This week, March 20-26, is National Poison Prevention Week. Since president John F. Kennedy proclaimed it so in 1962, the third week of March has served as an occasion to raise awareness of the dangers of poisoning, and how to prevent it. (You can read this year’s proclamation here, if you’re interested.) As the number one cause of accidental injury death in the US, we wanted to do our part in raising the awareness of accidental poisonings.
How Are Landscaping and Poison Related?
No, we’re not talking about poison ivy. We’re talking about the more serious landscaping poisons like pesticides, fertilizers, and disinfectants. Pesticides alone account for a majority of the more than 2.5 million poison exposure calls handled by various poison control centers around the country, and more than half of those pesticide exposures involved children five years old or younger. To reduce the potential for harm while your kids are playing in the yard this spring, here are some tips to reduce or eliminate possible poison exposure.
National Poison Prevention Week Tips for Landscaping
- First and foremost, keep the National Poison Control Center’s national help line somewhere prominent in your home and in your cellphone’s address book. The number is 1-800-222-1222, and don’t you forget it.
- Avoid synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, as these are the ones that contain chemicals harmful to humans. There are tons and tons of other natural choices that will work just as well, keep you and your family safe, and eliminate the presence of chemicals in your yard, soil, and garden.
- Even if you choose organic products, read safety labels and instructions before using anything in your yard, just to be extra cautious.
- Whether the label indicates to do so or not, consider locking away your lawn care products or putting them out of reach of children. Even if there are no harmful chemicals, you probably still don’t want your kids eating fertilizer.
- When using pesticides, make sure that you move all toys, chairs, and picnic tables that your kids might want to touch.
- Avoid using common items like bottles, cups, or play-looking buckets to do your yard work, as they can easily be mistaken for something to touch, play with, or drink from.
Here’s a blog post from the American Association of Poison Control Centers detailing more information about National Poison Prevention Week. Stay safe when taking care of your springtime landscaping, and we’ll do the same.
It’s Safety First at Evergreen Gene’s
Evergreen Gene’s offers professional landscape maintenance services throughout Maryland. Our services include mowing, raking, sodding, fertilizing, mulching, pruning, and so much more. With our help, your landscape will look its best year-round.
Click Here to learn more about the benefits of professional landscape maintenance. Evergreen Gene’s landscaping services are also available for commercial properties.
Want to learn more about the benefits of Professional Landscape Maintenance in Severna Park, Maryland? Visit Evergreen Gene’s at our location on Crain Highway. Can’t make it out but still have a question? Not to worry; call us at 410.766.6877 or click here today.