Cool season lawns (Fescue)should be aerated and seeded every fall to stay thick and healthy. Unlike warm season lawns (Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede), cool season lawns do not spread and require overseeding to fill in thin or bare areas. Cool season lawns should be aerated and seeded between September and November for best results. This will allow the new seedlings time to mature and develop a strong root system before the cold winter months. This will also ensure a thick, healthy lawn the following spring. Seeding a cool season lawn in the spring is not recommended in most cases. Spring seeding can interfere with spring Crabgrass pre-emergent treatments and cause weeds problems later in the year. Also, the root system normally does not have time to develop and mature before the hot summer months. This will cause cool season lawns to be more susceptible to insects, disease, and heat stress.
Here are some tips and rules to guide yourself by in the process:
- Do a soil test if possible before aerating and seeding. Preparing the soil is ultimately important.
- Determine the foot traffic in the area where you plan on seeding. In Georgia Fescue is not a good turf to have in heavy foot traffic areas, so re-evaluate what you should do in these areas.
- Mark sprikler Heads before aerating.
- Utilize the correct amount of seed for the area you are covering. There are different rates for established lawns and for areas that are bare.
- Only use a small amount of wheat straw on areas that are bare. Heavy straw can conflict with the amount of sunlight the seed is getting.
- Water, Water, Water once to twice a day, (10-15 minutes), just enough to keep the seed moist for the first 7 days. Do not let the new seedlings dry out. Once the seed germinates you can start adding more time to your watering schedule but cut back on the frequency.
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If you haven't heard by now Atlanta has gotten over 10" inches of rain over the last few days. Just in case you're wondering, an inch of rain in a 1000 Sq Ft. area = a little over 631 gal. of water. Needless to say we have had a lot of water rolling around us. We have seen devistation, and even live's have been claimed because of the recent natural disaster. But something we can overlook is Pests.
Pests are a common problem after a flood, because it displaces many rodents from their natural habitat. As a result, these
animals are seeking areas that can provide food and shelter, such as
homes, sheds, barns and other buildings.
Structures damaged by the floods are particularly attractive and
provide easy access torodents. The unwelcome pests can damage property
and, in extreme cases, pose a potential health problem.
Rats and mice
- As soon as possible, remove all debris that could provide protective cover for rodents from around homes and buildings.
- Keep lawn and field vegetation mowed low to eliminate protective cover.
- Remove potential food sources, such as household trash, waste grain or other foods.
- Close openings into buildings, such as around water pipes, electrical wires, vents and doors, with 1/8-inch mesh hardware cloth or sheet metal.
Squirrels
- Trim trees to prevent squirrels from jumping onto roofs.
- Prevent squirrels from traveling along wires to houses and buildings by installing 2-foot sections of lightweight plastic pipe 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Slit pipe lengthwise, spread open and place over wire. The pipe will rotate on the wire and cause traveling squirrels to fall.
- Close openings to attics and eaves with heavy 1/2-inch wire mesh or sheet metal.
- In closed attics, naphthalene (mothballs) may work as a temporary repellent. Use 1 to 2 pounds spread evenly throughout the attic; greater amounts may be needed for large spaces.
If you have a serious problem please contact a profesional.
It's the curse of pesticides: They kill more than just pests. Yesterday, I wrote a story about how beekeepers in the Worcester area are concerned over plans to use a common grub killer to beat back a tree beetle infestation because it is toxic to bees.
But at Northeastern University, a team of researchers are meeting success with a more natural form of critter control.
Rebeca Rosengaus, an associate professor of biology along with former Northeastern postdoctoral fellow Mark Bulmer and a team of Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have figured out a way to potentially control termites with using nothing more than a type of sugar molecule.
Here's how: The researchers knew that a tropical termite species can survive despite living in bacteria and fungus ridden nests. It turns out, the scientists discovered, the termite saliva and fecal matter contain a protein that destroys those bacteria and fungi.
But if researchers fed termites a glucose derivative, known as GDL, it inhibited the fungus-fighting proteins. Termites fed GDL in a lab died five days after being exposed to a fungus while 70 percent of those not fed GDL and exposed were still alive 12 days later. Their work was reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
One day, such an approach could be used to combat the $30 billion in damages that termites cause to homes, businesses and crops each year. Today, termites are often fought with chemicals that can spread to waterways and into living organisms. Rosengaus will continue experimenting with the molecule, especially in urban areas where termites are a particular problem.
"We're far away from saying this is the future of pest control,'' she said. "But it seems a very appealing alternative strategy."
thanks to the Boston Globe.
Sometimes people don't understand what pest prevention is. More often than not a lot of "Pest Control" services are just that, they control the problem. Not really identifying what the problem or infestation is or where it originated. Pest infestations come in many shapes and forms including rodents,
bats, ants, wasps, fleas, and so many more. Any type of pest
infestation is an irritation that all of us could live without and by
using some simple techniques you can highly reduce your chances of ever
having an infestation problem again. Pest invasions can result in a
large expense in both time and money and preventing infestations should
be on the mind of any responsible home owner. The following techniques
are based around the principle of removing the breeding grounds of
these creatures and making your home as unfriendly towards them as
possible.
Fortify your Home
Taking the proper steps to
fortify your home is a crucial step to infestation prevention as it is
almost impossible for your home to become infested by any creature if
they cannot gain access to your home. You can help hinder the efforts
of the pests by patching any holes in the walls, repair window sills,
screens, and securing any vents in your foundations. You should also
ensure that any cabinets or cupboards that contain food sources should
be secured and that not cracks are present. By taking these steps any
pesky invaders will find it almost impossible to gain access to your
home.
Remove the Temptation
If you take the time to ensure
your home is a hostile environment for the majority of these pesky
invaders you will be much less likely to ever encounter them. The first
step to this is to ensure there is nothing to attract these creatures
into your home. By removing food scraps, doing dishes, and taking out
the garbage often will diminish the possible food sources in your home
and make any infestation less likely to be successful. Cleaning your
kitchen and any other eating areas often will also reduce potential
food odors that can attract unwanted visitors.
Living Conditions
Most
of the pests in our world prefer specific living conditions for
breeding when they infest a home. Damp, dark, and moist areas are an
ideal breeding ground for these creatures to reproduce at an alarming
rate. Fixing leaky taps, sealing pipe holes, and cleaning up any spilt
water quickly can greatly reduce your chances of getting an
infestation. You should pay special attention to areas that are near
the bottom of the wall where the foundation and the walls meet as this
is the area where most of the invaders are likely to enter the home.