weed killer?

[jamie_from-kent]

My mum sparayed loads of week killer over my garden earlier to kill off the weeds but then straight away a pair of blackbirds came and were eating worms. It made me think is spraying weed killer bad for birds?

[Meta menardi]

Have a look at the packaging of the weedkiller and see what it is that it contains. Should be listed somewhere as "active ingredient".

If you post what it lists, you will get a more accurate answer.

[witham]

I think weedkillers are supposed to be far more enviromentaly friendly now if that's not a contradiction in terms, some are safe for pets or children etc to be on after so many hours, some more or less straight straight away, you'll have to read the label to confirm which sort your mum used

[lucy78green]

I was just wondering this myself as I was thinking about getting some moss killer, but trying to find one that wasn't dangerous to pets and children was hard. I am guessing that birds would be affected too. I found "lawn sand" on ebay that says it's harmless to pets and wildlife so I might get that instead.

[mrs fish]

I was very surprised to see on a commercial tv channel that it was full of weed killer adverts I usually only watch the beeb
I personally would never use them and I wouldn't trust what they tell you on the bottle either.
It must affect the insects which then goes onto the birds and hedgehogs

This is just my opinion

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by lucy78green

I was just wondering this myself as I was thinking about getting some moss killer, but trying to find one that wasn't dangerous to pets and children was hard. I am guessing that birds would be affected too. I found "lawn sand" on ebay that says it's harmless to pets and wildlife so I might get that instead.

moss take much less mowing !!

[lucy78green]

True! I'm actually really tempted to dig up the whole thing and try wild flower seeds instead, but we have heavy clay soil that's probably acidic (never tested) that is north facing and very shady. The grass always dies - trying to think of an alternative that isn't gravel or paving...

[Anyanka]

Clay is usually alkaline. I walk my dogs in an area which feels & looks like clay, but is blessed with wildflowers, butterflies etc, although it does not have the range of chalky meadows.

[lucy78green]

I suppose I could test it! We had a massive evergreen tree in it when we moved in years ago, but the garden is tiny so we dug it up and put in a magnolia instead. Then next doors dog "improved" it further so now it's 95% moss, weeds, sludge. I don't know what would do well in the shade though - and the birdies might eat whatever seed I put down anyway even though they have their own.

[hobble]

If you are on heavy clay it might be worth aerating your existing lawn all over with a garden fork or aerator. Then sprinkle with sand in the holes from a garden centre,
this will help with drainage.
My lawn is north facing with very little soil on rock and it is mainly moss, daisies and speedwell.