The myth: 'the sun bakes it away'
Dried waste looks harmless, so people assume the heat sterilizes it. The solids crumble, but the parasite eggs — roundworm, hookworm, giardia — survive in soil and gravel for months.
The real risk is reinfection
Those eggs reinfect your own dogs and can infect kids playing in the yard. A 'clean-looking' neglected yard can still be a parasite reservoir.
Heat makes odor and flies explode
At 110°+, decomposition and fly activity spike. The same yard that's fine in January is a problem in July with identical upkeep.
Weekly removal breaks the cycle
Consistent weekly pickup is the single most effective control — waste never sits long enough to become a parasite, fly, or odor problem.
A weekly Chandler route is $25/visit — the cheapest preventative-health habit a dog-owning household can buy.
Updated 2026-06-05.