Does my landscaper need a license to put fertilizer on my grass?

Question:

Does my landscaper need a license to put fertilizer on my grass. I have been using the same person for the past 5 years I have never bothered to ask him as I did not think it was necessary, my husband mentioned this as someone who he works with said they need a license, if this is the case what happens when you buy fertilizer from the hardware store and apply it yourself?

Answer:
In Connecticut and Rhode Island you need a license if the fertilizer contains pesticides or herbicides and in Connecticut even homeowners must place warning signs that pesticides or herbicides have been used.
Remember if you put weed killers on your grass and then compost the grass for use on vegetables you will end up eating the poisons and perhaps killing the plants. Very may trees suffer damage from pesticides or herbicides being applied to their lawns. Many people don’t care but there will be a price to pay eventually.
So, ask the person who applies anything to your lawn if they have appropriate licenses. It’s your welfare that’s at risk.

Is it a Vole or a Mole?

Question:
I have so many Mole holes in my yard that my grass is going to be a disaster this year what can I do?
Answer:
At this time of the year they are most likely to be VOLES which look like mice but have mole like fur. Fortunately they prefer to live outside. They make trails just under mulch, grass and leaves. They feed most often on tiny roots of rhododendrons, Azaleas and lots of other similar shrubs. They eat the tender feeding shoots and slow down the plant’s growth. A non toxic repellent works great in stopping them damaging your plants. If indeed they are Voles they will not do too much damage to your grass. A similar treatment will get rid of Moles.

Last Snow Fall

Question:
Since we had our last snow fall I have several branches on my trees that are very low to the ground. Should I cut them back if I do will this harm the tree at this time of year

Answer:
This is not the best time of the year to prune trees, for some species it doesn't mattter too much. It can also be dangerous because of the ice and snow to work outside, however, if the tree limbs are damaged or pose a threat to you or your property then they should be safely trimmed or pruned and the sounds left to heal by themselves. This is a job usually best to professionals.

No ticks coming in my yard.

Question:
At the end of our yard there is a wooded area is there anything we can do to prevent ticks from coming onto my yard?
Answer:
Yes, the area between the wood and your lawn is known as the ecotone which is the transition area between differing types of landscapes e.g.. forest and field.
Ticks need the protection and use of scrubby plants so they hang out waiting for prey in these areas. Very few ticks actually live on your lawn, less than 2% of the population. Treating the above mentioned areas with super safe plant oils will ensure the tick population is sufficiently reduced to help make your yard a safer place to enjoy. Treatment should be done in early Spring.

Help I have Carpet Beetles

Question:
What are carpet beetles my friend was helping me do some cooking and opened up a container of curry powder and there were tiny insects inside. The date was good on the packaging, she said they can attack any dried foods, also clothing and dried flowers. Is this true and where do they come from?

Answer:
They are probably not carpet beetles but the larvae of the good old Indian Meal Moth.
They are certainly found in all sorts of dry goods especially pastas, pet food, bird seed and so on. The larvae are the things which cause the damage. The adults are moths which tend to fly around the home. They have usually laid their eggs (up to 300) by the time you see the adults. The trick here is to kill the eggs before they develop; so, if possible keep your dry goods in sealed containers in the fridge or at least the coolest place possible.
Now, Carpet beetles are another story; there are many varieties with names like carpet beetle, larder beetle, leather beetle etc., They can cause a lot of damage not only to rugs and carpets but pretty much any natural material. They often feed on dead rodents. I come across them in attics, most often when something has died there.
Identification is the key. Send or bring a sample to our office or call for a free inspection.
If you have or suspect you have any of these bugs don’t ignore them.

Skunk Trapped

have a question:
My neighbor had a skunk trapped in her basement window well, it managed to get out but I have very deep basement window wells. How could it escape from there?

Answer:
Skunks can be very inquisitive and often end up in strange places. Don't be overly concerned about being sprayed. Spraying is a last resort for them when they are being threatened.
I usually find a long piece of wood (plank) that I carefully put into the window well and then get out fo the way. The skunk will usually climb up the plank and go home. If it doesn't you will need to call a pest control operator.
Don't leave it there. it will die a horrible death and leave an awful smell.

Ladybugs

I have a question
I am starting to see many ladybugs on my windows again. What's the cause?
Answer:
Ladybugs and other pests start to look for places to spend the winter around Fall time.
Becuase of the warmth in you home and the lengthening of each day they get tricked into thinking it's Spring already. They start to look for exit points.
Gather them up and put them in a bag unmtil Spring and let them loose in your yard. If they are overwhelming and causing a mess you may need professional help call us if you are not sure. Remember they are beneficial and eat a lot of pesky bugs.

Wood Burning Stove

I have a quesiton:
We use a wood burner everyday and yesterday I let it go out to clean the ashes and heard this scratching noise in the chimney I went outside and did not see anything. I was worried about lighting the fire incase an animal was in the chimney.
Answer:
A warm chimney is often too much of a good thing to miss for many critters especially raccoons, skunks and squirrels. Most of the time they find their way out unless they have fallen and injured themselves. There is a simple remedy to preventing this; just get a chimney-top excluder fitter. These can be life savers as a dead animal can prevent the escape of deadly gases. The gases could end up in your living areas especially if you have gas fires. If you think something is already in the chimney call us to take a look it's better to be safe than sorry.

Installing Old White Oak Beams

I have a question:
I have recently installed old white oak beams into my new home that were retrieved from a 150+ year old barn.
My question is do they need to be treated to prevent the introduction of wood borers in to my new home. The beams will be exposed in a vaulted ceiling. Thanks.

Answer:
The primary way that powder post beetles are introduced into new homes is from installing old wood that may already be infested.
These beetles can also be introduced from antiques and firewood so they need our help. The species that typically affect oak are multigenerational, they will keep reproducing until the food source is destroyed. You should certainly have the wood inspected at the very minimum. Remember that depending on species, heat, humidity etc., they can stay hidden deep in the wood for up to 10 years. A pre treatment in your situation would be very wise. Preventing the pests now is much easier than trying to treat them once they spread through you house.
Typically a generation emerges May-June.
It's best not to wait until them.
A treatment with borates will last as long as the wood lasts and is safe for you and your family, you don't even have to leave your home during the treatment.
Please email me with any questions.

Springtime Pests

Every early spring we have been dealing with these pests. It's onlyearly spring and thendisappear in a month and a half or so.They appear first on the sunny window sill inside our family room andno other windowsseem to be affected. there does not appear to be any decaying wood onthe inside of thehouse but the outside is covered with vinyl siding. I have triedcaulking on the insideand insecticides on the inside and out. These very tiny critters areso small like the head ofa pin, they seem to be coming from the seams of the picture window onthe inside evenafter I caulked them. They are blackish brown in color and seem tojump rather than fly but it does look like they have wings.as we notice them on the wool carpet after they appear on the windowsill. They're manyof them when the weather gets even warmer on this sunny window sill. Ican never actuallywitness exactly where they are getting in they just seem to appear oneafter the otherand the closest entry point would be the edges of the window in whichare caulked, couldthey be living in there year round? As i mentioned they love toeventually jump onto ourwool carpet after they appear on the window sill.Answer:From your description it seems that these pests are probably mites or possibly baby spiders. I think it's more likely they are mites.Caulking entry points is an excellent first step. If they are still 'coming in' it maybe because they are already in your home. They often come from plant soil, birds and bird food or there may be an existing nest somewhere.The main treatment is to apply a very safe insecticide dust into cracks and crevices where they are likely to hang out. Borate based products are best for this. They don’t have to eat it they just need to come in contact and then they will die. Try not to use shop bought sprays they are often quite toxic.It is important to ensure they are not chewing away at your woollen carpet. They can do a whole lot of damage. You may think about getting rugs organically cleaned and treated, this is a new service we offer.I would like to see a sample if possible, take a piece of sticky tape and gently apply it to them and mail it to me.

Traps not going off

I have a question:
I have mice in the house, everytime I set the traps the mouse sets the trap off takes the food. Please let me know what I can do I have to get rid of them.
I do have a cat in the house but he is retired. I do not want to put poison down in case my cat eats it.
Answer:
What is probably happening is that the traps are being set too fast, they go off before the mice find them and the mice eat the peanut butter without fear of being snapped. Some traps have a fast and slow setting, look closely for "s" or slow setting. The trick is not to set the trap too fast. Let the mice have a chance of sniffing out the peanut butter. Never use poisons inside the risk is too great especially with your retired cat. Mice can drop little bits of poison onto your cat's food and suddenly you have a very sick cat.

Creamy White Bug

I received a letter last week containing a little creamy white bug with wings that needed to be identified. This particular bug wa a little squashed but it appears to be a clothes moth, they will feed on almost anything containing protein.

I would be more concerned with their larvae though which are much more difficult to detect and cause lots of damage to clothing, are some of the things home owners can do themselves. This is really a job for professionals to examine the extent of the population and perhaps use pheromone traps to bring the population under control.

There are also some Safer to use, modern equivalents of moth balls available at many D.I.Y. stores.

Moths Inside My House

I have a question:
I have moths inside my house, I have some very expensive sweaters and I am worried that they will get damaged.
Answer:
Don't panic yet. They may not be the moths that eat clothing such as Webbing Clothing Moth, Casemaking Clothes Moth, Tapestry or Carpet Moth.
Whichever one you've got needs to be controlled. If you have several of them (adults) flying around you may need to get professional help to ensure the caterpillars are eliminated and the life cycle is broken.
If the moths are Indian meal moths the life cycle still needs to be broken. Remember, once you see the adults the eggs have already been laid. Indian meal moths need similar treatment but cna often be contained by keeping dry goods in sealed containers especially dried pet food. Look for worms and eggs and clean them up use your vacuum to suck up eggs,

Invasion of Lady Bugs

I have a question:
I had an invasion of lady bugs last year and I do not want to get them again in the house, I know that they do the plants alot of good, but when you get several hundred of them I find this too muchg to cope with. Can I do something now to avoid a reoccurrence?
Answer:
It's a little late in the year to stop them coming in. Once the days lengthen in the new year they will start o migrate into the warmer rooms of your home. They are currently over-wintering in the attic and siding.
Control is your best option; seal up any cracks and crevices that may allow them access. You can also save heating costs by doing just that. If you can't do the work yourself or if you just need advice email us.