Spraying Your Lawn for Pests: Is it Worth It?

Today there are many professional service providers and lawn services for spraying residential and commercial lawns. But should we go for lawn spraying systems is really a million dollar question. Honestly treating the green lawns with harmful chemicals and poisons is kind of scary. Spraying lawns is not exactly environmentally friendly. Flooding your lawns with non biodegradable and poisonous chemicals is undesirable as it destabilizes the ecosystem.

Instead of spraying with chemicals an organic compound can do magic to your lawns. When the pesticides and insecticides are washed down by rain and running water it gets accumulated in to other higher forms in the food web and food chain. This adversely affects the pyramid. In reality the toxic chemicals meant for killing the pests are consumed by other insects. These insects when consumed by fish and birds also get the chemicals inside their body which is later passed on to higher animals and human beings.

In some cases the pesticides get evaporated and linger in the air polluting the entire area. Though spraying chemicals is an easy way out to escape the pests but in long term you have to pay a heavy price. The common harmful pesticides that are used in spraying are chloropyrifos, diazinon, 2, 4-D, banvel, enoyl and daconil. In fact, some of these chemicals are so harmful to humans that the lawn spraying technicians have to get blood tests done regularly in order to monitor the damage to their bodies. Biological treatments like De-thatching and Drying out fungus is an effective alternative in curbing the lawn diseases.

Some basic steps and precautionary measures can be taken to counter the pests and insects affecting the lawns. Using organic and natural fertilizers is the best way out. Nitrogen fixing plants can be planted in the lawn as these are self-fertilizing. Grass cuttings and compost manure also works . The dandelions at the root can be eradicated by cutting by them below the ground. This should be following by reseeding the bare spots.