

The bulletins themselves are simply a document that describes any additional pesticide use limitations based on the proposed application details. It includes a map of the location, the application timing and product. Areas impacted by additional use limitations will be designated on the bulletin as a “pesticide use limitation area” or PULA.

Applicators may check the Bulletins Live! Two system up to 6 months in advance of an application, so carefully check the labels of products currently on hand and the labels of commonly utilized products well in advance of the growing season. Though not required, applicators are encouraged to print or save the bulletin along with their pesticide records even if no additional pesticide use limitations apply.

Examples of a bulletin with additional pesticide use limitations for the application of Intrepid Edge in April 2025 in west central Michigan. — Example of a bulletin with additional pesticide use limitations for the application of Intrepid Edge in April 2025 in areas of west central Michigan. Web accessed April 23, 2025.

It is important to note that there may not be any additional specific use limitations based on the application parameters. At this time, there are less than 15 products that have use limitations in Michigan, though many more labels will require growers to check the Bulletins Live! Two website. This could be because EPA has not yet identified if additional pesticide use limitations are needed, or there are no additional geographically specific use limitations based on the application details.

There are also situations where an applicator finds the proposed application has additional limitations, but the product may still be applied if specific runoff and drift mitigation practices are followed. There are very few instances where pesticide use is completely unallowable. There may also be situations where a PULA is no longer applicable as the tool is refined.

Compliance with all label directives including using Bulletins Live! Two is mandatory and the applicator’s responsibility. Ideally, applicators will carefully check the labels of products they are considering before purchasing to fully understand any use limitations on their site. Currently, most of the impacted labels with additional pesticide use limitations are agricultural herbicides and insecticides, but additional products are added regularly with the inclusion of fungicides and other pesticides anticipated in the future. Because Bulletins Live! Two will continue to add new pesticides continuously, applicators need to continue to check all product labels carefully for this new directive.

This list below shows products that are registered for use in fruit crops that have additional use limitations in Michigan (PULAs). This list is only current as of Feb. 26, 2025, and could be out of date at any time hereafter.

Minecto Pro
Exirel
Invertid 2F
Intrepid 80WSP or 2F
Intrepid Edge
GF-2986 (methoxyfenozide)
Benevia (strawberries only)
Mainspring GNL/Flora (non-bearing nursery fruit trees)

Applicators are encouraged to direct any questions to Michigan State University Extension or the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Essential resources

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).