Product Safety

A few questions and issues that you may be aware of:

Wells - customers sometimes question if the materials SeaScape applies may leach into wells. University research has shown this to be highly unlikely. Most well contamination has occurred in agricultural locations closely associated with pesticide loading / mixing areas with improper handling. Most lawn products today have very low solubility, with limited leaching potential. In addition, Massachusetts's customers may be aware of regulations restricting the use of certain older pesticides in the proximity of public wells. SeaScape does not use any of these products.

Dogs eating grass: Dogs commonly eat grass, and many times they will vomit afterwards. No one knows if they eat grass to make themselves vomit, or if they vomit because they ate grass. Most SeaScape products are applied as a dry granule, and drop to the soil surface where they would not be consumed by a dog eating grass right after an application. Liquid weed control is applied on a spot treatment basis, and we are unaware of this product causing a dog to vomit, or otherwise make him ill. We do recommend to be on the safe side, however, that you keep pets and people off your lawn after an application for about 30 minutes to allow the small amount of liquid used to dry.

2,4-D - has been in the news because of possible concerns that it may cause cancer after long-term exposure. 2,4 -D is a widely used herbicide for both lawns (especially in do-it-yourself products) and agriculture. It has been on the market for over 60 years and has been exhaustively studied. In 2005, the US EPA and Canada both concluded 2,4-D does NOT pose adverse risks for children or adults when used properly on home lawns.

Corn gluten meal - an animal feed that has been shown to suppress crabgrass. University research has shown, at best, it controls only 60% of crabgrass. Given the thousands of crabgrass seeds in a lawn ready to germinate every spring, SeaScape does not feel that this level of control is acceptable. If this product improves or other natural crabgrass controls become available, SeaScape would incorporate them into our programs.

Milky spore disease - is a natural fungus that can be use to control Japanese beetle grubs. This product is available to SeaScape customers as an option only; however, due to its limited effectiveness, we have decided that it cannot be used on a regular basis for grub control. Milky spore disease will take as long as 3 - 5 years to effectively control grubs, AND will control only those grubs from Japanese beetles. Increasingly, the grub problem in New England is caused by other grub types which milky spore disease will not control

Many other "all natural" lawn products - are now coming onto the market, with varying claims of lawn benefits. Most are untested and unproven. SeaScape uses only those products university tested for effectiveness and safety.

Real world examples of toxicity - LD50 measures the acute toxicity a chemical, determining the amount necessary to kill 50% of test animals (in this case rats), measured as mg/kg of body weight. The LOWER the number the more toxic: Clorox bleach (disinfectant or pool algaecide) = 192; Aspirin = 200 mg/kg; 2,4-D weed control = 500; Merit grub control = 4,820; Talstar insect control = 5,000. The bottom line is that all chemicals can be toxic or dangerous if used improperly. But it puts things in perspective when you compare the toxicity of lawn chemicals to everyday products.

What you can do to help us minimize pesticide use on your lawn? The best defense against pests is to maintain a healthy, thick lawn. SeaScape does its part by applying the correct fertilizers. You can do your part by watering if possible; mowing HIGH; and, returning clippings when mowing. Clippings do NOT contribute to thatch, help to shade the soil and minimize weed growth, and recycle valuable nutrients. By leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing, they can return nitrogen equal to one fertilization application.

SeaScape does its best to minimize the use of pesticides on lawns. Some customers, however, feel that pesticide use at any level is unacceptable. Therefore, we do offer a natural lawn care fertilization program using no pesticides. The fertilizer is made from composted poultry manure.

SeaScape strives to always use the best, safest and most effective products for your lawn to achieve the desired results. Safety for you, your pets, our technicians and the environment are of utmost concern. Please fell free to call us anytime you may have a question about the products that we use relating to safety or the environment.