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Herbicides
Citizens of this country spend millions of dollars each summer buying herbicides to rid their lawns of "weeds."
Weeds are plants we don't want in our gardens or yards. And many people turn to companies who come out on a regular schedule to spray these yards with herbicides designed to kill these plants without affecting yard grass. Of course, these poisons also kill several hundred different types of insects including bees and butterflies. There is still considerable debate about the health effects of these herbicides on children and family pets that might wander into the spayed area. What is even more alarming is the fact that no tests have been conducted on the interaction of different chemicals that make up these herbicide sprays. There could be half a dozen different companies using just as many different compositions of herbicide. Tests show that these herbicide sprays can drift a considerable distance on windy days which means that there is a potential for a "chemical soup" to occur. Chemicals A and B from the "Friendly Lawn Service" combine with chemicals W, X, Y and Z from "Greenlawn Growers" and suddenly there are dozens of possible interactions between these six chemicals.
What is the safe alternative? It's the same technique used by our grandparents – "elbow grease".
Put on a pair of kneepads, keep a cool cup of ice tea next to you and buy a good weeding tool. Spend 15 minutes each day clearing out the plants you don't want. Before you know it, you will be rid of them and rid of the poisons as well.
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