Green Living by Janet Marchant: Reducing Your Pesticide Use

Winter is here, all right. First we had those weeks of home heating emergencies, and now the rain is coming down and the humidity is going up. And after each little rain shower, it seems like a million weeds pop up all over my Kentucky Bluegrass lawn! What is a caring homeowner to do?

Now, if you're like me, you usually take a canister of Round-Up and give each of those dandelions a healthy squirt, but did you know that the chemicals we use to kill plants and insects around our homes can be bad for the environment? They can soak into the soil, and find their way into the bay. If we don't want all of our children swimming in toxic chemicals at Crown Beach, we're going to have to find a better way to fight weeds and nasty insects in our yards.

Fortunately, there's a simple alternative that will ensure that you never have to spray weeds or ants again! Simply have the problematic portions of your yard sealed in concrete, and those weeds will never rear their ugly seed heads. Rain water will just run harmlessly off the surface, remaining pristine until it reaches the shores of Alameda. Depending on the shape of your yard, you may also find that you've created a new place to park one of your cars. So paving your yard is a win for you, and for the planet!