Getting rid of weeds in a bird friendly way (1 Viewer)

H

hil5

Well-known member

• Apr 7, 2005

• #1

Hi

Every Spring/Summer my driveway gets full of grass & dandelion weeds. I can't easily weed by hand as the cracks are too small. If I leave them they get out of control and the neighbours frwon.

I've tried "organic" weedkiller (Henry Doubleday approved) but this doesn't smell so bird-friendly or healthy.

I've also used a weed wand but felt the amount of containers of gas I was getting through wasn't environmentally friendly (and it is expensive).

Any ideas?

thanks
Hil

 

smudgepot

Well-known member

• Apr 7, 2005

• #2

Hil-
I have the same problem and am interested to hear other members' suggestions. What is a weed wand?

 

Katy Penland

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #3

Hi, Hil! A warm welcome to you from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!

Per your request, I deleted the other dupe thread, but there was a post there, from Cavan Wood, that had a suggestion. He may re-post, but if not, his idea was to pour boiling water between the cracks every few weeks. :t:

 

KC Foggin

Very, very long time member

Supporter

• Apr 8, 2005

• #4

I've used boiling water with success on concrete seams and cracks.

BTW, welcome to BirdForum.

 

D

dampflippers

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #5

I was going to suggest boiling water too. (it also works on ants)

 

bristolbirder

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #6

dampflippers said:

I was going to suggest boiling water too. (it also works on ants)

Click to expand...

Umm............why would you want to get rid of ants? If you don't have the insects you don't get the birds!

Steve

 

Richard W

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #7

stubborn weeds like Dandelion are not easy to get rid of without chemicals.

if you really dont want to use them then parafin fuel Flame Guns are quite effective but only kills the foliage, not good for ants on the surface but nests aren't destroyed.

 

R

romancitizen

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #8

The dear lady wife puts salt on weeds in cracks on the patio/ path etc., this seems to do the trick.

 

H

hil5

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #9

thanks for the suggestions. I'll try the boiling water and salt

a weed wand is;

http://www.guardianoffers.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/Guardian/WEEDWAND/22649

Works well but the gas containers are wasteful and get expensive

 

smudgepot

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #10

Thanks for the info on the weed wand. I had not seen those before.

I'll try the boiling water and salt too.

As far as ants go, I saw an ant hill under the bird feeders last night and rubbed it out with my toe (out of habit). I hadn't thought about them being food for the birds. Maybe I'll get some new species. I bought my house a little over a year ago and it had a nicely manicured lawn. I'm in the process of turning it into a bird habitat. The neighbors might think I'm nuts, but the birds and the ants will like it!

Last summer I had a problem with ants living under the threshold of my front door. Swarms were coming in the house, but I didn't want to use a poison spray because I have indoor cats that like eating bugs. It took a couple applications, but salt and vinegar worked well. I poured the vinegar down their holes and put up a "barricade" of salt. They don't like walking across a thick line of salt. Hopefully they won't be back this year.

 

B

BarbaraM

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #11

I have quite a few weeds that grow in the cracks of my sidewalks and short driveway. I use a long handled pry bar that has a straight, thick, about three inch wide blade at the end to scrape the weeds off. A hoe might work in a similar fashion (pulling toward instead of pushing away). Running in/out of the house with boiling water seems like a lot of trouble and drippy! Putting salt on the ground is very bad for environment - washes into soil and poisons it long term. Barbara

 

Gill Osborne

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #12

romancitizen said:

The dear lady wife puts salt on weeds in cracks on the patio/ path etc., this seems to do the trick.

Click to expand...

My mother-in-law swears by salt too...though I've never tried it myself.

GILL

 

D

dampflippers

Well-known member

• Apr 8, 2005

• #13

The trouble with salt is that if you apply it often it may affect the soil. We all here of the problems farmers have once sea defences are breached after floods.