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Why Can I Not Put Dog Manure in My Compost Pile?

Why Can I Not Put Dog Manure in My Compost Pile? thumbnail
"My poop isn't good enough?"

Dog manure should not be placed in a compost pile because it may contaminate any lawns or food crops grown with that compost. However, dog feces may be added to compost that is being used to grow non-edible plants. Does this Spark an idea?

  1. Problems

    • According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dog and cat feces contain bacteria like E.coli, viruses or parasites harmful to people and other dogs. Compost piles provide these substances with an ideal breeding ground.

    Water

    • Lawns and food crops do not soak up all of the water that falls on them, causing runoff, which goes into ground water. Pathogens from dog feces can survive in a compost pile to enter ground water.

    Temperature

    • In order to kill off parasites and other pathogens, the dog feces needs to be kept at high temperatures of at least 140 degrees F. Many regular compost piles do not reach this temperature.

    Warning

    • Always wash hands after handling dog feces. The Florida Online Composting Center also recommends keeping separate tools just for dog waste so there is no chance of contaminating a regular compost pile or lawn.

    Speculation

    • The Florida Online Composting Center claims that after special treatment, dog feces may be safe. But first, dog feces needs to be placed in a separate pile with sawdust for one to two months weeks prior to adding to another compost pile.

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  • Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of João Paulo Corrêa de Carvalho

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