Are These Common Louisiana Weeds Invading Your Yard?

With hot weather, plenty of sun, and water everywhere in Southern Louisiana right now, it's a great time for your lawn to flourish. Unfortunately, weeds also love this kind of weather and they will be cropping up everywhere now. 

"Why are weeds so bad?" you may wonder. Some people say that weeds are just plants you don't want. But weeds can harm your lawn. 

Read on to learn about four common weeds you may be seeing in your yard.

Four Major Louisiana Weeds

These four weeds are some of the most common:

 ·      Dollar Weed: Also called pennywort, this weed likes living anywhere there’s standing water. Poor drainage can lead to dollar weed seemingly overnight, and then they germinate and spread to other areas. This weed roots anywhere that the creeping stems touch the soil, so they can get out of control fast.

·       Pony Foot: Also called dichondra, pony foot was once used as a ground cover in place of grass. But this tenacious weed is hard to eradicate once it has taken root in an area, and pony foot sucks water and nitrogen from your soil. Considering that it also loves to grow under trees, it can quickly harm trees and other plants.
 ·       Poa Annua: Also known as annual bluegrass, this weed may be invisible in your existing lawn grass until summer. As poa annua dies in the sun, your lawn suddenly has ugly brown patches all over. It loves damp and shady areas.
 ·       Clover: The four-leaf variety may bring luck, but clover is usually not a good addition to a lawn. Anything that is an undesirable plant is considered a weed, even if it’s not particularly bad for your lawn.

Crabgrass, sedge, and other types of weeds may also be growing now as well. And let’s not forget those dandelions!

Are these weeds taking over your yard?

Weed Prevention Tips

Many of these common weeds love damp and shady spots. Just as you would prepare your property for mosquitoes by removing any standing water, be sure to consider any soggy spots in your lawn to keep the weeds away.

Because this year experienced such an early spring, you can fertilize later than you might have in the past. 

Grass needs to be stronger than the weeds to survive against the competition. Don’t mow your lawn too low, as this can give weeds the space they need to root and grow even more. If your lawn is really shady, which many weeds like, consider thinning the canopy to let more light in.

Call Fischer for Lawn Protection

Our lawn care programs are designed to keep your lawn healthy year-round. We not only control weeds, but also prevent insect infestations, and keep the desired plants in good health. We can treat fungus, winter weeds, and more. 

Starting with an inspection is important to ensure that the conditions aren’t fighting against the treatments. 

We can advise you on how to achieve the best conditions to discourage weed growth, in addition to providing the treatments to keep it that way.

Call us at (800) 391-2565 for information on how we can help your lawn stay healthy and beautiful year-round.

You can also learn more about our process by looking at our lawn care program schedule.

It's Prime Time for Mosquitoes

It’s often joked that Louisiana’s state bird is the mosquito. The pesky insects are almost more common than birds in the state of Louisiana. They are often huge, disease-ridden, and hard to exterminate. People often warn about trying to swat a Louisiana mosquito, because they may just swat back. With the new spring growing in full force, it will be more than helpful to know the 2017 Louisiana mosquito forecast.

Prepare for an Early Arrival

Unfortunately, 2017 has brought early warmth and early wetness. Together, they have created the perfect storm for mosquitoes. The nasty bugs love warm and wet climates, and they are sure to be swarming early this year.

While the bites and stings of mosquitoes sure are annoying, they are only the first of your problems when it comes to dealing with these insects. Mosquitoes are known for carrying diseases such as the Zika virus, which is deadly and can spread easily once caught.

The best way to prevent your home from a mosquito invasion is to make sure to get rid of any standing water or soggy areas in your yard and garden. Mosquitoes love standing water, as it is where they go to breed. By getting rid of their breeding grounds, you can keep them away from your land.

It's also a good idea to drill holes in the bottom of your recycling bins or trash cans in order to drain any standing liquid. This is a good time of year to clean out your gutters and drains to make sure they aren’t clogged, too. Take a walk around your property and check for places where water can store up after a rain. Make sure to regrade those areas to prevent standing water from occurring. If you own a pool, make sure it is chlorinated – this will prevent mosquitoes from using it as a breeding site.

Additionally, aside from wanting water to breed, mosquitoes also need a place to rest. They love taking breaks inside of tall vegetation, and tend to gather mainly around weeds. If you didn’t have enough of an incentive to clear weeds out of your yard already, now is the perfect opportunity to become even more motivated. You should mow your lawn often and pull out any weeds that gather around shade trees or the side of your house.

Last, but certainly not least, consider some type of barrier treatment to put around the premises of your home. This will prevent mosquitoes from invading your space, and it will ward them away from becoming too close. Unfortunately, store-bought items such as foggers or bug bombs are not very effective against mosquitoes. This is because they typically will only kill the adults. Although you can’t see it, it is likely that the adults have laid many eggs at that point. The babies will hatch very soon after, making it appear as if your bug bomb didn’t kill any at all. With a barrier treatment, however, you can be protected for up to 21 days, which is plenty of time to kill both adults and babies before they can lay any more eggs.

Contact Your Local Mosquito Control Board

If you’re concerned about mosquito season, or you want to learn more about how to protect yourself from mosquitoes in the area, you can contact the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association. They have many branches around the state, and you can view a list of them here: http://www.lmca.us/districts.htm

Call Fischer to Keep Your Home Protected

Make sure to take all of our tips into account when searching for a way to protect your home. By investing in a barrier treatment, you are sure to prevent mosquitoes from invading your space and spreading dangerous diseases like the Zika virus. It’s never too early to ward yourself against mosquitoes. At Fischer, we have professionals to help you deal with this environmental crisis. For more information, feel free to visit our website: https://www.fischerenv.com/about-us/talk-to-us/

If you want to speak to someone right away, you can call us at (800) 391-2565, or you can shoot us an email at fischer@fischerenv.com. Protect yourself today, and steer clear of mosquitoes tomorrow!

Sources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/control-mosquitoes-in-your-yard-and-home-1968383