Gardening Tips To Keep The Pests At Bay This Spring

As the snow starts to melt, all those pesky pests that have been hibernating under the soil of your garden will start to make their appearance. Most homeowners don’t realize that insects and arthropods can make it through the holidays, but by burrowing beneath the frost line they can survive even the coldest of winters.
If you don’t tackle your pest problems early on, then it may reach epidemic levels that are far harder to control. Avoid letting the crops you worked so hard to grow to get taken over by pests by implementing these gardening tips in preparation for spring.

Do a Bit of Spring Cleaning

To prevent garden pests from becoming a nuisance, you need to ensure that you give your garden a thorough cleaning. Get rid of decaying plant matter that will help to attract bugs by removing fallen leaves, faded blooms and weeds.
You should also clear out your greenhouse and give it a good scrub, washing out any planters and pots you plan on using. You should regularly clean your garden, pulling out weeds and pinching off dead or infested leaves as you spot them.

Start with Clean Soil

Using healthy soil will do more than help you grow beautiful crops, it will also aid with deterring common garden bugs. It may take more time to prepare, but you will see it is worth the effort. Here is a natural method you can try to keep your soil healthy:
• When the growing season begins, you should till your garden with organic matter, such as compost
• Once complete, use black plastic to cover your garden and keep it under wraps for six months
• When you remove the plastic, lightly cultivate the soil
• You can now begin planting
Placing natural elements in the soil will help to keep it clean and deter pests. The heat produced under the plastic should get rid of any existing bugs, including their eggs.

Rotate Your Crops

If you plant the same crops every year, the chances are that plant-specific insects and diseases will stick around, waiting for you to do your next round of spring planting. By rotating your crops, you can also avoid depleting vital soil nutrients.

Make Use of Beneficial Insects

While there are plenty of garden bugs out there you will want to avoid; there are some that can be of benefit to your garden. If you want to fight garden insect pests, then ladybugs can prove to be an invaluable tool. They eat mites and aphids, as well as the larvae and eggs of insects that can cause lots of damage to your garden.
You can purchase insects to release in your garden, just be sure to avoid using chemicals for ten days before releasing them. Other beneficial insects include parasitic wasps, hover flies, praying mantises and lacewings.

Keep an Eye Out for Pests

If you do end up with destructive bugs in your garden, then you want to make sure that you act quickly. The longer you leave it, the more damage your crops will sustain and the more difficult it will be to get rid of the problem. Perform regular checks and don’t delay in calling your local pest control services if necessary.

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Invasive Plant Species in Your Lawn or Garden

If you have a garden or even a lawn, you know that weeds are a problem all on their own. But did you know that invasive plant species can be just as bad as more common weeds, like crabgrass or dandelions? Whatever the weed, San Antonio pest control company Bob Jenkins Pest & Lawn Services has you covered.

What is an invasive species?

Invasive plant species are sometimes even more insidious than common weeds, because many gardeners plant them without awareness of the fact that they are problematic weeds. Essentially, an invasive species is a plant that will survive – and even thrive – outside of its range of origin.

Invasive species are a huge issue, because many of them are extremely aggressive in their growth and can take over not only the area surrounding your home, but also the natural ecosystem in nearby forests or fields, crowding out native species and sometimes even endangering them.

What are some examples?

One of the worst things you can do with your lawn or garden is to plant some of these invasive species. These include such plants as Purple Loosestrife, which was once a very popular perennial. This plant spreads quickly and sprouts from root fragments, so trying to dig it up will cause an even worse problem and spread its territory wider.

In and around San Antonio, pest control experts have also found issues with plants like Tropical Spiderwort, which competes with appropriate lawn and pasture grasses for sunlight and nutrients, and can become a dominant species if you are not careful.

A huge issue in home and commercial landscapes, such as golf courses and playing fields, is Dallisgrass. This pesky grass grows rapidly and produces seeds prolifically. Mowing your lawn won’t help, because you will only end up dispersing the seeds to new places.

What can I do?

The best thing to do is avoid planting an invasive species on your property. However, if you have unwittingly planted an invasive species or find one from a neighbor flowering on your land, there’s no doubt that the right weed control is available for you. If you have a weed problem, there are exterminators in San Antonio here to help. Get in touch with Bob Jenkins Pest & Lawn Services today.

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What Is Humane Animal Control?

San Antonio is no stranger to pests and annoyance animals, but when it comes to unwanted pests such as raccoons, skunks, snakes, woodpeckers, opossums, and more, humane pest control is the preferable option. If you have an unwanted animal in your home or yard, then call a professional San Antonio pest control service.
You should use a pest and lawn service company that offers humane removal of live animal. However, there are times when the death of the animal is the only option. When you are removing an animal from your yard or home, there are many things you need to consider.

Pest Control Service – Rodent Control

When you are searching for a pest control service, try to stay local as they will have experience with local wildlife and will know the best places to release the animals. San Antonio lawn care services can also help with annoyance animals that are living in your yard.
You want to make sure the company is professional and fully licensed as well as making sure they will only use humane techniques. This includes ensuring that the animals are treated well following their capture.
The company you are choosing should offer the following services:

● Re-homing the animals to natural and local environments
● Deceased animal removal
● Advice on how to humanely deter animals from your home
● Safely collecting and reuniting any babies with parents
● Using humane techniques to remove species specific animals

Animals that most companies should handle:

● Opossums
● Raccoons
● Skunks
● Squirrels
● Woodchucks/Groundhogs
● Bats
● Birds
● Snakes

Be sure to check if the company is equipped to handle your particular pest problem, depending on which animals are affecting your home or lawn. Discuss the services they offer and check to see if they offer the humane removal of live animals.

Live Animal Trapping

Live trapping is seen as the most humane way to capture annoyance animals. Animals like skunks and raccoons will be live trapped when they have made their home in your chimney or under your porch. Live trapping isn’t used on smaller pest animals like rodents, moles, etc.
Humane traps are not harmful in any way to the animal, but when you notice an has been animal caught, you must inform the company that set the trap so they can come out and set it free, away from your home.
Live trapping isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds, there can sometimes be complications with capturing the animal. If the unwanted animal has been caught many times before, they may not go inside of the trap, as they know that it’s a trap. If this is the case, it may be suggested that to remove the animal, and an inhumane kill trap is set up.
Before you go ahead with either of the traps, you first need to consider a few points:

● Animals such as skunks, woodchucks, and more may find shelter around or in your home between the months of March and August as this is their birthing season. They will want to find a dark, quiet place to give birth, and then bring up their young. When an animal is live trapped then relocated, or if a kill trap is used, its litter will be left behind, and they will most likely die since their mother is not there to feed them or look after them. If there is an animal that’s made its nest in your home between these months, try to find out if it is a mother. You may never see the babies, but this doesn’t mean that the animal doesn’t have a nest with dependent babies.

● Live catching and rehoming the animal sounds like a great idea, but depending on the animal, it could actually doom it. Placing any animal in an entirely new surrounding will disorientate it, and it won’t settle in quickly, but for some animals like squirrels, releasing them into a strange woodland area could result in its death. Squirrels spend a lot of their time collecting food and storing it ready for the winter. If you capture a squirrel then rehome it, it will lose all of this stored food and may die due to this. With any animal you place in unfamiliar territory, they will be confused, and they won’t know where they can find food, water or shelter.

● If you have an opossum living in your yard or home, live catching and rehoming them is a lot easier. If an opossum is a mother, it will carry her babies on her, so she is unlikely to be separated from them. Opossums are also animals that tend to wander and they have no fixed home, so placing them in a new environment isn’t something that could potentially kill them.

When it comes to live trapping, you need to have patience. If the animal isn’t causing any harm or damage to you or your home, then give it a little bit of time, and they may move on. It can sometimes be necessary for the animal to be put down, for example, if the animal is injured or if the animal is a feral cat. If an animal is put down, it will be done in the most humane way possible.

Keeping Wildlife Out Of Your Home

To keep wildlife out of and away from your home, here are a few tips you can follow:

● Seal up entry points
● Trim back trees from your home so they can’t use them to access your roof
● Trim back shrubs so you can ensure there are no hidden entry points
● Don’t leave food out in your yard and make sure the lids of garbage cans are secure

While this will help to keep annoyance animals away from your home, it is by no means a guaranteed way to get rid of pests. If you notice you are experiencing problems with annoyance animals, then be sure to contact your local pest control services as soon as possible to deal with the issue.

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Stop The Pests: Room By Room Spring Cleaning Guide

After the cold winter months, everybody is ready to welcome spring with open arms. While the season brings with it warmer weather, it also brings an increase in pest activity. Pest infestations in your home and garden are much more likely during this time, so it’s important that you do what you can to keep the bugs at bay.
Performing a bit of spring cleaning is the perfect way to help prevent common pests, including cockroaches, ants, rodents, termites, and other troublesome insects. Follow these simple tips to help keep your home pest-free.

Kitchen: Even the smallest of crumbs can attract anything from ants to flies and rodents. That’s why it’s important to regularly clean your kitchen, even if it doesn’t look very dirty. Clean out your cabinets, fridge, and pantries, even including areas that are not used to store food.
Get rid of any empty boxes or expired food and give unused dishes a good clean. Use this opportunity to also give your drawers and cabinets a good scrub and finish off by mopping the floor.

Bedrooms: Pests love to hide out in clutter and dark corners that don’t often get visited. That’s why it’s important that you regularly clean your closet, as this is a commonly disused storage area that can allow populations of moths, bed bugs, or beetles to build up.
As well as cleaning out your closet, you should also check under the bed and in any other storage areas and give these spaces a good tidy. Inspect your bedding, pillows, and mattress for bed bugs, and if you spot any indication of an infestation, address the issue immediately.

Bathrooms: It is not uncommon to find spiders, or even cockroaches, centipedes, and ants, hiding out in your bathroom. They may have climbed their way in through the window, or even come up the drains. To avoid attracting pests, regularly wipe and dry all the surfaces, keeping an eye out for any areas where water may pool. You can even pour bleach down your sink and bathtub drains from time to time to avoid anything coming up.

Garage: Pest infestations are quite common in garages since these are often left open on warm days while the children are playing out in the yard. Furthermore, they tend to store many of our old belongings, which can be left undisturbed for months, or even years, at a time.
As with other storage areas in the house, regular inspection and cleaning is key. You should inspect stored items for signs of bug damage, before giving the area a thorough clean. Regularly sweep the floors and keep an eye out for any leaks that lead to pooling water. Be sure to eliminate any standing water that can attract mosquitoes to your property.

Attic and Basement: Other common storage areas in the home include the attic and basement. Since these don’t often get checked, it is more likely that a pest problem will be left to grow without proper intervention. Avoid this with regular cleaning and inspecting of your stored goods.
Damp basements attract silverfish, centipedes, and other pests, so during the warmer months, it may be a good idea to use a dehumidifier to get rid of any excess moisture.
Call Jenkins Pest and Lawn and request their Services to keep your Family safe

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Lawn Weed Control

Lawn Care Tips for Weed Control

Weeds are a common occurrence in many San Antonio gardens, which is a nightmare for anyone who takes pride in their yard. Unfortunately, weeds love to make their home in people’s lawns, so no matter how much work you put into your garden they are almost inevitable. They can grow and spread very fast; you can quickly go from having a few weeds to being overwhelmed by them.

Luckily, there are several weed control methods to prevent weeds from inhabiting your lawn, some you can do yourself while others are best left to the professionals. If you are experiencing particularly bad weed control issues, then call in your local San Antonio lawn care service to help with your yard’s weed problem. We can help you to get rid of the problem quickly and efficiently.

Types of weeds

Not all weeds can be gotten rid of in the same way. Find out what type of weeds you have and what method is best used to get rid of these specific kinds.
Common weeds include:

● Dandelion
● Crabgrass
● Ground ivy
● White clover
● Spotted spurge
● Quackgrass
● Yellow woodsorrel
● Yellow nutsedge

Lawn weeds are split up into different categories; grass-like plants, broadleaf plants, and unwanted grasses. These weeds are then either considered perennials or annuals. Annuals life cycle is only one season, and they then reproduce from seeds. Perennials can live for several years, spread by seed and also underground.
If you aren’t sure how to determine which weeds have attacked your yard, then call in a professional. Professional lawn care services will be able to quickly identify the weeds and either give you advice for getting rid of them or take action and do it for you.

Crowd out the weeds

Weeds will take root wherever they can, then settle to catch some rays of sunshine. If your grass if healthy, then the weeds will find it a lot more challenging to grow. To prevent weeds, make sure you care for your lawn:

Fertilize

You need to find the right balance when fertilizing your lawn. Too much fertilizer can feed the weeds and help them grow. Too little fertilizer could make your lawn sparse and unhealthy, meaning paradise for the weeds. Make sure to read the information on the fertilizer you are using; there should be advice and guidelines to how much fertilizer is needed.

Water your lawn

If you water your lawn frequently and lightly, it can cause shallow roots, which results in unhealthy grass and also the perfect place for certain types of weeds to thrive. Water your lawn occasionally and deeply to prevent shallow roots and weeds.

Mow your lawn

When you mow your lawn too low it can cause the turf to weaken, and it can also let more sunlight reach the soil; this can help different lawn weeds to grow. Mow your lawn higher to prevent this; the highest level for most lawn types is between 2 – 4 inches.

Look out for signs
Weeds can sometimes be an indication that there is a problem in your soil. For example, if the surface of soil remains damp, ground ivy will often be found as this is where it grows best. Try to let more light reach the earth by cutting back trees and other plants that cause a lot of shadow on your lawn.

Hand weeding

If you have a small lawn, hand weeding is still a very effective way of getting rid of weeds. Make sure to pull them while they are young, as this is the best way to prevent the weeds from spreading. For perennial weeds it is essential that you catch them early, if they have matured, they can be a lot harder to remove due to their deep roots. If there are any root pieces remaining in the ground, a new weed will grow, so make sure to remove all of it.

Use tools, for example, a lawn trowel or dandelion digger, to help uproot the weeds. Hand weeding is a lot easier to do when the soil is damp. Use compost to fill in the hole where the weed has been pulled then put down some lawn seed in that area.

Herbicides

If your lawn is overrun with weeds and you have tried everything to get rid of them, using herbicides might be your only answer. Herbicides should only be used as a last resort. Make sure to use them correctly as they can be dangerous to other plants in your garden and also kill the lawn.
You could always call in a professional San Antonio pest control service to do this job as they will have a lot more experience with weeds and know how to use the herbicides safely and correctly.
Detailed Information @ http://jenkinspest.com/lawn-services/weed-control/

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Keeping Your Family Safe and the Pests Out

San Antonio has its fair amount of pests, and they will often be found inhabiting both yards and homes. If you find yourself with a pest problem, then don’t hesitate to call your local San Antonio pest control service. They can help you to deal with both indoor and outdoor pests.
Using a professional San Antonio lawn care service is the only way to ensure that the problem is handled safely, for the sake of your family and pets. While customers often wonder if pest control is safe for pets and children, you can rest assured that safety is our first concern. As long as the necessary precautions are taken, then you don’t need to worry about pest control negatively impacting you or your family.

Keeping your Children Safe

When it comes to pest control, a lot of people worry that it could be harmful towards their kids. It is often the case that the pests pose more of a risk to the health and safety of you and your family than the majority of treatments. If an infestation is left too long, the pests will grow in numbers and could begin to spread disease and illness around your home. They can also cause a lot of damage, which will cost a great deal of money to repair. If you just take the correct precautions, your kids will be fine, so don’t hesitate to call in an exterminator if your home has a pest infestation.
If you have hired a professional exterminator, they will know exactly what they are doing. They will be very careful and direct with where they are applying any treatments and will advise you of all the precautions you need to take before and after. Before you receive the pest control service, you may have to prepare a few things in your home before the exterminator arrives. You will often be asked to remove items from cupboards, shelves, pantries and from underneath sinks. You may also be asked to pull furniture and other objects away from the baseboards.
They will fully advise you on the steps you need to take once the work is complete. Most insecticides dry within 30 minutes after they have been applied, but it is advised that you, your kids, and your pets don’t enter the treated room for around 2-3 hours to ensure that there are no harmful chemicals left.

Keeping your Pets Safe

When pests invade your home, you will want to sort out the extermination as quickly as possible, which means people often forget to tell the exterminator that they have pets. If you are going to schedule an appointment, remember to mention to your exterminator that you have pets that need to be taken into consideration.
Most pest control treatments are safe, but it’s still best to talk to your exterminator about where your pets should be during the extermination and about any precautions you may need to take after they leave.

Containing your Pets:

Pets such as cats and dogs can become very curious when there is commotion going on within your home – a new person, new sounds, new smells. They will often sniff around or even lick things to accustom themselves with these new objects. This means they can come very close to potentially dangerous materials the exterminator will use during the pest control service.
To avoid this, put your four-legged friends into a cage, a kennel, or a pet carrier. If you don’t own one of these, you could also shut them away into a room that is not being serviced but make sure they can’t escape.

Birds, Fish, Rodents, and Reptiles:

If you are having a pest control treatment to exterminate bed bugs or fleas and you own birds, fish, rodents, or reptiles, they may require an extra little bit of preparation in advance of the service. Remove them from the room that is being treated, then use a blanket or towel to cover their tank or cage.
This will prevent any airborne mist, droplets, or overspray getting into their little home. If the tank or cage is too big or heavy to move, try and transfer them into a smaller one for the time being. The room that has been treated should not be entered for a certain amount of time, but your exterminator will inform you of how long. If you have left a larger tank or cage in the room, once the required time is over, it would be a good idea to give it a thorough clean out before placing your pets back in.

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Lawn Care Tips For The South

Having a beautiful lawn can add up 18% to your home’s overall value so you should make the most of whatever yard space you have. Many homeowners take pride in their garden, and so they should do, as it’s not easy to grow and maintain a healthy lawn. Using San Antonio lawn care services is a great way to keep your yard looking perfect if you don’t have the time to or if you are unable to do it yourself.

It can sometimes work out cheaper than doing it yourself as you don’t have to purchase any of the equipment or products, and you don’t have to apply them yourself with a risk of doing it wrong. Some pests, such as the June Bug, can be a nuisance when you want a luscious green lawn. If you are having a problem with pests in your yard, call a San Antonio pest control service.

Although it may be easier to get someone else to do your lawn care for you, a lot of people feel more proud of their yard when they do the work themselves. If you are a do it yourself type of person, here are some monthly tips for maintaining a lawn in the South.

January – If you get a nice dry winter day, it’s a good time to mow your dormant lawn. This allows you to remove any fallen foliage and inspect for winter weeds. January is also an excellent opportunity to plant new trees or shrubs.

February – This is a good time of year to prune your trees unless they are birches and maples. You may see an increase of winter weeds on your lawn, now is the time to pull them by hand or to apply a spot application of post-emergence herbicide. Always ensure that the product is suitable for your grass type and follow the directions on the label.

March – During March, your turf may begin to green up; this is a good time for you to consider applying lime to your lawn. Doing the soil test will allow you to figure out how much lime needs applying to your lawn. If you are unable to test your soil, the general guideline is between 15 – 20 pounds per 100 square feet of lawn. March is also the month that azaleas begin to bloom.

April – Winter should be fully gone by now, so it’s time to replace any mulch that you have around your plants. Removing the old mulch and replacing it with new mulch means you are removing disease spores and any insects that have overwintered in it. If you have a warm season turf, April is a good time to begin cutting it. Make sure that your blade height is correct; you want your lawn to look cut but not scalped. When the frost period has passed, you can safely begin to plant herbs again.

May – In May, you should start to fertilize your lawn on a regular basis. Depending on what type of turf you have, you will have to use a fertilizer that best suits it as some need very little and others like high nitrogen. Apply your fertilizer correctly by following any label directions as you can burn your lawn with fertilizer. Prune away any remaining winter damage on your plants, trees, etc. May is the best season to plant your summer annuals such as marigolds, petunias and more. When you are planting them from pots or trays, you want to make sure that the roots are not matted up otherwise they won’t be able to expand fully into their new soil.

June – As the temperature begins to rise, plants that are in containers or hanging baskets can dry out a lot quicker. You need to pay these some more attention and water them more frequently. You can place houseplants outside during June, but you need to water them regularly and keep them in a shaded area. You can also add some extra mulch to reduce any heat stress and water loss to your plants.

July – During July, there may be droughts due to the heat. You should raise the height of your lawn mower blade to around 1 – 1.5 inches. This helps to protect your lawn, and taller turf can reduce weeds and slow down evaporation. If you have bird baths in your yard, you should relocate them to a shaded area, maybe under a tree as this will stop the water from heating up too much and will give the birds some shelter.

August – During August, it’s a good time to plant fall vegetables. Broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, English peas, turnips, and collards are the best ones to plant. Your lawn may be quite dry, so before you mow it, it needs to have rained, or you need to have watered it. Mowing a dry lawn can damage and stress the turf.

September – Planting trees and shrubs in fall means they will have time to grow strong roots. Plants don’t need as much water as the temperatures begin to drop so be careful not to waterlog them.

October – During the winter months, you can over seed warm season turf. You can also dig up your summer annuals and prepare the soil so you can plant your cooler weather annuals. If you haven’t yet sowed the seeds of mustard, lettuce, collard or turnips, it isn’t too late to; you still have some time to plant them.

November – Clean up your garden to create some compost. You can do this by mixing green and dry materials with some soil and some fertilizer. If it doesn’t rain, sprinkle it with water, keep turning it and by the spring, you will have a nice pile of compost.

December – During December, your lawn may benefit from a lime application if your soil is acidic. You can apply it by hand or use a fertilizer spreader but always wear garden gloves to do either. Using the lime in December will help your lawn flourish in the spring.

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