Moving into a new house, lots of pet feces in yard, grandkids?

Question

I am moving into a new house soon and the previous owner had 2 dogs, 5 or so cats, a rabbit and some reptile.

The yard is covered in feces! I plan on raking it up and cleaning it all up but I am worried about any bacteria or diseases that might be present or remaining in the soil after the cleanup. I will be having grandkids over very frequently and I am worried about them playing in the yard.

Would tilling the yard help? Do I need to take any necessary steps to prevent the spread of bacteria, diseases, and other icky stuff?

Answer 1

Unless the dogs and cats were sick I wouldn't worry about them, but reptiles can carry diseases that won't hurt them but can hurt you or your grandkids. Tilling your yard can help with the dog and cats feces, it will just make them fertilizer for your yard, but you should see if you town has a yard clean up service that uses human safe chemicals to neutralize any diseases that could be in the reptile feces. Good luck and congratulations on your new house.

Answer 2

Great question! I'm glad you realize that this is a valid concern. There are many parasites that children and adults can pick up by being in close contact with animal feces. Especially young children that like to put things in their mouth (a toy that was laid on the lawn, etc.).

My first instinct would be to make sure the grass is cut *short* so after you've raked and cleaned your new yard the sun's rays can reach to the soil easily. The UV light will help kill bacteria and a lack of tall grass will keep things from staying cool and moist (a nice habitat if you are a germ!). This might not be too great for the health of your lawn, but it should benefit the grandkids in the long run.

I would also keep the kids off of your yard a good two weeks *after* you have cleaned it thoroughly.

If the previous owners cared for their pets properly (doesn't sound like too promising if they left feces all over their yard), they should have had regular worming medications given to their animals as part of an annual health care procedure. Then you wouldn't have to worry so much about the number of parasites in the feces.

Do you have a local vet? If they have any good ideas about how to deal with this, a quick phone call will let you know what they are.

Hopefully someone has some expert knowledge in this field and can help you out with more info. I think your main concern is the parasites the dogs and cats might have been carrying in their feces and eggs these parasites might have out in your new lawn. Bacteria will also be present, but they should die off much more easily than some parasites in their various life-stages.


I hope you got a break on the house cost for leaving such a mess like that... eww!

Good luck!

Answer 3

I used to rent a house from a lady who had a dog who used to defecate there. I know the pain! I would quarantine the yard for a while from everyone--especially kids, pets, and anyone who has allergies. The good thing about feces is that it decomposes over time. Think about it: people walk their dogs on sidewalks daily, and even though the poop is scooped, there are still traces on the ground. Bet you never noticed, right? Nature eventually takes care of it.

Do scoop up what you can to remove as much as you can, and let nature take care of any unseen remnants. Don't forget a dust mask! Disposable rubber gloves wouldn't be bad, either. Have the grass trimmed short AFTER you've removed the poop. I think after two or three months, your yard should be safe for the little ones, especially if it rains a lot.

A good idea would be to remove your shoes from entering your home, especially after going into the yard. This is a great way to prevent tracking in the tiny remnants of the feces into your home.

Answer 4

I can't find anything really specific right off the bat, but it seems that Parvoe in the yard naturally fades away -- after clean up, you should wait about three to five months before using it, said one website.

A great source of information would be whatever government department licenses day care -- they will have specific rules for cleaning up the yard to make it safe for kids, and they'll probably be happy to tell you where to find the information.

Now, don't go overboard. As long as the pets were healthy, they probably aren't harboring any killer diseases. A little bit of animal doo will actually make your grandchildren healthier, because their immune systems will react to it and get stronger. I know that sounds gross, but it's well known that kids who grow up on farms often have stronger immune systems.

If the animals weren't healthy, then I think you should be super-cautious. But if they were normal animals, clean up the dung, wait a few weeks, and then let the kids go out and play. Be sure they wash their hands and gargle when they come inside.

You should get a discount on the house, though, I think, for having to clean up all that mess!

Good luck!

Answer 5

I honestly don't know the answer but I have two pieces of advice. 1) wear a MASK when you are raking the yard. 2) consult a vet -- he might be able to tell you more about the problem.

Good luck!

Answer 6

You might contact the local "pooper scooper" in your area to see if they use any special chemicals to "sanitize" a yard after the pets move out. Just a thought.

Answer 7

ur title question sounds like pet feces are in ur grandkids... hehe