Preen is a type of herbicide used to kill germinating seeds.
It’s helpful in the garden as it won’t harm any vegetable seedlings while preventing most weed seeds from emerging.
If you are both a plant and bird owner, you might wonder if preen is safe for birds.
After all, birds use their beaks for everything, including exploring their environment and pecking the ground for grubs.
Preen is considered safe to use around birds, but unfortunately, it can potentially be mildly toxic for them.
Here’s what you’re going to discover in this article
- Is preen safe around animals (in general)
- How toxic is preen?
- Can you use preen around chickens?
- Is preen harmful around bees and butterflies
So if you’re thinking about using preen but want to make sure it’s safe to use, then you’re going to love this article
Sound interesting?
Let’s get started!
Is Preen Safe Around Animals?
Preen themselves advertise that their product can be used even if you have a dog in the house.
However, you should make sure you follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly as too much Preen won’t be good for your animals.
The manufacturer advises that it’s best to water-activate it before putting it on your lawn.
Once you do, keep your pets out of the lawn until it is fully dry.
This will normally take around half an hour.
Dogs and other animals tend to be closer to the ground than we are, so they are more exposed to any chemicals there.
For this reason, you should be very careful using any kind of chemical around them.
Ideally, you won’t be using Preen at all, but if you must, do so sparingly and with care.
It must be noted that Preen is one hundred percent toxic to aquatic animals.
Preen should never seep into their environment or the next thing you will be cleaning up is your fishes’ floating bodies.
Talking about how toxic preen is to aquatic animals, let’s look at how toxic preen is
How Toxic Is Preen?
How toxic Preen is highly depends on what product is used.
The popular Preen Garden Weed Preventer is generally pretty safe to use.
The main chemical in this product is called trifluralin.
Trifluralin can cause some irritation in the eyes and skin, but otherwise it won’t be too toxic to humans and pets.
However, it should be used with caution as it is toxic to fish and aquatic life.
Make sure this product isn’t used near waterways, ponds, or even drains.
On the other hand, Preen Lawn Weed Control is used to kill existing weeds.
This product is toxic to humans, pets, and aquatic animals.
The chemical used in this product is called 2,4-D.
Make sure to use protective gear when using this product.
Keep other people and pets away as you apply this.
Applying chemicals onto your lawn is not going to be pretty business and it should always be used with precaution regardless of how toxic the product is.
If you have chickens about, is preen okay to be used around them?
Let’s find out
Can I Use Preen Around Chickens?
Birds are frequent visitors in any lawn or garden.
Whether you own birds in your garden yourself or you have wild birds visiting for grubs in your grass, any homeowner will see birds in their property at some point.
For this reason, herbicide manufacturers like Preen will do their best to make sure their product is as less toxic as possible.
If you have chickens in your backyard that you’d like to keep safe, you might wonder if Preen is safe to use around them.
Preen products don’t list any toxicity to avian species, but it should be reiterated: keep your birds out of it until the product is fully dry.
Is Preen Harmful To Bees And Butterflies?
There is no conclusive evidence if Preen is harmful to bees and butterflies.
Thankfully, their products use a small amount of toxins, so it isn’t considered harmful.
However, any toxin you put into the garden will be at least mildly toxic or harmful to any organism.
If you notice fewer bees and butterflies since putting Preen in your lawn, you can try a more natural way of getting rid of weeds.
It might be worth noting that although Preen may not be harmful to bees and butterflies, they are definitely harmful to earthworms.
Wrapping Up
Putting potentially harmful chemicals like Preen to treat your lawn should be a last resort.
If you are having trouble with the various weeds that are popping up all over your garden, it may be a good idea to use something like Preen to fix your problem.
However, if you do use Preen, make sure to keep all animals including birds and humans away from the lawn until the product is fully dry.