# Your herbicide rules for pets and kids



## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

Hey All-

I wanted to start a discussion around herbicides and your thoughts/best practices around using them while keeping the pets and kids safe. Most herbicides I've used state they are safe once the application dries, but I wanted to explore this more and see what more experienced applicators think about their use. How long do you keep kids and pets out of the area? What herbicides are most dangerous/ which ones do we need to worry less about? (are they classified into groups?)

Curious to hear others thoughts on the subject and make sure I am doing everything I can to be applying these as safely as possible.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I use them sparingly. I haven't blanket sprayed anything except prodiamine since I did the triangle approach back in 2014. When I spot spray I always use marker dye so the kids know to avoid those areas.

My wife always makes the kids wait at least two days to go into any recently sprayed areas.

Of course, as I write this I wish I had a tractor mounted sprayer with a boom to do my large yard :lol:


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

Are pre-emergents any safer than post?


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

jessehurlburt said:


> Are pre-emergents any safer than post?


That I don't know but I treat them the same as far as safety goes regarding my kids.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

TL;DR - I want it to rain and then dry out.

I think for most pre-ems, the goal is for them to be watered into the soil. If you want to be particular, most labels have restricted entry interval (REI) listed for those working in agricultural industry. There is often a non-ag section as well.

For example, prodiamine has a REI of 12 hours for ag use but otherwise "Do not allow reentry into treated areas until dust has settled and the turfgrass or soil is dry." Celsius WG has an REI of 24 hours when used a sod farm but for everything else the label says "Do not enter or allow others to enter treated areas until sprays have dried."

For spot spraying, I wait for it to have dry before allowing reentry. Whenever I broadcast spray, I time it such that I expect it to rain and will have a chance to dry before anyone is on it, or I run the irrigation the following morning and apply so that it's a school/work day and has all day to dry.


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

Not to hijack your thread, but how does this apply to fertilizers? I read online to wait 24 to 48 hours. I had 6 fun surprises in the morning on my living room floor from keeping my 3 dogs inside after my first fertilizer application. It was pellets and I watered pretty well after it was spread but if I could let them out sooner...that would be better.


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## Rackhouse Mayor (Sep 4, 2017)

I follow the labels for each, but they generally say wait for it to dry. I wait for the weekend to spray stuff and time it so the dog doesn't need to go out for several hours. I would imagine the exposure to chemicals that our dogs and kids get through foods and other outlets in 2018 is much worse than what i'm applying.


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## TigerinFL (Mar 29, 2018)

so would it be wrong to spray herbicide and then ask your ex wife over to walk thru the yard barefooted?

asking for a friend.


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## Ecks from Tex (Apr 26, 2018)

If you've eaten a grape basically ever, you have probably ingested Eagle 20 fungicide. I generally let the stuff dry on my lawn and follow the label, but other than that I don't worry too much with most products, because at the end of the day the food I eat is such a larger threat to my overall health than anything I put on the lawn.


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

Ecks from Tex said:


> If you've eaten a grape basically ever, you have probably ingested Eagle 20 fungicide. I generally let the stuff dry on my lawn and follow the label, but other than that I don't worry too much with most products, because at the end of the day the food I eat is such a larger threat to my overall health than anything I put on the lawn.


Good point. I'm not too worried about my boy because I put high socks and sneakers when he's back there. It's more me worrying about getting the dog sick, but to your point, I dump insecticide on her every month in the summer for flea and tick control so I am probably overthinking it.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

TigerinFL said:


> so would it be wrong to spray herbicide and then ask your ex wife over to walk thru the yard barefooted?
> 
> asking for a friend.


 :lol: No comment


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

TigerinFL said:


> so would it be wrong to spray herbicide and then ask your ex wife over to walk thru the yard barefooted?
> 
> asking for a friend.


 :twisted: If this was a Chinch Bug application done in the 1950s very wrong. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...20(KERR).pdf&usg=AOvVaw1cMcac9XX53LQfNSZEDggiThe chemicals mentioned are rapidly fatal if absorbed through skin. None of them are legal for application to lawns any more or for use in the US.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Ecks from Tex said:


> If you've eaten a grape basically ever, you have probably ingested Eagle 20 fungicide. I generally let the stuff dry on my lawn and follow the label, but other than that I don't worry too much with most products, because at the end of the day the food I eat is such a larger threat to my overall health than anything I put on the lawn.


So true. Fruits vegetables and grains are sprayed with pesticides not legal for application to lawns. REI on some of them can be 30 days.


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## JohnP (Oct 24, 2017)

I double the REI for the dogs. Usually that means 24-48 hours for my stuff.

Pre emergent to me means less herbicide spraying. Same with proper practices for your turf/area. I've been mowing tall and it seems to have kept the grass fairly weed free this year.


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