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Landscape Services
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Helpful Tips
SOD REPAIRS
Due to the amount of snow and the number of times we plowed this season, turf damage is more extensive than in recent years. We will start re-laying torn up sod this week, picking up garbage at the same time. As repairs requiring seed and mat need to wait until the ground is drier and rain is expected all this week, we will start those as soon as things start to dry out.
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BOXELDER BUGS
In spring, boxelder bugs that overwintered inside buildings become active. They try to move outdoors but many remain trapped inside. You may see boxelder bugs on the outside of homes. These insects are emerging from their overwintering sites and are moving away from buildings. The boxelder bugs seen inside during winter and spring entered buildings the previous fall. It is unnecessary to spray these insects as they are not entering homes. Treating them does not have any impact on the number of boxelder bugs found next fall. Inside homes, insecticides have limited value and are not usually suggested. Remember that when boxelder bugs are active, they do not live indoors much more than a few days and do not reproduce inside. When they are emerging from the walls and other sites where they have been dormant during the winter, spraying insecticides does not prevent more from returning.
During the growing season, boxelder bugs feed primarily on the boxelder tree (Acer negundo), sucking sap from the leaves and seeds. The damage done to trees is relatively minor, but boxelder bugs are annoying as a household pest.
Some homes are especially attractive to boxelder bugs, while neighboring buildings may have few. This usually depends upon the amount of sunny exposure a building receives. Boxelder bugs like warm areas and are attracted to buildings with a large southern or western exposure. Buildings standing taller than surrounding structures or standing isolated on flat ground can also attract large numbers of boxelder bugs. Color does not appear to influence boxelder bugs as they are found on buildings of all hues.
The best management of boxelder bugs is prevention -- take steps to keep them from entering your home from the start. Make any repairs by the end of August.
Once boxelder bugs are found the best option is to physically remove them with a vacuum or a broom and dust pan. If this occurs during fall, check around the building exterior because they can often be found congregating in sunny or warm areas.
Spraying or removing the seed-bearing boxelder trees in your yard is not a practical solution for boxelder bug management because adult boxelder bugs can fly up to a couple miles from food. Also, boxelder trees (as well as maple and ash) are usually common providing many potential sources of boxelder bugs. The benefits of having these trees in a landscape outweigh the problem of occasional infestations. Remember that even though this season there may be a large numbers of boxelder bugs, next year there may be few.
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PROPERTY WALKS
Multi-family properties often conduct plant material walks to determine which plant material needs to be removed and/or replaced. The timing of these walks, along with the timing of installing new plant material, can vary from year to year. There are, however, some consistent guidelines:
Early to mid June is the best time to walk a property. Walking too early can increase the cost of the install as some pieces will not have leafed out and mistakenly be identified as dead or die after an early walk
Since fall is the best time to install new plant material as watering is no longer a concern, a June walk allows both the HOA and the contractor time to budget and plan the installation
Once a walk has been completed and dead plant material identified, its removal can be scheduled immediately
The winter of 2008 has been extremely cold and snowy and this spring is predicted to be wet. Plants benefit from snow cover, keeping the temperatures consistent, but the cold will delay leafing out. Broken branches from the heavy snows might also cause stress and eventual death of trees and shrubs. As a result, a later walk this year will be more beneficial than ever.
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 VOLES
Above are pictures taken in our industrial complex on March 14, 2008 of damage caused by voles. This will be a common sight as the snow begins to melt. Voles are similar to field mice in coloring and size but cause different damage. In cold and snowy winters when food sources are scarce, they tunnel through turf from their normal habitat to junipers, arborvitae and other plants and feed on the roots and bark. The snow cover allows the rodents safety from predators. If damage to the root system is extensive enough, it may cause the plant to die. Turf repair will be necessary if damage is extensive. While there are various ways to prevent damage to the plant material, most are labor intensive or require early chemical application.
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LANDSCAPE DESIGN
There is still time to meet with our design staff and create a personalized landscape plan for your new home, a renovation plan for your existing home or the addition of specimen plantings to modernize your older home. Call our landscape design staff today or email your request for an estimate.
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LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
We are now accepting bid requests for commercial, multi-family, and residential landscape maintenance one acre and above.
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LANDSCAPE CLEANUP
Its a great time to schedule your residential landscape cleanup and mulch installation.
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Archived Tips LAWN SEASON STARTS TOMORROW...ALONG WITH THE RAIN!
DEICING CHEMICAL COMPARISON
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Testimonials
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