I don’t know if it is because we (Possum’s) sell to Pest Management
Professional companies and I have heard the horror stories about termites,
bedbugs, rats, fleas, mosquitoes, spiders and roaches from the technicians that
battle them, or it is all the seminars I have attended and trade magazine
articles I have read about these insects, but I feel like I need to repeat this
paragraph from last week’s “Horticulture Hotline” for the safety of what is
probably your biggest investment besides your kids – your home.
Check around the foundation of your house, especially around
downspouts, for erosion that could affect your termite protection for your
home. Look for water underneath your house as well. Check with your Pest Management
Professional to be sure your home is protected from termites and moisture
issues.
Not all homes will need to be re-treated; however, some
might. If your hot water heater or HVAC unit is outside and needed to be
replaced, the termite treatment zone may have been affected. Instead of areas
being washed away, debris and soil could have pile up over the treatment area,
giving the ever crafty termite a bridge to access your home.
If your house was treated with Bora-Care, another borate
product, or bait stations, you have some other things to consider.
Again, get your Pest Management Professional to take a look,
and be nice because they have been very busy. The Pest Management Professional
will have your best interest in mind because their company (or insurance
company) probably has a bond on your house.
Your contract will determine who is responsible for payment
of any work with such a strange occurrence.
The worms are still going crazy. Under the cover of darkness
and rain, they eat your lawn when the birds don’t see them. We have had our
share of rain recently. In two days of last week alone, I saw an Episcopal
Church, a Priest’s home (Greek), about 6,000 square feet of new zoysia sod, a
meadow in a park where kids and adults play, and a large sports complex where kids
and adults play chowed upon. Let’s send these worms to get their 72 virgins or
meet their maker. They obviously have no discretion. If you have moths flying
around your turf or beds in the evening, beware. Worms generally require
multiple applications of control products.
The rain has stripped your soil of most of its nutrients. Do
you like to go to sleep at 11:00 pm after only eating breakfast at 5:00 am?
Please feed your trees, shrubs, and lawn, so they have some protection from
cold, insects, and disease this winter. SeaHume, 00-00-25, Excell, and / or
Cotton Burr Compost are a few good healthy choices to send your landscape to
dormancy with a full belly.
