Dog Mess

Steve, I would not risk growing any food produce until the dog mess has all been cleared up due to their diet. It may be adifferent story if they had horses or cows...........

Not really sure on that one but eew didn't they pick up? I have a dog and clean round the garden at least twice a day.

Bast bet would be to have a word with a local vet on life span of stuff like toxicara etc. He could also probably advise on products to kill anything needing killing.

Ian

Steve let's look at the practical side. Where will you be growing veg in your new garden? Why don't you poop scoop that part and then hose down the whole area thoroughly to wash everything into the soil. Put something good on top of your new growing areas - compost, bags of manure, dug over top soil - anything. Let the worms and bacteria have a go over the winter and then make sure you plant out veggies which have been grown on in their own pots of new compost for a year - by then, surely, everything will be fine. I don't know how long toxicara canis can last in the soil - so you have to take a balanced approach to the risks: it won't be possible to disinfect the whole area.

I read somewhere that to get Toxicara you needed to injest vast amounts of poops!

How about taking the top layer of grass off? say an inch or so? then building up? or alternatively put in raised beds?

The eggs can survive 2 years in the environment so I'd be inclined to scoop up as much of the stuff as you can and then double dig the plot. You are unlikely to ingest any eggs unless you eat root crops straight from the ground without washing or cooking them ....not a practice I'd recommend to anyone.

Don't forget that cats can also carry the worms (toxocara cati, as opposed to t.canis) so once you've cleared the area, you may need to take precautions to stop any neighbourhood cats using your lovely fresh soil as a giant litter tray.

This article
Cat Roundworms (Ascarids, Toxascaris leonina, Toxocara cati)
has some good advice for all cat & dog owners on the subject, but if you scroll right down to the bottom there's a bit on 'treating the environment' that may be useful to you now for clearing any patios or soil -

"Treating the Environment: Cages should be impervious so they are easier to clean. All fecal material should be removed, since organic material will decrease the effectiveness of cleaning solutions. A 20% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 4 parts of water) should be sprayed or mopped on the area. This should be done on at least a weekly basis. This will not kill the eggs, but will strip off their sticky outer layer and make them easier to remove.

Any cat feces outdoors should be picked up on a daily basis. If soil becomes contaminated, about the only alternative is to remove it and replace it, or turn it over to the depth of 8-12 inches.

Since mice and other rodents can serve as transport hosts, their control is important. Remember that mouse and rat poisons are poisons for dogs, cats, and other animals as well. If using one of these products, follow the manufacturer's recommendations and prevent access by your pets. Pets should be prevented from scavenging and preying on wildlife."

Good luck with it!

You could grow veg in bags until you felt safe to grow it in the ground.

Hi Steve,
I would just clean the place up on a surface level and get on with the growing.
I am not belittling the dangers from toxicaris - they are real but rare.
In 40 years of looking after other people at every level I never met a person suffering from anything caused by toxicaris .
I think the incidence is about 10 cases per year in England. As I said, real but rare.

Thanks all, I will digest all advice very carefully

Top tip for you, Visit your local Wildlife park / Zoo and see if you can purchase straw from the lion enclosure, place this around the perimeter of your site and the little moggies will suffer from stage fright due to the scent of a bigger cat in the area, failing that hire the lion for the weekend and insist they supply it with a good chain! This method is also good for deterring trespassers! He he.