i was reading through some of the posts this weekend and just wanted to bring this up to the top, for those considering using sevin dust in their yards.

the active ingredient in sevin dust is carbaryl and it was actually canceled by the epa for use in all pet products but flea/tick collars in 2003, due to the risk of exposure to children. it was also cancelled for some other uses & products as well & is currently under review by the epa. the product label says it is harmful to humans & domestic animals. carbaryl is extremely toxic to aquatic animals and should not be used if you live near any sort of lake or water where it can runoff. it is also toxic to earthworms and beneficial insects like honeybees & ladybugs. it can be fatal if swallowed, is a possible carcinogen, it can cause reproductive problems, behavioral problems, respiratory problems, nervous system problems and endocrine system problems (thyroid/hormones/etc).

here are a couple links, but a quick internet search can bring up many pages on the harmful effects of carbaryl:
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticides/factsheets/Carbaryl.pdf

http://www.healthyworld.org/sevin.html
this is a 2 part article that contains alot of information.
a few things that i found interesting were how long the product can stay in the soil. "Carbaryl's persistence in soil has been measured between two and sixteen weeks. Occasionally, however, it can persist much longer (up to 16 months)."

and if your dog is on the medication tagamet:
"The anti-ulcer drug Tagamet (cimetidine) has been shown to inhibit the breakdown of carbaryl in both laboratory animals and humans. This means that people exposed to both cimetidine and carbaryl will have longer and more pronounced symptoms."

i just thought that the above information would be useful for those considering using the sevin dust. the product is far from being "safe", for pets or for people!


here are a few alternative products that can be used to control bugs in the yard:

one way is the use of food grade diatomaceous earth (it must be food grade NOT the stuff for pools) (this product also kills beneficial insects & earthworms though)
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html
http://www.safe2use.com/safe-products/diatomaceous/diatomaceous_Earth.htm

adding beneficial nematodes to the yard will help keep the fleas/ticks & other bugs away, w/o harming the good bugs:
http://www.wormman.com/pd_nematodes.cfm

this product is a garlic based spray:
http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/

spreading cedar chips around the perimeter of the yard can help to repel fleas & ticks. some plants such as pennyroyal, rosemary, fleabane daisy, lavender, and mint may also help keep the fleas out of the yard.

hope that helps.