Abstract
Within biodiversity conservation, there is often limited evidence for the efficacy of proposed interventions, particularly individual pro‐environmental behaviours—one of the most common of which is reducing domestic herbicide and pesticide use. We conducted a preregistered rapid review to assess the impact of herbicide and pesticide use in domestic gardens on wild species abundance and diversity and ecological quality in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Web of Knowledge, Scopus and the Conservation Evidence and Environmental Evidence websites were searched. Dual screening was conducted at the title and and full‐text level based on predefined criteria before identified studies were assessed for validity and then summarised in a narrative synthesis. Four observational studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on various bird and invertebrate species. The resulting studies reported either no significant effect or negative effects of herbicide and pesticide use on species. No studies were identified which assessed the impact of herbicides or pesticides on ecological conditions or quality. The findings from some of the studies seem to indicate that other variables such as habitat quality around gardens may synergistically interact with pesticide use. The evidence for the impact of herbicide and pesticide use in domestic gardens is limited to birds and invertebrates, suggesting the need for further research on other species groups and broader environmental conditions such as soil and water quality. Practical implication. As we found some evidence that domestic herbicide and pesticide use negatively impacts wildlife in the United Kingdom and Ireland, we recommend that environmental NGOs continue to promote chemical‐free gardening to support biodiversity. Preregistered rapid review finds just four studies in the United Kingdom and Ireland which assess pesticide use and wild species abundance or diversity in domestic gardens. These studies either reported negative effects of pesticide use or no significant effect, so we recommend chemical‐free gardening to support biodiversity.