I had to use insect killer! :(

[Bass.Isles]

So, after hurricane Irma, our yard became infested with fleas, and for some reason it greatly intensified our previous issue with carpenter and fire ants. I'm talking a s*** ton of them. SO. I had to put out granulated insect killer. I have used it before to tamp down the aforementioned ant problem, and it really worked. When i bought the stuff from Lowes, i told the guy that i had animals that eat the grass, and he said just use as directed (sprinkle, then saturate area with water), wait a few days and it would be fine. I did, and 3 days after i applied it, our dogs ate the grass/weeds and were totally fine. Isla even ate some a few weeks after i applied it and was fine. But i know that she didnt eat much. This time i had to do the whole yard - including her yard encosure. So, I need y'alls opinion. How long should i wait before I let her back out in the yard? Does anyone have prior experience with granulated insect killer and tortoises? Specifically this brand? Thanks!

P.S. I know about the food grade diatamacious earth fix (and even Borax), but it doesn't work on carpenter ants, I've tried it. Or at least, the infestation is too out of control for it to even come close to being effective.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Has it been raining nonstop for days there like it has been here?
I would think that that would help, but I just can't say.
That product is designed to poison the soil. Not the vegetation

 

[Bass.Isles]

Has it been raining nonstop for days there like it has been here?
I would think that that would help, but I just can't say.

Help with the insect problem, or help with making her enclosure less toxic after i applied the granulated insects killer? No it hasn't been raining here, unfortunately. Are you in Florida?

 

[wellington]

That's a chance I would never take with my pets. The people at lowes don't know squat about that kind of stuff. As far as you know now your animals are fine. What you don't know and won't until it's too late is what it's doing on the inside slowly.
The diatamacious earth does work, there's lots of members that have used it with success.
If I were you I would let an animal on your yard until you have really washed the poison down for at least a good couple weeks in not a month of daily heavy watering and then it could still be bad for them.
A risk too risky.

 

[Bass.Isles]

That's a chance I would never take with my pets. The people at lowes don't know squat about that kind of stuff. As far as you know now your animals are fine. What you don't know and won't until it's too late is what it's doing on the inside slowly.
The diatamacious earth does work, there's lots of members that have used it with success.
If I were you I would let an animal on your yard until you have really washed the poison down for at least a good couple weeks in not a month of daily heavy watering and then it could still be bad for them.
A risk too risky.

Yes, i did consult my vet regarding the canines. My question is about the tortoise. I even had labs drawn for both the dogs at their last wellness visit, which was 2 months after the last time i put out the insect killer and they consumed the grass. No internal issues with their major organs. And i have tried the D/E. I don't know where you live, but where I live, even caking the ground in D/E and Borax does not get rid of a serious carpenter and fire ant infestation. It just doesnt. For one, male carpenter ants fly. Like, they will buzz around your head. The problem is severe and the queen stays underground. I want her dead. She wouldn't be walking through the D/E. I'm not saying the stuff won't work sometimes, or even a lot of the time - but when you walk outside and as soon as you stand still, they are crawling up your legs and flying and landing on your arms and face... that's a little past the D/E fix. Luckily, i have not had a problem with them infesting her semi-closed chamber on the porch. I don't know if that is because i clean it so often, or because they're super freaking happy infesting my yard.

 

[wellington]

I don't have to deal with fire ants. I understand if you had no choice but to use it. The choice I wouldn't take is letting my animals on it and listening too a lowes employee.
Heck, I know people that had a yard company come out to treat their yard and insured them the stuff was animal safe. The next day birds were dead in their yard. Those people should know what's in their crap. Lowes employees won't and will say anything to sell.
What's done is done. The best you can do now is keep animals off and water, water, water.

 

[Bass.Isles]

Yeah, that's what i'm thinking, just soak the ground everyday. Think i'm gonna give it 3-4 weeks of everyday watering before i let Isla back out. Better safe than sorry! lol

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Help with the insect problem, or help with making her enclosure less toxic after i applied the granulated insects killer? No it hasn't been raining here, unfortunately. Are you in Florida?

Yes. I am. And I use granules annually. But I do not have free range tortoises. They are penned.

 

[Bass.Isles]

Oh, cool! I'm in Marion County. And she's not really freerange either. She has a yard emclosure that is 12ft x 4ft, but I don't leave her out there, basically just try to put her out 4-5 days a week for 5-6 hours a day. Otherwise she stays in a 7ft x 2.5ft semi closed chamber on my porch.