Hello! It is getting warm out here I. Colorado and I would like to give my sulcata free range in the back yard during the day for grazing and exercise. I need to spray my grass down with a pesticide to keep the bugs from killing it. How long do I need to wait to allow her to eat it again? Or will that pretty much make it inedible for her?
Lawn pesticides
- Thread starter mhcl2241
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I would look into eco-friendly pest control...things like diatomaceous earth, borax, etc.
I'm with Yvonne here with this. It is an added risk factor for your tortoise. Even the organic pesticides are, after all, poisons. Otherwise they wouldn't work.
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
Personally I would not use a pesticide on anything my tortoises might eat. I was told after 3 months the stuff would be ok. But that comes from somebody else not me.
I would not actively spray anything on any item that will be consumed by tortoise, never. It has been researched that it can take 7 years to test soil once treated by insecticides/pesticides to be absent from the soil once treated...
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Rethink your concept of lawn so that you grow something edible for tortoises that doesn't require pesticides ever. They aren't safe.
If you are going to have your tortoise out there, you cannot be using pesticides. What sort of bugs are eating your lawn? What sort of pesticide are you spraying?
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I have Hurd compost tea works well for about any thing it fertilized lawns it helps the good bacteria in your soil ,and it feeds worms to help airate your soil for better growth of a lawn
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I'm right there with you, gramps, advocating the use of compost tea, I just have a hard time stomaching it unless I use lots of sugar.
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C.Ken
Remember stale soda and beer have sugar in them and I believe so dose molasses
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Remember stale soda and beer have sugar in them and I believe so dose molasses
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We have troubles with pests and the question that troubles me is the same, the type of pesticide will be safe. Been facing multiple troubles for last few months. We've got grub worms in our lawn and we noticed it when the whole lawn carpet was thrown upside down by the raccoons. As coons are threat to the babies, I send for animal control service, Hawkeye http://www.hawkeye.ca/
Now, we are free from raccoons but couldn't find a way to get rid of the worms. I'm worried and frustrated. Please share any possible solution.
Now, we are free from raccoons but couldn't find a way to get rid of the worms. I'm worried and frustrated. Please share any possible solution.
Prairie Mom
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ICH! I'm so sorry you are dealing with this! I sadly do not have the experience you need. I noticed there are many websites that give directions how to organically eradicate them, *BUT* I SERIOUSLY DOUBT these "organic" methods would be safe for tortoises to feed on. Here's an example of a few sites that I came across ...
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/natural-way-rid-grass-grub-worms-66190.html
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/nontoxic-lawn-grub-killers-23022.html
I wonder if it would be possible to treat closed off sections of your lawn at a time in order to keep your tort away?
If you don't get many responses here, it wouldn't hurt to try to repost this in the diet section. Good luck!
I'm not familiar with grub/worms causing an issue. I have pasture or pasture that I mow and landscape around. It is full of moth larvae. I know this from my practice of scooping the top 2"-3" of soil and weeds/grass, then placing this directly into my indoor chambers. Once that warm environment is felt, these guys turn into small moths. I get spiders in them as well. I don't worry about any of it.
If the critters you're talking about are an issue, could you maybe get some bantam chickens to help clean out the larvae?
If the critters you're talking about are an issue, could you maybe get some bantam chickens to help clean out the larvae?
Yeah...my tortoise yards have lots of cut worms too. I don't see any damage to the grass from the cut worms.
If one is going to have a pasture for a tortoise, then one has to get used to the idea of natural grass. That means no pesticides, no herbicides!
If one is going to have a pasture for a tortoise, then one has to get used to the idea of natural grass. That means no pesticides, no herbicides!
Prairie Mom
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I guess we'll have to find out what exact kind of worm he's referring to. I've been assuming that these "grub worms" are the larvae for those awful Japanese beetles that destroy everything. I did not have an infestation, but our arborist believed we had ONE do serious damage to our birch tree. We've only seen a few larvae in our back yard and just get rid of them on the spot and everything seems to be fine. We have cut worms also and I whine about battling with them in the garden, but it just isn't the same level of issue. If this is the Japanese beetle larvae and there are enough to be considered an infestation, the poor soul is in TROUBLE. There have been horrible problems with forests being damaged on the mountain outside of our town. These things will seriously kill every vegetation in their path.
