Time is flying by once again! School is getting out and it
is already June. Of course the heat brings many situations in the landscape.
Right now there is a great opportunity for those that love
fragrance. I know there are some manly men out there that would not admit this
because it would compromise their manhood, but two of the Lowcountry gems are
blooming now, and they smell great! The Magnolias and Gardenias will stop you
in their tracks with their fragrance.
Many people like the smell of Ligustrum. I’m not one of
those people; however, it does signal the Spring to me and bees love it. I do
believe there are closet lovers of Gardenias and Magnolias. These bearded manly
men dress up in camouflage, paint their face, and in the cover of darkness, go
and smell these wonderful plants.
Japanese Beetles have emerged (pun intended) on the scene,
tearing up Crepe Myrtles, Roses, and many other plants. These heavy eaters are
easy to kill with a little persistence. Bifen, Cyonara, and many others will take
care of the Japanese Beetle. Traps also work if placed away from where the
preferred meal of the Japanese Beetle and are more of an organic approach. EcoVia
EC is a Botanical Insecticide that is NOP (National Organic Program) compliant
and works.
The baby mole crickets are hatching and the adults are dying
off. Now is a good time to ‘flush’ an area that you think you might have mole
crickets. Get two ounces of lemony dish soap in five gallons of water and
slowly pour it over a 2 x 2 area where you have tunneling damage by mole
crickets and see what comes out of the ground in the next 3 to 5 minutes. Depending
on your tolerance level, you can decide whether or not to treat. A golf green
would have zero tolerance because the tunnels would affect the ball roll. EcoVia
EC and Intice Perimeter are two NOP compliant products that should work good for
you. Aloft or Lebanon Sevin are conventional control products that will ‘kill
the baby’ mole crickets.
While I was talking to a commercial customer on the phone
last week about a yard he was getting ready for a wedding, he got all excited
because a mole (the most hated fur bearing animal per pound of body weight) was
surfacing out of the ground where he had just put a Mole, Vole and Gopher
Repellent we had sold him at Possum’s. Moles just had their babies in April and
are very active. Moles are another pest that requires persistence to manage.
Chinch Bugs are very active. If you have a sunny St.
Augustine lawn, it is time to get some protection out there on your turf.
EcoVia EC is an NOP compliant product. Aloft is a long term control product.
Bug Blaster, Cyonara, Bifen, and Lebanon Sevin will provide short term control.
Speaking of sunny yards, remember to protect yourself from
the sun. Since I hang around mostly people that spend time in the sun, I have
witnessed and heard about many sun related horror stories.
Drain flies are becoming an issue with all the good local
vegetables and fruits being consumed in our kitchens. Using the scum eating
microbes in InVade BioDrain will help eliminate the organic build up in drains
that harbor the drain flies and the citrus oil will help reduce odors as well.
The EcoVia EC will help if they are already getting active.
