Top Tips to Make Your Yard Safer

1)    Realize that lawn chemicals are dangerous. Find out the brand names of the lawn care product ingredients you have. Then, visit their website and see their “What Can You Do?” section. Read the content and do your own research.

2)    It is recommended to opt for eco-friendly and organic lawn care practices. Either you do it yourself  or you hire someone to do it for you, it is highly recommended that you select an organic and eco-friendly service. If you already have someone doing the work for you, tell him to avoid using chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides. In its place, encourage instead the use of organic fertilizers and soil enhancers.

3)    Be a Good Neighbor:

-          Before you spray any pesticide in your yard, inform your neighbors about it in advance. Those harmful chemicals must also be kept away out of their homes.

-          Whenever you apply pesticides, it is also important to post a poison notification sign on your front yard. Doing so, your neighbors will know in advance that they have to stay away from it. Remember that the chemicals should not reach the sidewalk in order to avoid people stepping on them.

-          Never apply lawn chemicals before a rain as they might run-off into the storm drains, waterways, and neighboring yards. Try to recommend the same practice to your lawn care service as well.

4)    Whenever there are people coming in to your house, have to take off their shoes at your front door. Bear in mind that lawn pesticides can reach inside your home and usually, it remain on floors and carpets.

5)    If you have a dog, don’t let it to sniff yards that use pesticides. There are a number of studies that link certain canine cancers to synthetic pesticides.

6)    If your neighbor’s lawn care service provider will be spraying pesticides, you have the right to ask for an advance warning from them. In several states in the US, they have laws that require the service to give you a notification within 24 hours if you request it.

7)    As much as possible, avoid using gas-powered lawn machinery. If you have a lawn service provider to do the job, ask them to use an electric or hand mower, or instead of using a leaf blower, a rake is better. This technology contributes to carbon emissions, air pollution, and use up fossil fuels.

8)    Try to reduce your lawn to what you just need. You can replace the rest with native and drought-resistant plants and gardens. In this way, you save water and filters storm-water pollution. In addition, you are also saving manpower and cost.

9)    On your front yard, put a “Pesticide-Free Zone” Ladybug sign. With this, the passers-by will know beforehand that your yard is safe for them to leave their windows open, their kids to play, and their pets to sniff.