The lawn care industry seems to be completely wrapped up in using pesticides to control undesirable pests from lawns and landscapes. Whether its undesirable weeds or insect invasions, there seems to be a chemical that remove the pest from causing harm.
Pesticide use is in transition from a seemingly liberal pesticide application to absolute bans on any forms of pesticides. Some U.S. cities have already or are considering complete bans on pesticide use.
Waiting in the wings is an entire host of options from organic controls to just common sense controls that don't involve chemical usage.
The most common and perhaps the most troubling is weed control. Liquid pesticides can be harmful if inhaled in large enough quantities over time. While label directions give clear cut guidelines in how to avoid inhalation or ingestion, the risks are still there. Risk for small children and pets is particularly troublesome. They are the ones closest to where the chemicals reside after application.
Avoiding chemical pesticides should be considered if you have small children and pets. Consider limiting the use of pesticides to front yards only where they will be less likely to come in contact with the chemicals.
You can avoid all forms of pesticides. Tell your lawn care provider that you don't mind having a few weeds or bugs in the yard.
No-pesticides doesn't mean you have to have weeds as an alternative. Annual overseeding of the lawn, including an annual top-dressing program with a regular aeration treatment along with regular scheduled fertilizer applications will in time build a thick, healthy, almost weed-free lawn.
Reducing the use of pesticides on the lawn helps promote a biodiversity in the soil. Natural predators will remain in the soil that help attack harmful pests. Thick lawns crowd out and almost eliminate weeds.
The lawn industry needs to look at creating healthy lawns and not just lawns that look healthy.
