Commercial Lawn Spraying Service - Collateral Damage (growing, fertilizers, grass)
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Late last year I moved to a new house in a quiet area. I only have one neighbor and our properties are side by side. I started a vegetable garden this year and all was well and then my tomato, peppers, and bean plants were acting strangely. The leaves curled into a twisted mass and the blossoms fell off or became distorted. I had never seen this before so I took a sample to the local farm extension service. They quickly ID'ed the problem as herbicide. I was puzzled because I don't use 2,4d and only use Roundup on the driveway. There was still time so I pull those plants and re-planted. (About 50 tomato, 20, peppers, and re-seeded about 80' of beans. Everything was growing good and then it happened again. I went back to the farm extension and they were puzzled and told me I would have to wait until next year to grow a garden.
Today I came home to find my neighbor's lawn being sprayed by Trugreen. I went back to my garden and while the workman did control the spray nozzle I could smell a heavy odor of what I thought was 2,4d. I asked the workman how often he sprays and he said every month. This was the first time I saw him do it. Thinking this was where the herbicide was coming from I called Trugreen who told me that their spray will kill vegetable plants. However, they said they are not responsible. Other than that one neighbor I have woods all around me and there would be no reason to spray those areas. Not realizing this was the reason for my dead plants I did not document.
Trugreen did say they were willing to cooperate with me but failed to tell me how.
This season is gone for warm weather corps. Next year I will have to plant with the knowledge that all the plants may die again. I will document and I will take whatever legal action I can.
Some will suggest I talk to the neighbor. I already tried that over a leaning tree on the property line. They are an older couple who pretend not to hear when I say something they don't like. So there is no talking.
I believe Trugreen or other lawn spraying services is responsible for collateral damage to adjacent properties. I hope I am right.
Donsabi,
I am sorry that your neighbor is having their lawn sprayed. They don't realize the incredible
damage to the environment they are doing by spraying that poison on the grass.
Anyway, I wouldn't want to eat veggys from my garden if the spray is killing the plants.
You could look into a nice cold frame, greenhouse type of thing.
Some people have instructions on UTUBE as to how to build them.
You can grow veggies year round if you construct one, where your veggy garden is now.
Something to think about, especially fresh veggies in winter when they cost
an arm and a leg.
I'm seriously thinking of building one myself for veggys and tropicals.
Do a search online to see what some pople are doing. It's amazing.
Don't eat any veggys that can be exposed to spray in the air. That spray isn't good for people to eat.
Call the State Department that handles licensing and controlling Pesticide Regulation. File a formal complaint against the company and include the evidence from the extension office about what killed your plants. Be as descriptive as you possibly can including specific dates and times. Then talk with your neighbor and tell them that the company that they hired has caused you financial damage and that you are filing a formal complaint and might seek compensation.
I would also try to figure out if anyone in the family has had any skin rashes, breathing problems, etc. Years back (1980s) we pinned Trugreen's spraying upwind of us to my daughter's allergies. Threatening a lawsuit for health got the people to get Trugreen to spray what they called the "environmental formula" (read: less toxic) and we convinced the family to just do what we all do: let the grass grow and mow what grows green, be it grass or a weed. (Hey, we are in the country. ) Having a neighbor who is certified organic for field crops calling the company also helped -- his pointing out that the neighbors could not spray within some special distance of his crops basically shut down their spraying at all.
I'm sorry. Another poster listed some advice to users RE: don't spray pesticides even near plants you don't want to die...and she was shot down. Quite rudely, I might add, and I'm sorry I didn't defend her at the time. I live near a railroad that sprays the plants near the tracks...and a lot of nearby plants die in additon to the ones they spray directly.
I'm sorry, but neighbor issues are tough. I am also a little timid LOL but I screwed up the courage to ask my neighbors about property line issues and they turned out to be really nice! I suggest talking to the neighbor about the spraying. He/she may agree to a compromise.
Honestly, even if the plants didn't die, I wouldn't want to eat anything grown near possible herbicide offspray. Another option is to put up a fence after discussing w/ the neighbor or if you want to get creative LOL grow some "roundup ready" corn LOL as a barrier between the adjacent yard.
I have dealt with Truegreen drifting weed killer, fungicides, insecticides, and fertilizers onto my property. The worst are the fungicides and insecticides as you cant tell they're there unless you catch them in the act. The key to the whole thing is to document, document, document, and get the state pesticide regulator involved as soon as possible. If the regulator takes samples, it is best done within 1-2 weeks of the product application. Video surveillance cameras nowadays can be had for cheap. They are a great tool, especially in states where there is no/weak pesticide notification law, and you come home to find the chemical stink and/or the little green sign on the neighbors lawn.
Dont be so quick to buy into "you cant do anything" and "its not illegal". Not enough people realize that pesticide drift is illegal in many cases. There are both federal label law as well as state law to consider. Talk to your state pesticide regulator and/or extension department. My state is unfortunately chemical friendly, but I was pleasantly surprised at the response from my state pesticide regulator and come to find that it is state law specifically prohibits pesticide drift across property boundaries. In fact, in talking with the agency that licenses pesticide applicators, they make it a point for applicators to sign affidavits that they will abide by the law regarding pesticide drift...so their licenses are at risk. The regulators didn't seem like they would be policing neighborhoods, but they seemed very willing to pursue complaints; the problem is that not enough people complain about residential application drift.
Dont be surprised if Truegreen tells you its not their problem to try to make you go away. Make it clear that you're going to get the state regulator involved and that you're prepared to move forward with formal complaints.
"I called Trugreen who told me that their spray will kill vegetable plants. However, they said they are not responsible."....like others, I call BS on that statement. Pesticide applicators must be licensed, and have strict controls on conditions for spraying responsibly. Start doing your investigation into the regulations and liability in your area.
I once had a pesticide applicators license. You definitely have a reason to challenge the lawn care company about the poor conduct of their technician. It is poor technique to allow drift off target. Meaning the lawn is target and any other susceptible plants are off target. Go to their management and if you don’t get a satisfactory response go to the State office responsible for licensing.
By the way you did not smell the active ingredient just the solution it’s dissolved in.
I don't know what to do about the company, but for your veggies, try moving them to the other side of the house where maybe the spray doesn't make it that far.
i used trugreen briefly last year. if my experience with them is any indication; i wouldnt count on them being responsive to your complaint. i would contact the government entity that is responsible for overseeing them and their license.
i know my company gives me a document with the chemicals they used each time they visit. id imagine there is probably something there indicating who regulates them.
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