Beware of the deadly dangers of toxic lawn and garden chemicals. Don’t use them and prevent your pets from visiting neighbors who use them. Pesticides, insecticides and rodenticides can kill your pets, especially those that include sweeteners to attract their intended prey. If your neighbors complain about snails/slugs, mice/rats, flies and other pests, and they use toxic products to control them, keep your pets away!
Protect Your Pets: Learn this List of Toxics
- Snail baits with metaldehyde
- Rodent poisons with anticoagulants (too many chemicals to list)
- Insecticides with disulfoton (for roses)
- Fly baits with methomyl
- Cocoa bean shell mulch with methylxanthine
- Citronella candles – who knew?
- Avoid all fertilizers and weed killers
- Avoid all swimming pool treatment supplies
- Blue-green algae in ponds/lakes is highly toxic, did you know?
- Compost piles: keep your pets out!
Remember: Your pets don’t wear clothing or shoes, so toxic products will get on fur and paw pads. The toxins will be ingested when your pets clean themselves.
Keep your pets safe and healthy this summer! Share this list with others; you may save a life.
In addition — if your Neighbor applies lawn sprays or lawn chemical powders — keep your pets AWAY from that area for several days — when the wind blows, the chemicals WILL get on your dogs’ or cats’ coats and WILL be ingested just by their breathing these poisons. I know of one case where someone’s dogs died because of this. I myself have to make long detours in the Spring in order to stay away from areas where I usually catch the bus — when someone has liberally applied turfbuilder or weed spray to their lawn(s).
Remember, our pets are MUCH closer to the ground than we are — and their foot pads absorb poisons from the ground, as do their mouths and noses and skin.
Also- Lawn Chemicals have been undisputably linked to bird deaths as well – never mind what is said about cats killing birds — the cats could never kill the over 7 – 70 million birds annually killed by these chemicals.
“Gardens Alive” is a great website that has successfully been selling alternative methods of lawn and grass and sweed control for years.
And as for weeds — what’s in a name? Many weeds are actually edible (use caution — do your research and they should not have ever been sprayed with chemicals, of course!!). I deliberately grow Dandelions on my balcony so I can enjoy the leaves.
An excellent post, Anna! There is so much helpful info! And thanks to Ace for more info. I am always alert to what my neighbors are using on their yards. I try to make sure they understand that they need to avoid using harmful chemicals on their yards because they can hurt them and their children. If it hurts my dogs it will hurt them, too.
I have been looking for more natural products to use on my lawn. I have pets and grandchildren and don’t want them to be exposed to anymore toxins then they have to be.