Since the beginning of November, not only has the weather pattern changed but so have some of the bugs we have been seeing. Ghost ants seem to be out in droves! We have had a few service calls for them and most of our new customers were already tired of seeing them. We’ve noticed a few more rodent calls as well. The cooler temperatures get these animals on the move in hopes of finding some warm attic insulation to crawl into.
Outside, “brown patch fungus” is appearing in all the usual places. This particular fungus is located in the soil. Once the weather cools and we have the first few foggy mornings, this disease begins to show up. If this disease has been identified at your house, please help us and your lawn by turning off the sprinklers. This fungus thrives on moisture. We are scheduling 2-3 week follow-ups and will let you know at that point when to resume normal watering.
During these cooler periods, the lawn and landscapes should only require once per week watering. The days have gotten shorter and the sun is farther to our south. Mild temperatures are not scorching our plants. By reducing the water, grass will fend off fungus much better and weeds are not as likely to germinate. This is like a bio friendly weed treatment.
Give us a call if you would like us to stop by and program your timer for you. These timers are pretty user friendly, so you can probably do it on your own. Program the timer for 1 day per week but also increase the time that each zone runs by about 25%. For example, if the large area of your lawn is currently watering for 60 minutes twice per week, change it to once a week for 75 minutes.
Nice weather also means Full Strength Weed Control. We have now added the herbicide to our tank mix. Since April, if you have a program that provides summer time weed control, we have been applying it about half strength. Any stronger and the heat would cause it to burn the grass. During the summer we have to hunt for the weeds and spot spray them with our backpack sprayers. Now, the entire lawn is being treated for weeds during our application. Problem Solved Pest Control has worked hard over the years adjusting treatments to work specifically for Charlotte and Lee Counties Florida. Understanding the weather, bugs and the local environment helps to keep us the best. Give us a call or complete our online free online estimate request and leave your yard under our care.
