Lawn & Garden Education
Toads in the Garden; Why you want them
If your first instinct at the sight of critters in your garden is one of annoyance or even disgust, you should consider that you just might be playing host to a friend, rather than foe. While you’ve been trained (rightly so) to fear rabbits and other pests that treat your garden like an open buffet, know that toads are one helpful potential resident that you’ll want to keep around. Hungry ... read more
Take Back the Night. Learn How to Control Mosquitoes in Your Yard
As I grow more confident that good weather is here to stay, clean-up the outdoor furniture, and and start planning my first outdoor get-together, the one thing I often forget before its too late, is to get ready for mosquito season. I always seem to go on my first camping trip and forgot the bug-spray, or volunteer for Father’s Day dinner or 4th of July BBQ, and forget the citronella candles. ... read more
What is eating my trees? Organic Winter Moth Control and Prevention
Last Fall as the sun started to go down a bit earlier, I noticed lots of these white-ish/gray moths gathering around my porch light. I didn’t think much of them as I figured the fast-approaching cold weather would kill them, and moved on to thinking about cleaning up fallen leaves and putting together holiday shopping lists. What I didn’t know then was that those little moths, frequently called “Winter Moths”, ... read more
How to Kill Grubs this Fall
While grubs aren’t typically the first creature we think of when it comes to pre-hibernation feasting, the reality is that your lawn becomes a banquet table to these nasty pests during the fall months. Stocking up on food, they’ll then dig in a good 4-8 inches once the cold sets in and stay put. As a result of this late year gorging, grubs won’t typically look to eat much come ... read more
Take Back Your Yard: Year Round Guide for Pest Control
Insects are often thought of as pests. Did you know that only 6% of all insects are actually classified as pests? The rest are beneficial to the environment and to your landscape. Ladybugs are not just beautiful in appearance; they eat aphids that make yellow stippling marks on your Japanese Andromeda as well as mealy bugs, leaf hoppers and other destructive soft-bodied pests. Each garden pest does have its ... read more
Keep Deer From Eating your Efforts!
I don’t know about you, but I love seeing the deer creep out of the woods and into my yard that first chilly morning in the fall. Usually I’ll see them in groups of 3 or 4; never just a single deer and they walk so carefully and majestically across the lawn. What I don’t love is the damage they cause to the plants and shrubs I have planted and ... read more
Tick Tubes; prevent ticks in your yard this summer
“Mom, what is this bug on me?” Words that can paralyze a parent in fear. It’s bad enough when they descend upon your pets each year, but when ticks target your family, anxiety can reach new heights. Aside from the well known Lyme disease, researchers from Tufts & Yale have discovered a new bacterial illness transmitted by ticks. Reported on by the New England journal of medicine, this adds to the list ... read more
Winter Moth Trouble? Get a grip on these unwanted guests
Foreign Invaders First introduced to New England by way of Nova Scotia, this defoliating pest has troubled coastal Massachusetts while making it’s way north to Maine and south to Connecticut. Targeting deciduous plants, most vulnerable are Maples, Oaks, Basswood, Ash, White Elm, Crabapple, Apple and Blueberry. To make matters worse, the winter moth may drop from your trees into the plant beds and feed on your perennials (oh, the joy!). ... read more
