PEST CONTROL TIPS 

Spring and Bugs will be upon us shortly. Generally in March we can expect to see Carpen-ter Ants (large ant, up to 1/2”), who like to nest in moist places, around doors, windows, roof decks, decaying lumber and many other places. There could be multi-colonies, and when they swarm many people think TERMITES. But they aren’t. Treatment for Carpenter Ants can be quite simple once the nests are located and identified. Over the winter months most bugs die off, or go into hiber-nation. They also have laid the next generation of bugs, that will emerge when the weather starts to warm up. We recom-mend an outside perimeter treatment around your home, this will prevent bugs from becoming a problem, and save you money and frustration. March and April are the optimum time for bug prevention.


LAWN & ORNAMENTAL TIPS

In order to maintain a beautiful yard, Spring is the best time to have your trees, shrubs, and lawn fertilized. Also, a great time to replant, or do any serious pruning.

This year, the extended winter will affect the recommended fertilizer and weed prevention schedules. Typically weed prevention applications should begin in late February, early March. Broadleaf weed control can be quite simple, but crab grass and nut sedges can be more complicated. As we move forward into Spring it is time to start thinking about what you need to do to maintain your lawn, trees and shrubs.

Fertilization; did you know:
When to apply ?
How much to apply?
Do you need weed control?
Bug prevention?

Here are tips for you to consider.

Fertilizer
Most lawns (Bermuda & St. Augustine) require 3-5lbs.of nitrogen per year, per 1000 sq. ft. to have a good looking lawn.

For example Bermuda Grass requires 2-5lbs. 3.5 lbs. being middle of the road of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft./per year. Therefore a 2500 sq. ft. yard would require 8.75 lbs. Of Nitrogen per year.

The first thing you need to do is find out the size of your yard (Length x Width=Sq. Ft.) The most common fertilizers are supplied with ratios of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash (21-0-0), plus various other supplements.

Second you need to determine how many pounds of nitrogen are included in a bag offertilizer?

In this example lets use 21-0-0, which means the bag contains 21% Nitrogen, 0% Phosphate, 0% Potash, per 100lbs. 100/21=4.76lbs, which means4.76 lbs of fertilizer must be applied to get 1lb. of Nitrogen.

Our owner’s front yard is 2500 sq. ft. and he wants a healthy, good looking yard, he does not want to waste money on unnecessary chemicals, and he is really concerned about polluting the water supply and environment.

He will apply 3.5lbs of Nitrogen/ 1000 sq. ft. (middle of the road), to 2500 sq. ft. lawn, which equals 8.75lbs/year. To get 1lb/1000 sq. ft., he will apply 4.76lbs of fertilizer (4.76 x 8.75=41.65lbs of fertilizer per year.

He will purchase 50lb of fertilizer and apply three (3) applications per year, in March, April, and September. In the spring use a high nitrogen based fertilizer to give the lawn a jump start, then in 6-8 weeks treat with another application with a 27- 0-7 fertilizer, slow release fertilizer, and again in the fall for good root development.

Weed Control
A weed and feed that is put down too early will encourage existing weeds to grow, and will do very little for the dormant grass. Broadleaf weed control can be fairly easy if you don’t let them take over your yard. Crab grasses, and nut sedges are more Difficult, but can begotten under control. If you have a lot of weeds and little grass, with a lot of dirt showing it might be easier to call and discuss alternatives. It can get very expensive.

Pre-emergent weed control is the key to a happy healthy, good Looking yard. It needs to be put down late February, or early March (this year March will do fine), and again in the fall. Broadleaf, and crab grass weeds will continue to be a problem until a weed prevention program is initiated, and is one of the reasons why a lot of companies want to get you on a program to treat for weeds every 6 to 8 weeks.

Please give us a call to discuss your turf and shrub issues. We can set up a program that will give you a green lawn in no time.

TERMITE PREVENTION TIPS

Termites typically will start to become more active in mid-March through May. Be on the lookout for any swarming activity in and around your home and yard. Remember just because you may see flying insects swarming, that does not automatically mean you have termites. Some ant reproductive are also winged. If it looks like an ant (head, thorax, and abdomen) it is ants.
Termite Swarmers are usually about 1/4” in size, and are more cylinder shaped. If you are planning any remodeling, renovations or additions, think termites, and call us to discuss what can be done as preventive treatments.

If you are buying, or know someone buying a new home, have it treated, not just inspected. Every year we hear customers say “we just bought a house and had it inspected”. The report said we did not have termites, and now we do.

A termite inspection is a visual inspection, and cannot reveal what is going on inside the walls, or beneath the floors. Termites come with the territory, in north Texas we deal with the Eastern Subterranean termite. It’s slow but tenacious. If your home has not been treated for termites, and not under a termite warranty. Have your home inspected each and every spring by a qualified individual, it should not cost you any money, and can reveal many things about your home and yard that you may not have known.

If you have any questions or concerns about your home or yard. Give us a call we can discuss over the phone or we can schedule a time to stop by your home to inspect. Termites cause a lot of excitement every year, and a lot of people overreact. We have always asked people to calm down, the house won’t fall apart overnight. Get an educa-tion, and start researching methods of treatment, compa-nies, and pricing.

The annual termite renewal is a very important part of the service, and should be evalu-ated carefully. Termidor has been very successful over the past 5 years, and longer in Europe, but termites have been with us a long time, and know how to adapt.

If you have any questions we are happy to discuss your situation with you.

You can download the full version of this Spring Newsletter here (353KB)

You can download a copy of our earlier Winter Newsletter here (414KB)

You can download our Fall Newsletter here (113KB)