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!