The Latest on the Zika Virus

You have likely heard all the news coverage recently about the spread of the ZIka Virus. Zika is a virus which little is known about, which is part of what makes it a threat. Spread by mosquitoes, it is causing one of the more pronounced public health issues in years, if not decades. The dangerous virus has been declared a public health emergency of international concern as of February 1, 2016. This declaration was made by the World Health Organization because there have been thousands of cases of infants being born with microcephaly (or, an unusually small cranium) in Brazil which has been linked to the virus. Now the virus appears to be spreading to states in the U.S. as people return from vacationing.

 

The Zika Virus in Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced in February of this year that it was investigating two alleged cases of the Zika virus. The citizens being investigated had recently traveled to the Caribbean where they are thought to have contracted it. Louisiana is not alone in this occurrence as it is the 17th state in the US that has reported cases of Zika. The virus is becoming, in reality, a bit of an epidemic and should be of concern to all LA residents and homeowners.

Latest Zika Case in the Bay Area

Six people in the Bay Area of California have also been confirmed to have Zika. They had recently all returned from traveling overseas in countries where Zika is present. State officials believe they contracted the virus while traveling, and although the Aedes aegypti lives in the Bay Area, San Mateo and Alameda counties, they have no confirmed occurrences of a mosquito-transmitted Zika case.

How to Prevent the Zika Virus

So, how do we keep ourselves, our kids, our pets and all of our loved ones safe from Zika? The first step is to be aware of the risks when traveling to countries where the Zika virus is present. Second, even though no cases have yet been confirmed to have been caused by mosquitos in the U.S., it is better to be safe than sorry; especially for pregnant women. In Louisiana, the climate and general environment are quite hospitable to mosquitos and these types of viruses. This was evidence by the West Nile outbreak that happened just a few years ago. So, keep these 2 simple tips in mind…

1. It’s vital to find areas in your backyard where mosquitoes breed including damp spots and standing water and eliminate them.
2. You may want to consider creating a mosquito blockade if you will. This barrier should be sprayed within 10 feet of the home.

Contact Fischer Environmental Services today if you want to protect your home from mosquitoes. We know that this type of information can be a bit worrisome, but we are at your service. We have the best technicians as part of our team who can help to ease your mind. They will help you locate those areas where mosquitoes might breed and eliminate the risks. They can also help prevent mosquitoes by spraying a mosquito barrier around your home. The products we use are suggested for use around people, animals, and vegetation, are non-toxic to birds or other creatures, and are precisely formulated to only get rid of your pests. Contact Fischer Environmental today to help protect your home from mosquitoes. Click here to learn more about creating a mosquito barrier around your home. 

Termite Prevention

Tiny bugs swarming the wood in your walls and foundation, damaging your home, and terrorizing your family isn't quite a homeowner's dream. More like a nightmare. Termites are the bugs we are talking about here and they are stubborn, having no intentions of leaving without a fight as long as they have resources to live on. The goal for homeowners is to make your home unattractive to them and to take proactive steps to ensure they aren't making your home, their home.

group of termite wood eater

Termite Season

Though they are small and seemingly harmless, termites can be destructive. They are active all year so can cause damage at any time of the year. However, they do have seasons in which they are worst which depends on an area’s climate and other factors. Termite season can run anywhere from February to November, but spring almost always brings the heaviest part of the swarming season. If you would like to find out when termite season is in your area, you can contact a local professional for a free inspection. Your pest control expert will be able to advise you on the termite’s swarming season and will be able to help you decide the best course of action.

Now to avoid potential problems with termites, here are some steps you can take toward prevention.

Tips for Prevention

Termites will attack your home in an insidious manner so protecting the house from termite damage will require proactive steps. Waiting until you have an infestation may result in irreparable damage, not to mention that termites can also be exceedingly difficult to get rid of. So, the best thing that you can do when it comes to termites and your home, is to follow these simple and straightforward prep steps:

1. Eliminate sources of food near the home. Termites survive from eating cellulose in wood, so will likely set up a colony if your home is an abundant source. You will want to minimize the amount of dead wood you have on your property from old stumps to stacks of firewood. Even wood for landscaping or mulch can attract them.
2. Keep plant growth away from the home. Clear away leaves from the home and keep the area around the home free of debris. Termites are more likely to infest when brush and bushes are in contact with the house.
3. Seal moisture out of your home, especially near the foundation. Just as termites need food and shelter, they need water. If they are unable to access water, they will likely not set up shop in your home. Check for leaky pipes, drain spouts, etc. Inspect the chimney, roof, and windows for cracks and leaks.
4. You may want to consider having a new home treated for termites. The contractors can treat the soil as well as the wood in the foundation. This is an easy preventative step that may make sense if you are working on a new construction home.
5. Contact a professional: One of the best ways to prevent termites is to have a thorough inspection of your home by a trained professional. Many times, it is hard to identify a potential problem without being experienced with termite infestations. A professional will know exactly what to look for and where to look for it. Professionals recommend an inspection every other year to catch any potential problems early.

Following the steps above, along with regularly scheduled inspections and vigilance, will help keep termites at bay. It is much less expensive to prevent termites than to repair the damage that they can cause.

Basically, your goal should be to make your home as inhospitable and unattractive to termite guests as possible. That’s your best bet. But, if they have already infested or if you are worried that they might be, then you should consult a professional who can advise you on the best strategy to get rid of them. Fischer environmental is well trained in the prevention and treatment of termites as well as many other common household pests in Louisiana. Click here for a free inspection today, and we can ensure your home is pest free.

Spring Lawn Care Tips

Nothing makes a great first impression quite like a well maintained green lawn. It is not always easy to keep your yard looking healthy and vibrant, which is why people who can are always the envy of the neighborhood. But, some basic knowledge and a little bit of elbow grease is all that you will need to get the best lawn on the block for this coming season.

City square. Sprinkler system is watering the lawn.

So, let’s start at the beginning…

Grass Types

Your lawn care plan and prep will depend on the type of grass that you have. There are 2 kinds:

1. Cool-season grasses have two times of growth – a moderate one in the spring, and then a larger burst of growth in the autumn. The grass goes dormant in the summer, so spring is an important opportunity to care for it.
2. Warm-season grasses thrive in the heat and go inactive in the winter. They begin growing in spring, but don’t really get going until the middle of the summer.

Cleaning Up and Repairing Your Lawn

Please do not do any unnecessary lawn work in the spring until you have allowed the soil to dry out. Soggy soil and foot traffic or raking can cause damaged grass that won’t grow or look lush. When the soil is dry, carefully get rid of leaves, etc. Then, rake the grass to “fluff” it and help it to stand straight and tall. If you live in area where snowfall is common, be aware that remaining snow mounds can suffocate the grass beneath. This will nurture mold growth and kill the plant life. Spread out snow piles to help melting.

Weed Control

You can use pre-emergent weed control in the spring. This will help to stop the weeds before they start germinating. Both cool-season and warm-season grasses benefit from weed prevention and both should be done in the spring. Pre-emergent herbicides will continue to work for about three months. Plan on applying more at some point in the summer months.

Seeding and Planting

Gardeners have to pick between weed control and lawn seeding in the spring. Pre-emergent herbicides will also keep grass from growing and prevent grass seed from sprouting, so you can’t use those weed control products if you are planting seeds.

Cool-season grasses can be planted as soon as temperatures get into the 60s. In addition, soil temperatures should be somewhere in the 50s. Give the seedlings a chance to get growing and established prior to the heat of the summer. Fall is a superior time to plant cool-season grasses. Spring planting should only be for patching bare spots.

Warm-season grasses can be established when the temps hit the 70s, and soil temperatures are in the 60s. Late spring is the best time to plant, as the threat of a late frost is gone.

Fertilizer

When it comes to cool-season grasses, do NOT heavily fertilize in the spring. Spring feeding will create rapidly grown tender shoots which will die in the summer sun. Heavier fertilization should be done during the fall. Warm-season grasses, on the other hand, should be “fed” in late spring as soon as the lawn starts turning verdant – usually April or May.

Mowing

Cut your grass often enough so that you're only eliminating the upper bit of the blades of grass. This is less stressful for the grass and the smaller clippings decompose quickly and easily and become fertilizer (avoid bagging the clippings, allow them to nurture the soil.

Lawn Care Equipment Maintenance

Follow these quick steps to get everything into working order for the spring.

1. Take out leftover gasoline that may be stale.
2. Disconnect the piece of equipment’s spark plug. That way it is not dangerous to work on your mower.
3. Take the blade off and sharpen it with a metal file.
4. Drain the oil, if there is any.
5. Clean the equipment and then reattach the blade if you removed it earlier.
6. Replenish the oil tank with new oil.
7. Switch the air filter.
8. Put the spark plug back. It is recommended to install a new one, even if the old one still works. It is cheap and easy to change, so it can never hurt.

A well maintained and green lawn is the pride and joy of many families and businesses. It takes work and commitment to create a beautiful, green lawn that is lush and healthy, but it can be done with just a little bit of effort and know-how. If you want further advice or assistance, click here for a free consultation.

How to Aerate your Lawn 101

Aeration is sometimes considered difficult but it is simply perforating the soil with small holes. Those holes are designed to let air, water and nutrients down deep into the soil. There, they are able to saturate the grass roots. This helps the roots grow deeply and produce a stronger, more vigorous lawn.

Why Aerate?

The main goal of aeration is to lessen dirt compaction which may lead to a high amount of solid particles in the soil. This prevents proper water, air and nutrition from getting to the roots of your lawn. Excess lawn thatch or heavy biological debris hidden under the grass surface can also make it difficult for the roots to get the nutrients that grass will need to grow and thrive.

Who Should Aerate?

You should aerate your soil if it is an area which receives high traffic. Constant weight on the soil causes it to become more compact. Also, soil under newly constructed homes often has its topsoil stripped away leaving compacted soil. There are also barriers which can cause problems such as soil layering and thatch which will benefit from an aeration treatment.

Tools Needed

When it comes to aerating tools, you basically have two ways to go. You can either get a spike aerator or a plug aerator.

With a spike aerator, you just punch holes into the earth with a hard point at the end of the tool.

Woman aerating the garden lawn with a digging fork

Plug aerators remove plugs of lawn and dirt from the turf. These aerators tend to produce the best results. Poking holes with a spike aerator can, in reality, cause further compaction in the areas near the holes that have been punctured.

Note: Look for a tool that pulls up soil plugs around 2 — 3 inches down into the ground, approximately 0.5 — 0.75 inches in diameter, and just about 2 — 3 inches from one another. This type of equipment can be rented at your local garden store or your big box home improvement warehouse. The most important thing is that you follow the directions provided, particularly if you go the rental route.

Steps to Aerate Your Lawn

There is far more involved in aerating a lawn than just perforating the soil. You have to be aware of soil and grass conditions which will guide your decisions about where to puncture the earth, and when to aerate. Different types of grass flourish and thrive at different times of the year. If you are going to ventilate a lawn, you want the treatment to correspond with the lawn’s prime best time of year for growth. Typically cool season grass should be aerated in early spring and warm season grass at the end of spring. Here are a few steps to aerating your lawn.

Try to eradicate or treat all of the weeds that may be in the grass before you aerate.

Before getting underway, make sure the earth is saturated enough with water. There's nothing more annoying than trying to aerate soil that is parched. Try aerating a day after a rain shower, or water your lawn the day before.

Most aeration equipment is designed to cover only a small fraction of the soil surface with each pass. 

Make certain to make several passes over the most compressed parts.

The unearthed masses of dirt should be permitted to dry and then you should break them up and spread them across the lawn so that it has an even surface. You can easily break them up by running them over with a lawnmower.

Of course, after you are done aerating, it's vital to carry on with all of your basic lawn care practices such as proper composting, cutting and watering.

Fischer Can Help

If you'd like to talk to experts with a great deal of experience in lawn care, Fischer is here to help. Aeration is but one of the numerous lawn care services that we provide. We will strategize to restore and improve your lawn and are committed to helping you get it in tip top shape from aerating and seeding to fertilizing and watering- click here to get started!