If you mow lawns for any period of time, you will inevitably have to deal with dog poop.
Dealing with dog poop is just a necessary part of cutting grass, no matter how annoying it may be.
Don’t miss the results of our survey of more than 500 lawn care specialists about how they handle dog waste below!
The Best Way to Clean Up Dog Poop in Your Yard
Although there are several ways to remove dog waste from your yard, using a pooper scooper is the best way to clean it up. With this device, you’ll be able to pick up dog waste without coming into contact with it.
There are many different types of pooper scoopers available on the market, but they typically have a spade or small clamp at the handle’s tip. This handle closes around the dog poop when you pull it. When the bag is full or you’re done cleaning, you can put the scooped poop into a bag and dispose of it.
However, some models come with bags that you can attach to the scooper and use to deposit waste without also putting poop in the bag.
Why You Should Pick Up Dog Poop before Mowing
Any dog poop must always be removed before you begin mowing your lawn. Here’s why:
#1. Mowing doesn’t clean up dog poop. You might not see the poop after mowing a lawn covered in it, but it’s still there. Mowing causes the dog waste to be squished, shredded, and spread throughout your lawn.
#2. Dog waste isn’t a fertilizer. In contrast, it has a high nitrogen content, which may lead to soil imbalance. The imbalance reduces the availability of other nutrients in the soil, causing your lawn’s grass to turn yellow or even die. Additionally, the EPA classifies pet waste as a nonpoint source pollutant. Other nonpoint pollutants include toxic chemicals from cars (how to keep a car off your lawn), grease, oil, acid drainage, insecticides, and herbicides. These nonpoint pollutants can contaminate drinking water, harm recreational areas, endanger fish and wildlife, and destroy native plants.
# 3. Poop in the backyard can make your space smell bad and is an eyesore. Picking up dog droppings from your lawn will make it appear as though you’ve neglected your pet and your house in general. You don’t want that, especially if you’re planning to sell your home. A neglected lawn is a big turn-off and could significantly reduce the value of your home.
# 4. The feces from dog poop can be harmful to your health, which is another disadvantage of using it to mow your lawn. This is because it has dangerous parasites and bacteria that can make people sick and even make other animals sick. Some of the most common diseases include:
From Bacteria
From Parasites
Reasons Why You Should Pick Up Dog Poop Before Mowing
The three most important justifications for picking up dog waste prior to mowing your lawn are outlined below.
FAQ
Do landscapers clean up dog poop?
Though not all of them [landscapers] choose to do so, we discovered that the majority are willing Depending on the size of the yard and the number of dogs, the doggie dung pickup increases the cost of the lawn service by $10 to $20.
How long does dog poop stay in grass?
It may surprise you to learn that dog waste takes up to a year to completely decompose, leaving your lawn patchy and brown. However, regular dog poop cleaning can reverse the situation in a matter of weeks.
What do you do with a yard of dog poop?
Basically, there are three ways to remove dog waste from your yard’s surfaces so that you can dispose of it: pick it up by hand, use a pooper scooper, or vacuum it up.
Does rain wash away dog poop in grass?
When it rains, dog poop that has been left on the ground in cities washes into the water, where it eventually degrades. Even though it appears to “go away” and actually does, imagine it as one large pile of dog poop splitting into a million smaller piles and floating away.