[sci.bio] birds versus lawn chemicals

harolds1@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Schessler) (08/31/87)

My office overlooks acres of grass. This should not be a cause of anxiety but
it has become so. Each spring when the robins arrive they are a delight to watch
and hear. Then the lawn chemical trucks arrive (they use herbicides plus ? here).
The birds quickly disappear to not show up until the next spring.

Can anyone tell me whether the birds are too smart to feed here after spraying
or whether they are killed (or made sick and die later) each year?
It seems so odd and unnatural to not see birds here most of the year.

Harold Schessler ATT Bell Labs 312-979-6210

jnp@calmasd.GE.COM (John Pantone) (09/02/87)

(Schessler) writes:
>My office overlooks acres of grass. .........
>Each spring when the robins arrive ..........
>Then the lawn chemical trucks arrive
>The birds quickly disappear to not show up until the next spring.
> 
>Can anyone tell me whether the birds are too smart to feed here after spraying
>or whether they are killed (or made sick and die later) each year?


The lawn services usually spray fertilizer and insecticide - no herbicides as 
such except for some weed-killers (sometimes). 

The robins most likely just move on to "less greener" pastures when the bugs
and worms disappear.

-- 
These opinions are solely mine and in no way reflect those of my employer.  
John M. Pantone @ GE/Calma R&D, Data Management Group, San Diego
...{ucbvax|decvax}!sdcsvax!calmasd!jnp          jnp@calmasd.GE.COM

geoffs@gssc.UUCP (Geoff Shapiro) (09/04/87)

In article <5298@ihlpa.ATT.COM> harolds1@ihlpa.ATT.COM (Schessler) writes:
>My office overlooks acres of grass. This should not be a cause of anxiety but
>it has become so. Each spring when the robins arrive they are a delight to watch
>and hear. Then the lawn chemical trucks arrive (they use herbicides plus ? here).
>The birds quickly disappear to not show up until the next spring.
>
>Can anyone tell me whether the birds are too smart to feed here after spraying
>or whether they are killed (or made sick and die later) each year?
>It seems so odd and unnatural to not see birds here most of the year.
>
>Harold Schessler ATT Bell Labs 312-979-6210

My guess is that the chemicals which are used by the landscape firms are
great for greening up lawns and preventing the growth of weeds, BUT not
so great for insect larvae, worms, and birds. If the chemicals do not make
the birds ill outright then it is more likely that the chemicals kill off
the food source for the birds. No food -- no birds!

Just an educated guess....

Geoff Shapiro
Graphic Software Systems
(503) 641-2200

PS. Now a programmer, but once was a wildlife biologist to be!