If you have a yard, you should expect it to attract stray cats and dogs looking for what to eat or a place to call their home. And the sad thing is that your yard is at a greater risk of contracting Giardia from these animals.
Even a dog that is well-cared for can be a carrier of germs. So, here’s the help you need. In this article, you will learn how to get rid of Giardia in your yard without calling in assistance.
Stay with me for a while.
2 Techniques On How To Rid A Yard Of Giardia
Anyone can rid a lawn of Giardia with a bit of know-how and the right tools. A hot, dry temperature technique and a bleaching technique can kill Giardia when done correctly.
But first, you need to know which of these methods would be convenient for you. You may want to start by considering your availability of time and the tools.
Whichever method you opt for, be rest assured that they are highly effective and efficient for getting rid of Giardia on a lawn.
Hot Temperature Technique To Remove Giardia
The hot temperature technique has proven to be effective for getting rid of Giardia from the yard. This is because Giardia can’t survive a dry and hot temperature.
The steps for using the hot temperature technique to get rid of Giardia from the yard are outlined below.
- Remove The Fecal Material
The first step to using the hot temperature technique to rid a lawn of Giardia is to remove the animals’ fecal matter. Just like what you would do to get rid of hookworms from your yard.
But it would help if you were extra careful because you can get the infection in contact with an infected medium. Make sure to wear a yard glove and wash your hands properly after disposing of the fecal matter.
- Lay A Hose And A Tarp
After disposing of the fecal matter, proceed to pay a hose and a tarp. The summer period is the best time to do this. Start by laying a soaker hose.
Lay a tarp over the soaker hose and ensure to overlap the ends when using more sheets. To prevent wind from blowing off the tarp, make 6 inches digging around the tarps.
- Water Under The Tarp And Give It Time
Make sure to water it every week for six weeks. It will keep the environment moist and at a high temperature.
It’s safe to remove the tarp and resume work on your yard after six weeks of watering under the tarp. What makes this method recommendable is the ease of use and the low budget.
All the tools you need to rid a lawn of Giardia using the hot temperature method are a soaker hose, a tarp, and a watering can.
The Bleaching Technique: To Disinfect Yard From Giardia
When you disinfect your yard from Giardia, you are sure helping to control the spread of environmental contamination.
Studies have shown that bleach treatment for getting rid of Giardia in the yard requires less than one minute of the contact time to kill Giardia cysts.
So, what this means is that the bleaching method of getting rid of Giardia in the yard is effective and efficient. Above all, it is easy and saves both time and energy.
So, here’s how to disinfect the yard from Giardia.
- Clear The Areas
It is advisable to start disinfecting the yard from Giardia by clearing the foliage areas. It will allow an even distribution of the disinfectant.
- Mix And Apply The Disinfectant
The recommended ratio for mixing bleach for disinfecting a yard is 1:32 in water. The tools you need for this treatment are chlorine bleach, water, a container for mixing the bleach and the water, and a sprinkler.
As a note, there have been claims that boiling water can kill Giardia cysts. You have to bring the water to a boiling point for 1 minute and pour it into your yard.
What Are The Ways To Reduce Giardia Infestation In My Yard?
Sometimes, it’s challenging to eradicate Giardia from the environment. However, you can reduce the infestation from spreading out.
Here are a few ways to reduce Giardia infestation in your yard
- Remove Poop From Your Yard
If you keep ignoring poop in your yard, there are chances your yard will have a Giardia outbreak. Ensure you keep an eye on fecal matter and dispose of them off immediately using a bag.
- Limit Animal Access To Your Yard
Until you are sure of the health status of an animal, it’s best to prevent them from coming to your yard. Don’t allow new or young animals into your yard.
If you keep a pet infested with Giardia, ensure it is scheduled for a Giardia check-up and follow-up on the treatment. Change your dog or cat’s litter box regularly and keep their water clean.
- Check Unused Water Sources
Water is one of the easiest ways to get a Giardia infestation. Ensure that all unused water containers are kept away from your yard.
Scrutinize your environment for unused or unhealthy water fountains, ponds, etc. You can team up with neighbors and help put unused water sources in check.
Giardia In Yard: Symptoms And How Can They Be Contaminated?
Giardia is an intestinal infection that is caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lambina. The condition is commonly associated with cats and dogs, but people can also get a Giardia infection.
It would interest you to know that Giardia infection is not specific to a geographical location or a variant. The infection is found in all geographical zones across the globe.
Giardia can thrive in contaminated soil, food and water. However, it needs a host to survive.
For humans, the common symptoms of a Giardia infection are headache, fatigue, vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite, bloating, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Animals with a Giardia infection will exhibit symptoms like diarrhea, fatty stool, and weight loss. A stool test can diagnose a Giardia infection.
However, an endoscopy can also be used to detect a Giardia infection.
When animals drink water that contains the Giardia parasite, they can contact a Giardia infection. Another way of contracting a Giardia infection is by eating contaminated foods or personal contact with an infected person or animal.
Why Should I Get Rid Of Giardia From My Yard?
Before I jump ahead to tell you how to rid a lawn of Giardia, you must know why you need to do so. Giardia has grown over the years and is becoming resistant to standard treatments.
The infestation could be a hell of a task for pet and yard owners.
If you don’t get rid of Giardia in your yard, you are inviting a Giardia infestation. Other’s pets in your neighborhood are not safe, and you also are not safe.
So, it’s best to get rid of the parasite as soon as you can.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A Giardia can survive in an environment for many months. Although the parasite needs a host to survive, it thrives in a cool, moist environment.
Giardia can survive a long time in water kept at cold temperatures. This is why it is advisable to boil your water before drinking or for any other use.
Also, Giardia can stay up to 6 months in areas that do not have direct sunlight.
A Giardia disinfection should be consistent and on time. Disinfecting your yard every three months is a good idea, especially if you live in a neighborhood occupied with lots of stray cats and dogs.
Regardless, you should pay attention to your yard and disinfect it immediately you notice a stray cat or dog lurking around. It’s best if you also disinfect your dog or cat if you keep one as a pet.
The best way to protect yourself from having a Giardia infection is to wear hand gloves when disinfecting the yard from Giardia.
Another safety measure to consider when disinfecting the yard from Giardia is to maintain a handwashing habit.
Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after visiting your yard. You can decide to take a warm bath to be on the safer side.
Conclusion
A Giardia cyst is easy to detect in stools. Most times, a stool contaminated with Giardia will be soft and watery with a greenish ting in it.
However, avoid coming in close contact with contaminated fecal matter. When disposing of contaminated fecal matter, use a glove, and don’t forget to wash both hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Anyone can get rid of Giardia from the yard with the proper tools. It only takes a little patience and understanding how to get rid of Giardia in your yard. With the appropriate treatment, Giardia can be eliminated from a yard within a space of two weeks.
There could be an extension depending on the treatment method of getting rid of Giardia from the yard and the severity of the infestation.
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Correction: Boiling is for drinking water only. The point of boiling is to kill/inactivate Giardia in the water that is being boiled—boiling water (for any length of time) and then pouring it in your yard will do nothing for Giardia in your yard.
Will kill the grass, this sounds like bull to me. Had dogs and cats never had problem with this.
Here in my area, the vets are having a hard time, getting Panacur.
Or fenbendazole.
So I tried a equine dewormer. By Merck 25 gram paste 10% (100 mg/g)
The vet said, it was coccidiosis.
And we treated the pups,
with Albon for three weeks.
But they still had the diarrhea.
So I figured it was giardia.
As I’ve seen it before.
In a cat, I bought years ago
from a breeder, in Oregon
And asked to start them on Panacur.
But I guess, nobody has Panacur medication, for some odd reason.
So I figured,
I’d try the horse wormer.
I gave them (Pups weigh 20 lbs each)
1 cc each for five days.
And Still had diarrhea.
So I did it again for another five days, with 3 cc each.
Stool started getting firmer.
But I’m still getting diarrhea.
What do you think I’m doing wrong?