Cat Days Of Summer

 

                                                      All it takes to breed mosquitoes

Horticulture Hotline 07/30/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

The dry and windy spring kept the mosquitoes at bay, but after that little bit of heavy rains that flooded low areas and ditches, regular rains, and high tides, they are out in full force. I had to get something I left out in my car at 4:45 AM and they attacked me and even followed me into my house. The other afternoon my mom was about to forego her afternoon walk because mosquitoes attacked her while watering her hanging baskets and pots. B^ST#$%S!

 

Malaria, Chikungunya, Dengue (still in the tropics), Zika, West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis are transmitted by mosquitoes … now it is time to wage war against the mosquito! Worldwide mosquitoes are the number one killer of humans (including wars) – amazing!

 

Scout around the yard for anything that holds water. Old tires, saucers under potted plants, rain gauge, bird baths, old flower containers or pots stacked in a corner, dog toys, kids’ toys, a container by the grill you use to soak wood chips in, a cooler, an old fountain, an upside down 5-gallon bucket that has a lip that holds water, a trash can lid with a dent, brick work that needs repointing, a hole in a tree and a dog’s water bowl all make great places for mosquitoes to breed. Empty the water out these areas (refill the dog bowl and the bird bath daily). A tarp covering a boat or wood pile can have many pockets that hold water. Sagging gutters hold water.  A few empty bottles or cans can end up being thousands of mosquitoes! A bottle cap can be a breeding area. Many mosquitoes can breed in just an ounce of water. I was at a seminar and the speaker was encouraging people to limb up Magnolias (every horticulturalist gasped) so you could easily rake up the leaves because the big leaves held water and therefore were a breeding spot for mosquitoes. Sorry, I am not limbing up my Magnolias!

 

If you have bigger areas of water like a ditch or a low area of the yard that holds water, apply the Mosquito Dunks or the Altosid Pro G. The Mosquito Dunks are an organic Bt product that kill larvae and the Altosid Pro G is a growth regulator product that contains the same active ingredient that is used in the Precor products for controlling fleas. Although Altosid is not organic, it is very safe and labeled to be used in very sensitive areas like marshes. Turn off your irrigation when you can and correct any drainage problems. Mosquito Denial is a great product if you have a fountain, decorative pond, or standing water. Mosquitoes rely on the surface tension of the water to land and lay eggs. Mosquito Denial takes away this water tension, so the mosquito can not lay eggs on the surface of the water.

 

Any pruning you can do to increase air movement and sunlight penetration will also help. Mosquitoes like moist stagnant areas, so it is more important to treat bed areas than it is to treat lawn areas. Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of leaves on shrubs. Many mosquito products work on lawn pest also, so many folks treat their lawn too while they are spraying. Mosquitoes are very weak fliers, so they do not like wind or air movement (big fans for parties or by your grill – helps with flies too). Mosquitoes are a public health issue, so you might be able to get some help from a government agency if you have a big ditch or pond.

 

Army worms are very active, The Nasty Rascal – The Chinch Bug, fire ants, moles, flies, flies inside the house, mole crickets, weeds, and I have been getting an abnormal amount of roaches in the house questions (I guess they like the AC too)!

 

Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply. Possum’s has three locations 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or listen to the replay of Saturday’s show, Sundays from 11:00 to noon on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com. 

 

Shorter Days - Cooler Weather

 

                                                        Army Worm

                                                  Get Those Pests!

                                             Control Weeds!

Horticulture Hotline 07/22/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

A lot of the topics I choose for the “Horticulture Hotline” come from what are hot topics in the three Possum’s stores, questions people ask me during the week, pictures that have been sent to me, pictures I have taken myself, questions asked during “The Garden Clinic” radio show, observations I have made, or just knowing what is about to happen in the Lowcountry landscape.

 

Grassy weeds (including sedges – many types, goosegrass, crabgrass – many types, doveweed…), mosquitoes, roaches, fleas, flies, chinch bugs, army worms, wasps, spiders, spittlebugs, and mice have become much more visible with the hot weather. Localized pop-up thunder storms (fueling gray leaf spot on St. Augustine grass) have dominated our weather, so there is no telling how much rain we are getting across the area.

 

Army worms are showing up across the area. It seems like the first reports came from our customers that plant corn for doves and deer. Close behind came the reports on turfgrass. The moths are out laying eggs, then the hungry worm emerges and eats your grass. They eat a lot of grass very quickly. The spineless insects do not care that you worked all spring and summer on your lawn. They munch down on it quickly and weeds move in.  The worm then becomes a moth and the cycle begins again.

 

Many people will be taking vacation before school starts or dropping off that loved one to college. I put out 08-00-08 + Acelepyrn Saturday, so I do not come home to a munched-on lawn. These worms do a lot of damage fast.

 

While driving around and looking at my own yard, the grass is looking a little “washed out” from the high temperatures and the lack of fertilizer. Most people’s spring fertilizer has been consumed by the plant and turned into clippings. 07-00-14 + Allectus and 08-00-08 + Acelepyrn are two good fertilizers with insect control to get you through until it is preemergent time again. If you are working from information derived from a soil test or custom program, stick with those recommendations.

 

With three Possum stores in the area, I get a regular dose of how crazy our weather is in the Lowcountry. Possum’s West (West Ashley) might get an inch of rain, Possum’s North (North Charleston) might get a “spit” and Possum’s East (Mt. Pleasant) nothing at all. It is amazing how the waterways affect the weather patterns.

 

The Lowcountry is one area that a rain gauge is a must. Rain gauges come in all shapes and sizes. Some are very expensive and record your rainfall, and others are very basic and are less than five dollars. You can make your own “rain gauge” very easily from anything that has an equal top diameter and bottom diameter. Soup cans, tuna fish cans, a coffee cup, or an empty can of canned possum (the other white meat) make great rain gauges. Be sure to place your rain gauge in an area where your house or trees are not going to skew your results.

 

 

With all the insects that are active in the yard Cyonara Lawn and Garden Concentrate or RTS is an excellent product with a very broad label and a low price point. Cyonara is labeled to spray the outside of your house to keep roaches in check and even your vegetable garden, so you know it is safe. If you prefer organic products, EcoVia might be more to your liking.

 

Always read, understand, and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law.

 

Bill Lamson-Scribner can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply. Possum’s has three locations 481 Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant (971-9601), 3325 Business Circle in North Charleston (760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd, in Charleston (766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “The Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, or listen to the replay of Saturday’s show, Sundays from 11:00 to noon on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker). The Horticulture Hotline is available 24 / 7 at possumsupply.com. 

 

Halfway

 

                                                     Mosquito in the Fridge

                                            Beautiful Crepe Myrtle

 

                                            Good for Sucking Bugs - Lace bugs

Horticulture Hotline 07/10/24

By Bill Lamson-Scribner

 

The summer is going by in record speed (and record heat)! The football, volleyball, fall soccer, and deer seasons are right around the corner. Soon we will be enjoying cooler weather! Soon your grass will not need mowing every 3 days! For now, we are fighting chinch bugs, mosquitoes, fire ants, lace bugs, mice, rats, fleas, roaches, flies (all kinds), biting  / stinging insects, gray leaf spot, and many other Lowcountry critters. Love the Possum and let them cross the road! 

 

The one pest that has got my attention the most this past week is the mosquito. I had one in my refrigerator of all places! Never seen that before. All the dry and windy (mosquitoes are very weak flyers) weather seem to keep them in check. It is always interesting how some people get bit more than others. Luckly, I must taste bad compare to some people that I am around.

 

Lace bugs on lantana is very common right now also. The dry weather has relocated the sucking bugs out of the dry woods and into our irrigated landscapes. If your lantana has stopped blooming and has mottled, dry, crispy leaves, there is a good chance that you have lace bugs. If you look on the underside of the leaves, you will see the sucking bug. Lace bugs are well camouflaged, so look closely or maybe use a hand lens. If you spray, watch for pollinators. I like the drench products (Dominion, Tree and Shrub drench) that last a whole season.

 

There are still some other things to take care of this summer. Try to find a source of gas for your lawn mower that does not contain ethanol. Use ethanol free gas in your small engines, boat motors, and generators (have you tested your generator recently?). Your mower will be happier next spring if you use ethanol free gas.

 

The mower blade needs to be inspected this time of year. Always remove the spark plug wire from the plug and tape it to the side of the mower to avoid accidently starting the mower when you turn the blade to inspect it (or remove the plug and inspect it). The mower blade works like an old-time airplane propeller, if you spin the blade, it will start the engine.

 

In the old days, we use to sharpen our mower blades ourselves. Now days, there is a lot of aerodynamics and engineering that goes into these blades, so you are better off buying a new blade. Be sure to buy a replacement that is suited for your mower. These blades move at high speeds, so be sure they are balanced correctly like the tires on your car.

 

You want a nice sharp blade that has not run over pine cones, small sticks, gum balls, the hose, or any other foreign object. A nice sharp blade will give your lawn a better cut (look) and the leaf blade will have less entry points for disease.

 

While you are checking out your mower, how clean is the air filter? If your air filter is not clean, a lawn mower can produce some nasty air pollution. Mowers do not have all the emission controls that our cars have, so a clean air filter is important. I guess a dirty air filter would be like your mower having an asthma attack – the engine needs good air flow.

 

The other main thing to check would be the engine oil. When was the last time it was changed? Have you mowed enough hours that it is time to change?

 

If this sounds like a Saturday morning of fun, have at it. If not, take it to your local small engine repair shop!

 

Always read and follow product label.