We all hate brown spots in our yard, especially when its poop. Maybe its from your neighbors dog, or your own dog, either way there are dangers of dog poop being left in the yard.
Here's the thing, dog poop isn't only an eye sore, its an environmental hazard, carrying with it a large range of pollutants and parasites. These parasites aren't limited to dogs either, you could catch them too!
This isn't just hype in 1991 the EPA designated dog waste as an environmental pollutant, placing it in the same category as pesticides. Dog poop is not only dangerous to you and your family, collectively it can infect entire waterways, and lead to algae blooms which can choke out plant and aquatic life.
Just one gram of dog poop can contain 23 million fecal bacteria, Gross!
These bacteria when left to their own devices will spread their way throughout your yard and house if you are unlucky enough to land in a mine.
Fecal bacteria have several means of spreading. You may have made a habit of cutting it into your yard, but when the s@!# hits the fan, or in this case the lawn mower blade, fecal bacteria are slung about the four corners of your yard.
Lawn mower poop launchers aren't even the bacteria's favorite mode of travel, they prefer being airlifted about the yard on insects and other pests, its like they have private helicopter pilots or something. When there aren't any bugs or pests about they will just simply catch the wind, and settle in your soil or groundwater where they can stay for a year or longer!
So what kind of bacteria and parasites could you find flying around your yard exactly? Lets find out.
Among the many dangers of dog poop is parvovirus a highly contagious illness which can spread from one dog to another through fecal matter. Another inhabitant of poop is coronavirus, which while not as harmful can also be contracted by humans.
Worms and other parasites love to infect new hosts through dog poop. Whipworms, hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and even earthworms, dog poop has got them all.
And it gets better; E. coli, salmonella and Campylobacteriosis all of which are no fun, and can be transmitted to humans.
As you can see there really are many dangers of dog poop being left unattended. Prevent this parasite circus by scooping your dogs poop. Also be sure to teach your children the dangers, and never scoop poop, dog or cat, when pregnant or nursing.
If your dog is lethargic, losing weight, throwing up, is bloated, or has diarrhea he could have gotten one of these many lovely infections.
If your dog does end up with an infection which was caused by dog poop, you should consider treating your yard. Treating your yard will prevent your dog from getting reinfected, by killing any parasites that may be there.
A simple, organic, and even cheap treatment that can get rid of many parasites from your yard, is to spread diatomaceous earth throughout your yard, or at least where your dog is pooping.
Diatomaceous earth are simply fossilized diatoms, which were once small aquatic creatures. Diatomaceous earth is so hard and sharp that it cuts through the exoskeleton of parasites as well as their eggs. These tiny cuts, lead to the eventual death of parasites by causing them to lose moisture and dry out. More on diatomaceous earth.
Though diatomaceous earth should do the trick, if you are looking for a harsher solution there are chemicals that can be sprayed in the yard to kill off the worms, bacteria and their offspring. Of course with any chemical application you should consider the consequences, and dangers.
Now that you know the dangers of dog poop be proactive, all of those terrible things can be avoided. How should you handle Clean up and Avoid Spreading Disease?
- Simply scoop your dogs poop with a small plastic baggy, tie it up and throw it away, it will only take a moment.
- If you don't like the idea of throwing it away, consider an in ground digester system. These systems can be small and easy to install. They work as a contained unit which digests dog poop using an enzyme solution. The digester then liquefies the poop, which drains into the ground. More on them here.
- If you don't want to clean it up you can always hire someone, there are sites like http://www.doodycalls.com that can help you find them.
- Also remember to keep your dog away from the poo of other dogs, and for goodness sake no mulching the poop into your yard!