These chemicals have been around for a long time, and I have never heard of anyone, or any pets getting sick from them. They were tested in labs for toxicity and carcinogenicity, and wouldn't be for sale if they were truly dangerous. The lawn care company should have giving you a pamphlet on when it will be ok for your dog to go in the yard. In reality the amount of chemical they use is very small, a few ounces per thousand square feet. As another example, golf courses routinely spray fungicides, herbicides and fertilizers much more frequently than any home lawn. If these chemicals were dangerous then you would see pro golfers suffering from the effects as they are exposed almost every day of their adult lives.

Well, I guess it depends on what your definition of "safe" is. Basically, all the chemicals used to kill plants can cause cancer in animals at high enough doses. Frankly though, just about everything on the planet causes cancer at high enough doses. The real question is whether a low level of exposure is likely to cause problems. Anything that is sprayed on your lawn has been tested and shown to not statistically be an issue to human health. That doesn't mean 100% safe. It means 99.99..whatever% of the time there is no evidence of harm in lab conditions. Of course, any human or animal could be particular sensitive to a given chemical just like they could be allergic to pollen or peanuts.

Can you give me some pointers as to how long to keep her off the grass after it is sprayed (I did for 24 hours this time)and I wipe her feet off when she comes in today with a wet wipe.

I intend to not allow her to lay in the grass awhile.
How long would you suggest?

I just want to put this in perspective and respond safely and reasonably.

Thanks!

"How long would you suggest?"

We used to use Massey, and they would put out a sign after treatment, for "children to stay off the grass for 24 hours".

Thanks very much guys!!!

It just occured to me that sometimes my dog eats grass.
Will that be a problem?

Call up the company that did your application and ask them.

It's not uncommon for a chemical smell to linger for a few days or until after the first rain.

Good point Al. Golfers dont walk barefoot either or lay naked in the grass. (well not that we know of)

I did not know this was banned in Canada.

I have kept the dog off the grass other than to go potty
and then I wash her feet off.

Valid point about golfers not eating the grass, laying down, etc. but what about all the wild life that lives on the golf course? I used to caddy years ago, and there were resident Canada geese that lived on the course whose main food was grass from the course. Never saw a massive die off or sickly geese. Later to combat the geese the course employed a dog who basically lived on the course during the day. He showed no ill effects. My point is that the amount and frequency of chemicals you use on a home lawn is very little, and the risk of your dog getting sick is extremely low. If it was a significant issue it would have been on Sixty Minutes already. If you are still worried about it then don't use chemicals on your lawn, problem solved.

Like I mentioned, I don't want to initiate a verbal war here regarding the issue of pets, and or children and the effects of lawn chemicals. However, in my opinion, it is better to be safe than sorry. Read the following blurb:

Golf Course Superintendents Face Higher Cancer Rates

SOURCE: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 29(5):501-506, 1996

Working as a Golf Course Superintendent has been found to significantly increase the risk of dying of four cancer types including - brain cancer, lymphoma (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, NHL), prostate and large intestine cancer. A study was conducted of 686 deceased members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America from all U.S. states who died between 1970 and 1992. Brain cancer rates for the Superintendents was found to occur at over twice the national average, while non-Hodgkin's lymphoma also occurred at over twice the national average. Prostate cancer occurred at nearly 3 times the national average and large intestinal cancer occurred at 1.75 times the national average. The researchers stated that a similar pattern of elevated NHL, brain and prostate cancer mortality along with excess deaths from diseases of the nervous system has been noted previously among other occupational groups exposed to pesticides.

Drs. Kross, B.C., Burneister, L.F., Ogilvie, L.K., Fuortes, L.J.,
Department of Preventive Medicine Health, University of Iowa

Keep in mind that the word pesticide also refers to,in this context,to herbicides and fungicides as well. LAWN CHEMICALS they're not as benign as you would like to believe.

Al

You should check out the organic lawn care forum.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/orglawn/

I wonder if they've ever done cancer studies on mail carriers? Esp. between ones with a driving route versus a walking route. One of my clients, who is a mail carrier, said the risk of NHL cancer is high in her field.

I generally keep the dog out of the yard for 12-24 hours after I apply any chemical, pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer to the grass. Grab the leash and walk your dog he/she will enjoy it. I also wear disposable rubber gloves when I handle those products myself. Better safe than sorry.

Funny how we worry about our pets and the chemicals they may come in contact with yet we go out and buy fruits and veggies that are loaded with all kinds of chemicals and eat them ourselves. Strange people we are.

I have been using Organic lawn care. I dont believe it works. Sure didnt for me which is why I am getting Lawn Dr in. My lawn is a mess.

One option I have is to not spray the backyard which is fenced in. That is one option I am considering.

I am still processing all this.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
I really appreciate it.

Some comments from above:

"These chemicals have been around for a long time, and I have never heard of anyone, or any pets getting sick from them. They were tested in labs for toxicity and carcinogenicity, and wouldn't be for sale if they were truly dangerous. The lawn care company should have giving you a pamphlet on when it will be ok for your dog to go in the yard. In reality the amount of chemical they use is very small, a few ounces per thousand square feet. As another example, golf courses routinely spray fungicides, herbicides and fertilizers much more frequently than any home lawn. If these chemicals were dangerous then you would see pro golfers suffering from the effects as they are exposed almost every day of their adult lives."

--a "common sense" perspective that reflects almost no real knowledge of the subject, zero understanding of how longterm low exposure to toxins can't be traced to the source, and particularly, blind faith in chemical "regulation."

" Anything that is sprayed on your lawn has been tested and shown to not statistically be an issue to human health. That doesn't mean 100% safe. It means 99.99.."

--More BS, fake reassurance from abusing statistics.

"It just occured to me that sometimes my dog eats grass.
Will that be a problem?"

You should read: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=21618627

"If you love your dog stop the lawn chemicals immediately. I do not want to start a turf war here but as an example of how unsafe they are, they have been completely banned in Canada."

--That's simply a fact, and it should tell you something.

" If it was a significant issue it would have been on Sixty Minutes already."

--Only if the TV show, station owners, and their sponsors have no connection to the petroleum, chemical, or drug industries. Little chance of that, at least in the USA.

"Golf Course Superintendents Face Higher Cancer Rates"

--Excellent article from the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, though the cohort worked in a contaminated environment in the years before 1992. I can just imagine what kind of dangerous chemicals are being used now.

I posted a question on Yahoo Answers asking how safe it is to use these chemicals, and if it's unclear (but clear in some cases) whether it's harmful to humans, pets, and the environment how could they keep using them? The only answer I got was someone basically saying, Because landscapers have jobs. Welcome to the USA. Number one priority: PROFIT.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read about Lawn-care chemicals

This post was edited by peterk312 on Thu, Aug 29, 13 at 7:36

Additional link for more reading on how lawn-care chemicals adversely affect health. These are from peer reviewed journals.

It's much easier for most of us to ignore this information and go on with business as usual.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read about Lawn-care chemicals

This post was edited by peterk312 on Thu, Aug 29, 13 at 8:44

"That's simply a fact, and it should tell you something"

Your argument is quite flawed. Let me use the same logic. These chemicals are not banned in the USA despite widespread use for many years/decades. That's simply a fact and should tell you something.

PS - I don't think any of the chemicals in the studies in the links you posted are even used in any of today's commercial lawn products. Yes, chemicals can be harmful...so can naturally occurring things. Chemical doesn't automatically mean evil, bad, corporate, etc. If you have evidence of current chemicals that are used in lawn care products being very harmful, then that would be interesting to look at, but otherwise this is simple fear mongering.

Also, one should keep in mind that comparing agricultural findings with lawn care is pretty flawed. The quantity and frequency of chemical applications are drastically higher in agricultural settings.

I'd also be very interested if there is any evidence at all that regular/professional golfers are at a higher risk of cancer. Certainly, most of us spend far less time out in the lawn/yard than they do in the course of our lives. Moreover, they are exposed to perfectly manicured courses that see a lot higher and more frequent rates of herbicide/pesticide applications. Superintendent v/s Golfer is a substantial difference in the context of this discussion since the OP isn't the one going around spraying all the lawns in the neighbourhood with chemicals.

This post was edited by HamsterHuey on Fri, Aug 30, 13 at 9:04

Never had an issue with fertilizer - until, I moved next door to a Lawn Care Company. We share the same air space. I have never been made to be more ill then in this moment. There is off gassing that is occurring from their storage with that type of product. That is part of the reason people are affected by it. This is not to mention dusting that can happen and probably does happen when the product is applied. Further, if this was so safe a product, why is the applicator supposed to wear gloves and a respirator?

I can't go into my office, especially when it is hot and humid outside - I get even more affected with numbness and tingling in my extremities, shortness of breath, and to top it all off, the State Authorities say there is nothing wrong. The affects I describe are with an Organic Product, along with their chemical pesticides.

Care and common sense should be used if you really feel the need to use this type of product.

My lungs are burning right now from the products used.

I tend to take the middle road.

I'll avoid any creative chemistry on the lawn as much as I can, but if I have a problem where that's the only thing that will solve it, out it comes.

I then use the least toxic chemistry possible and the minimum amount to get the job done, the minimum number of times, and try to restrict exposure to myself and the animals.

Most of the feeding chemistry the lawn services use is pretty safe, but I'd still restrict access for 24 hours or until watered in. Any herbicides used, 24 hours (watering in too quickly is unwise and reduces their effectiveness).

As a professional horticultural consultant I can tell you that the chemical lawn care companies do not "fix" bad lawns. All they can possibly do is make them appear better and for a rather short time frame at that. They are not in the "lawn care" business........they are in the "sell products and services" business and the more often they can come out and 'treat' your lawn, the more money they make.

If you have a bad lawn, then figure out what is causing it to look bad and correct that. Too many weeds? Use an appropriate broadleaf lawn weed herbicide to spot spray the culprits. Or if you have to do a broadcast treatment, use a liquid rather than granular as these typically have a shorter 'reentry' period or less residual impact and do not leach into groundwater, as do granular products.

Too much moss? Understand why moss forms and correct those conditions. Too shady? Most turf grasses want as much sun as possible. If too much shade, maybe a lawn isn't the best groundcover choice? Poor soil conditions? Take the proper steps to improve considering drainage, compaction, pH, fertility, etc.

Non-organic chemical fertilizers or various pesticides are not always the way to go both for your health, your neighbors, your kids and pets (who are far more sensitive to these products than are adults) and to the environment as a whole. And so-called services that sell these products are not always doing them in YOUR best interest. And to be perfectly blunt, folks that take advantage of these companies either are too lazy and uninformed to do it themselves or can't be bothered and don't much care about the broader implications.

And there is always a question about the experience and ability of those employees handling the hoses. Had a horror story phone call from a customer a week or so ago whose lawn/yard care company sprayed her entire 40 y.o. garden with herbicide that was supposed to have been an all-purpose insecticide. Aaaackk!!! And this is a national company in business for nearly 40 years. Not surprisingly, the response from the company regarding their liability has been less than enthusiastic.