Pesticides not dangerous for your pets

We all know that there are special weed killers that will reliably destroy weeds, even in stubborn spots such as in between paving stones, driveways, patios or lawns, but at the same time, we all feel deep down that it is not a good idea to use them. These products are very strong and if a cat or dog walks along the path where you sprayed it, the chemical may end up in the fur or may get on their paws.
Cats often lick their paws and dogs do sometimes too. Chemicals may cause irritation or other problems.

Can you do without pesticides?

Yes you can, but replacing pesticides (especially herbicides) usually means more work and not everyone is willing to do that. Here are a few options you can try:

• Good old manual weeding: probably the most difficult option which involves kneeling and hand pulling weeds from the entire area. The only tool that will help you is a weed knife.
• Weed burner: yes, there are special burners (electric or gas) that work like a heat gun. Use them to burn weeds between paving stones or driveways. However, this solution only works in small areas.
• Pressure washing: use in areas where small weeds have covered the entire surface (great for a moss removal). Pressure washing can work wonders.
• Boiling water: Our grandmothers used this trick. Pour boiling water over weeds to kill the leaves, but hot water will not get down to the roots of certain plants (dandelions have very deep roots).
• Weed control fabric: use before planting. Shade the area where you want to kill weeds – by blocking the light all plants will die.

Photo: Pixabay

Homemade weed killers

You may also mix ingredients that weeds do not like and apply them directly. These “chemicals” are not dangerous to pets but it is a good idea to make sure that the applied spray dries well before animals play around it. You can use acetic acid, which is an effective pesticide that work well on annual weeds. Unfortunately, it will only kills leaves, not roots. Know that regular kitchen vinegar is too weak and you need to get more concentrated product.

Glyphosate

A widely used chemical that acts as an herbicide (kills weeds). It is not dangerous to pets, but again, you need to make sure that the chemical dries out completely before letting pets play around it. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established that this agent is carcinogenic to humans…. Glyphosate will kill annual and perennial weeds but it should be applied once every four months. This chemical will kill everything it touches so, do not apply near plants that you want to stay healthy and strong!

Source: https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/pet-friendly-weedkillers/

Preview photo: Pixabay