Playing on the lawn?

Hi there!

This may sound a little silly, but seeing that I'm not from Houston I need to ask you all this question.

Is it safe for the twins to play outside on our lawn? Dh says that it may be unsafe as the lawn may have parasites, he gets this from the fact that a lot of dogs in the Houston area get heart worms. We do not have any pets.
I really want them to start playing outside, when the weather permits. But don't want them getting ill from what may or may not be lurking in the grass.

We do have our lawn treated every few weeks.

Is dh right or is he just being paranoid?

Thanks!

 

Heart worms are transmitted through mosquito bites...be sure to use some kind of bug repellant and if you can take the heat I say have fun!!

 

Howdy! We are in houston and my guys have been playing outside all year! We do not have any pets and i dont know anything about heartworms and grass.. but i did just read an article on pesticides in the grass-- if you use any kind of fertilizer or ant killer stuff, but the "green" eco-friendly kind. Be sure and use deet free mosquito stuff-- you will need mosquito stuff ALL DAY! They tend to be worse in the early morning hours and at dusk, but are generally out during the day as well. We use Avon Skin So Soft aerosol spray that repels mosquitos and bugs and has an spf 30 in it. Just a side note--I sell avon if you need any! -- what side of houston are you in? We are on the east/south east side.

 

If the kiddos 'eat' the dirt, they can get pinworms but it's not serious and can be easily treated. They can't get them from just playing outside on the grass though, my girls play outside everyday.

 

I'm in houston and my girls play outside all the time!

 

we need to do a play group!

 

No issues here other than mosquitos and the heat is intense (and it's only May, sob!). I had pinworms a few times as as child, but I think I got them from my cat, not the grass, and they are easy to get rid of. The kids have never had them, and they are allowed outside to get muddy and dirty all the time. I've never heard of a human having heartworms, but I might be missing something there. We do keep the kids off the lawn for a week or so after fertilizing, and after a few waterings. And I wish I had time to research and find an organic bud repellant system for our yard.

But other than that, no big deal.

 

There are several types of worms that can be passed through dog feces, but you'll probably know if there's any of that on your lawn. The children would only become infected if they ingested the feces, so good handwashing is always important. I've also read that tapeworm comes from ingesting infected fleas . . . this is something that is common for dogs to do, but not too common for children (anyways, they say it may be unpleasant to have tapeworm, but not harmful)

Hopefully all of the dogs in the neighborhood are on preventative anyways. Up until last year we used the heartworm preventative (which also prevents several other types of worms) on our dog from April - October, but now the vet is recommending we use it all year as sometimes we have mild winters and the worms don't get killed off (or something like that).

So, I'd say get them outside! Don't know if ticks are a problem out there, but they are much more of a concern to us than anything else they might pick up from our dog.

-Rachel

 

I was born and raised in Houston and I am raising my kids here. We play outside all the time in our grass and yard. Yes, you do have to beware of mosquitos but as far as the grass itself no problems.

Why are you treating your yard every few weeks? WE fertilize in the spring and winter. We do some bug spray quarterly around the edge of the house but that stuff is fine after just a few hours.

Cindy

 

I'm originally from Houston and am also a veterinarian. Just wanted to comment on a few of the parasites I've seen mentioned, since I deal with all of them on a daily basis and have a lot of training in regards to parasites.

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes and in general only members of the canine family and cats can get them (there are a couple of extremely rare cases in people who were immunocompromised).

Pinworms are species specific (i.e you can only get pinworms from another human).

Roundworms and hookworms are both very common in Houston and are transmissible to children. Hookworms can penetrate skin and usually cause a rash. Hookworm eggs are shed in animal feces. Roundworms are fecal-oral transmission, meaning that eggs from an animal's feces has to get into your child's mouth (which is not uncommon, since they commonly play in the dirt, then eat) They can cause many problems, most commonly blindness. The heartworm prevention most commonly recommended for dogs also has a preventive for hookworms and roundworms. So, if you have animals and children, it's a good idea to keep the animal on year-round heartworm prevention for the protection of your child (not to mention the animal!)

Tapeworms can be transmitted several ways, but the most common type is transmitted by ingesting fleas. So, not likely, unless your child has some unusual habits!

I will let my children play in the dirt, but I'll try to make sure they wash their hands afterward. Also, if they play in a sandbox, I want to make sure it's covered and not used as a litterbox by the neighborhood cats. I also have both my dogs and cats on monthly parasite preventions, which protects my pets and my kids too!

More info than you wanted I'm sure, but there is a lot of false information about parasites on the web.

Enjoy the Houston summer - it's one thing I don't miss!

Suzanne

 

Great information Suzanne, thank you!

 

Suzanne, that is great information for all parents everywhere. Thanks so much!

(Also, ingesting fleas... :bad

 

Houston here too (well Sugarland really). We play outside everyday, weather permitting, and no problems so far. I make sure to get the bug spray on them though and we do a thorough hand washing when we come in! Have fun! My girls LOVE to be outside.

I second the playgroup!

Great info Suzanne! Thanks!

 

Thank you for all your replies!

Yes, truly very helpful Suzanne!

We don't have any pets, so that eliminates most of the parasite concerns. Now only to tackle those other flying, walking & moving insects outside :lol:

Thanks again!

Denise

 

Where is everyone? We could meet at herman park one day and ride the train?!

 

WE are in the Tomball area up northwest.

Cindy

 

Don't forget to sweep your lawn for fire ants on a regular basis! We just finished treating about 3-4 mounds in our back yard. If you keep your eye open for mounds they don't have to become a problem (Katy area)

 

Tomball/Spring area.

 

I'm in the Houston area too - Quail Valley (close to Sugar Land). I'd be up for a playgroup outing!