Contaminated Pine Needles?????

[L Daxon]

A dear friend just gave me a huge sack of pine needles after hearing I used them in my smoker.  But when I went to pick them up, I noticed he had a sign on his lawn from "AgriLawn" which is a lawn care company here that fertilizes and puts down weed killer throughout the year.

I am assuming that these pine needles probably got sprayed with the rest of the lawn as they fell off the tree and laid around on the ground.  I am afraid if I use them in my smoker I might get chemicals on girls and possibly poison them.  Can I wash/hose off the needles and let them dry to get rid of some of the fertilizer/pesticide?  Or should I just pitch them?

[BlueBee]

I would say do what you feel most comfortable with.  There probably isn't a right answer on this one since nobody will know all the facts.  The best way to break down herbicides/pesticides is probably exposure to UV from the sun vs washing with water.

As for toxins, there are a ton of them in plain old wood smoke as it is. (carbon monoxide, NOx, carcinogenetic particulates, and other nasties).

[windfall]

Without knowing what and when was sprayed.......why run a risk? pine needles are plentiful and free.

washing would be unlikely to help with any herbicide or pesticide which are usually formulated to be as rain fast as possible.

[Kathyp]

why not ask?

[Hemlock]

Did the needles come from a grassless area in your friends lawn?  Whether the pesticides were applied directly over the needles or not is important since MUCH is done to reduce chemical 'Drift' in air, soil, & water.  Meaning if it wasn't sprayed over them they may be safe.

All sorts of pesticides are regularly sprayed in the grassy parts of lawns.  The chems are expensive on won't be wasted in grassless areas under tree canopy.  Both insecticides & herbicides will be put in the grass lawn.  If it is just tress then likely only glyphosate (roundup) was used.  Water & sunlight breaks that stuff down Immediately.  Unless they had the trees sprayed for insects.  Which would be the show stopper.

Rain-fast chemicals aren't an issue since that protection lasts only a few hours.  Encapsulated, time-release, systemic, soil activated chemicals can persist for a very...VERY...VERY long time.

Fertilizers get absorbed into the soil & duff layer as quick as rain & dew will allow.  They are then consumed by everything organic.  Sunlight and heat also break down Nitrogen which is the (N) in NPK.

So.  Ask your friend what is regularly applied on their lawn.  Also ask if the area where the needle came from is a treated area. 
If the needles come from an area which is ONLY spot treated with glyphosate (roundup) and the application is over 2 weeks old I would be willing to use it.

If ANY Insecticide was applied over those needles THIS YEAR.  Do Not Use Them.

If Any Systemic Herbicide was applied over them THIS YEAR i would not use them.

If you have any questions about the chemicals they say they have used you can pm me and i'll get you the info.
I have held a State Pesticide License in Ohio & Alabama.  I am Currently licensed in Virginia.

[T Beek]

Like KathyP said, just ask.  If given the wrong answer, you'll know what to do.

Like windfall said, pine needles are free,  need some?  You pay for shipping and I'll send all you can imagine :-D

thomas

[L Daxon]

My friend's pine tree was in the middle of his front yard with fescue under it so I don't doubt that the lawn company sprayed where the needles fell.

I think I will just spreed the needles over a large bare area in my yard for the winter and see if the snow, rain and sun won't break down what might be on them.

Last year I collected needles from a curbside area that was packed with needles, but looking back I could make the case that those had had lots of cars going up and down the street spewing carbon monoxide.  It is hard to be chemical free in today's world.

[Intheswamp]

Linda, if you're a little bit concerned about the pine needles then don't use them...at all.  Not using them will be one less little nagging thing in the back of your mind.  I'm not really familiar with living in a large city, but I know that in somewhere like Atlanta, Ga, a Sunday afternoon ride into the country could give you all the (as clean as you could probably get) smoker fuel you'll need for the next year...and give you a break from that carbon monoxide for the afternoon, too! :)

Ed

[mikecva]

Insecticides will be in the tree leaves (pine needles) and washing the needles will not help. IMHO

We have a state park near us and they are willing to let us collect all we want after telling them what they are used for.   -Mike

[Hemlock]

Sounds like they have been hit with a insecticide or two.  I would get rid of them.  I'm going to PM you later.  I have an idea.

[BlueBee]

Throw them out and get some sumac drupes!  Lots of ripe ones out there now.