Lawn-care companies say it's costing them more to wage war against weeds as pesticide bans spring up across the country.

More than 140 municipalities, including Toronto and Vancouver, have adopted bylaws that prohibit the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes. Calgary, Winnipeg and several other cities have similar bans in the works.

Quebec has introduced a province-wide ban, Ontario has passed legislation that will outlaw the use and sale of pesticides for cosmetic purposes starting next year, and B.C. and Alberta are considering similar provincial laws.

The industry doesn't like the increasing trend of pesticide bans, says Terry Murphy, human-resources development manager for Landscape Ontario, a horticultural trade association.

"But at the same time, we've always had a philosophy that a pesticide is the very last thing that we use."

Pesticides are still permitted on most golf courses and for non-cosmetic purposes.

Murphy says the movement toward more bans will hurt some lawn-care companies financially because they will have to shift to organic and labour-intensive solutions.

"Some of the customers probably won't pay for it, but (companies) don't have a choice so they'll have to market that (organic approach) and they'll have to market that real hard," he says.

But, he adds, most firms will adapt because they already endorse integrated pest management (IPM) systems and they've been preparing for a provincial ban for about two years. IPM is an ecological strategy that uses a variety of methods to deal with pests while reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides.

Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.

The increasing number of bans come as the Canadian Cancer Society, David Suzuki Foundation, and other health and environmental groups are calling on municipalities to immediately prohibit the use of chemicals on lawns.

The Canadian Cancer Society says pesticides cause cancer and are particularly hazardous to children.

But lawn-care companies and industry groups, citing Health Canada approvals of products and the federal agency's research findings, argue that pesticides do not pose a serious risk when used properly.

Wojciech Lenartowicz, owner of North Vancouver-based L & W Landscaping, says he has stopped using pesticides completely, although he is still allowed to use them in some parts of Metro Vancouver.

"I'm going to lose really good business," he says.

"People are complaining more. I say (municipalities) have a ban, but (customers) don't really understand a ban."

In some cases, he has boosted prices 30-40 per cent for killing weeds.

"If their weeds start to grow, they have to pay more and they have to pay more attention. There's more work involved - and more cost. You have to do weeding by hand."

Meanwhile, operators in other parts of the country where bans have not yet been introduced are changing their methods in anticipation of new regulations.

"We're busier than we've ever been before, so (the trend of more pesticide bans) is certainly not hurting us," says Jim Nix, owner of a Calgary Nutri-Lawn franchise.

"But we certainly knew that the acceptance of pesticides by the public is getting less and less all the time, so we did move towards doing more organic and more pesticide-free programs over the years and working with alternative products," says Nix.

He predicts the use of organic products will increase in future. He expects revenue to remain strong even if Calgary passes a ban - city aldermen have already narrowly voted in favour of developing a draft bylaw.

In some cases, he says, bans are prompting companies to stop offering weed-killing services and specialize in areas such as irrigation and landscape maintenance.

"The biggest threat we have as an industry right now is to produce more organic products, or more natural products to do what we're doing already," says Nix.

"That's a big part of what we're doing - research to find things that will work in light of these bans. If we don't get those, then it's going to be a real struggle providing value for our customers because probably 65-70 per cent of our customers hire us to control the weeds on their properties."

Peter MacLeod, vice-president of chemistry for Ottawa-based Crop Life Canada, a trade association that represents manufacturers and distributors of pesticides used in agriculture, forestry and urban markets, says the bans jeopardize future international investment in those areas.

"When there are bans put in place that are not based on clear criteria, or based on science, they really impact what type of investment manufacturers are going to make in the market," says MacLeod.

"They're multinational companies, and when they're looking at places to develop new reduced-risk products, they're taking a look at Canada and some of the provincial areas and wondering what the rules are."

MacLeod says lawn care accounts for about four per cent of Canada's $13.1-billion pesticide industry. Homeowners, he says, should have access to products that Health Canada has deemed are safe.

"(Lawn-care companies) are increasingly put in a tighter and tighter box," says MacLeod. "They vary from very little restriction to almost a complete ban. First of all, it's very difficult for some of these organizations and the low-income-tier companies that work in that environment. You could cross the street and there could be a different rule in place."

Noting that all types of weed killers must also be approved by Health Canada, he says Ottawa - not municipalities - should have the final say on pesticide use. He also questions why pesticides can't be used on lawns but can be used to treat food crops.

"This is a growing issue," says MacLeod. "Certainly, we're looking to Health Canada and the provincial governments to provide some guidance to these municipalities."

However, Bruce Marshall, who operates a Turf Logic franchise in Victoria, welcomes the bans.

"It should, hopefully, bring a few more customers for us, because most of the other lawn-care companies are still using pesticides, even though they claim they have organic programs," he says.

Turf Logic, which has franchises across the country, bills itself as Canada's first pesticide-free lawn-care operation. Marshall, a former finance industry veteran who opened his lawn-care business earlier this year, says he bought franchise rights for the Victoria region because of Turf Logic's organic approach.

He adds Ontario Turf Logic operators have seen gradual increases in business as more municipalities adopt bans and the province plans its new law.

"With all the news in B.C. and across the country about pesticides, many people are actually starting to look for us," he says. "(Bans) are nothing but good."

He notes several public opinion polls show people increasingly oppose chemical treatments on their grass.

"There's one company around that's been around since the '70s," says Marshall. "They're known for coming onto your lawn with a gas mask and spraying. That's not a good image for your lawn care."

(Monte Stewart can be reached at monte@businessedge.ca)