Well-groomed yards mean that homeowners are doing a lot of weed spraying every spring and throughout the summer. If you have had enough with the weeds that keep coming back in your yard, and you are ready to spray them to kill them, there are some things you should know. You need to be very careful about spraying for weeds as you spray your yard, and here is why:

The Chemical You Choose May Kill Grass and Flowers Too

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is to purchase a weed killer that does more than just kill weeds. It also kills grass, flowers, and anything else green and growing. A herbicide of this caliber is only great if you intend to kill off the entire yard and re-landscape it with sod. Check the label of the weed killer you purchase for warnings about other greenery and flowers in your yard. Choose the chemical that targets weeds only, and then make every effort to only spray confirmed weeds, and not what you think are weeds. 

Consider the Impact on Local Wildlife

Wild rabbits and hares eat a lot of the tall grasses some people consider weeds. They also eat purple and white clover, dandelions, and "Indian tobacco" plants that look like wild rhubarb. All of these plants, and a few more, are ones that people commonly refer to as weeds, and thus they spray them with the weed killer agents.

The problem is, many of these weed killers take at least a day to take effect, and during that long twenty-four hours, the rabbits and hares hop along and nibble on everything that has been sprayed. It is just as much a poison to them as it is to the "weeds" they consume. Be very careful when it comes to spraying and local wildlife. Your best bet is to fence off or cover everything you spray to avoid poisoning animals that eat these plants. 

Children and Pets Should Not Go Near Anything That Has Been Sprayed

If you spend a Saturday spraying your yard for weeds, do not allow the children in your neighborhood or your home to play in your yard. Additionally, do not allow family pets, cats or dogs, to run around in the yard either. If your dog needs a place to do his/her toilet business, avoid spraying a particular patch of the yard. Then tie your dog on a short leash in this patch of yard so that he/she does not come into contact with the weed chemicals. After about two or three days, it is safe to let everyone out into the whole yard again. 

For more information, you may visit a site such as https://www.snydersweedcontrol.com/.

Share