Last spring, author Raymond Bial wrote a book, What’s Bugging You?, that teaches children the differences between good and bad bugs and helpful or potentially harmful plants. While reading the book, children learn how to become “pest detectives” around their homes and yards. Ray traveled around the state of New York, visiting elementary schools in … Continued
Most homeowners are becoming increasingly more aware of how their actions in regards to home maintenance, lawn care and more influence the environment around them. This is good news – we all need to play our part in protecting the world in which we live. However, it’ also important to have the full story – … Continued
As part of Debug the Myth’s efforts in New Hampshire, we are teaming up with local lawn experts Joe Gaukstern of Lawn Dawg Lawn Care, Tim Boyle of Giant Landscaping and Chris Pestana with JP Pest Services to help the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester beautify the landscaping around their newly renovated building. On … Continued
With Halloween just around the corner, many of us will be looking for spooky decorations for our home. Halloween favorites include the traditional spiders and cobwebs, rats, bats and more, but while these plastic decorations welcome trick-or-treaters and show holiday spirit, the real pests aren’t so welcoming. Just as trick-or-treaters will flock to your door … Continued
Today is the last day of National Inspect and Protect Week, so it’s time to treat for any problems you’ve found and to be ready for any future problems. In order for the INSPECT acronym to most effectively help you solve your pest problems, all of the steps must work together. For example, if you … Continued
Today is Thursday, and that means it is time to clean your home — not the deep cleaning you instantly dread, but putting away and throwing away clutter. Pests need three things to survive: food, water, and a place to live. If you can control access to food around the home and eliminate standing water, … Continued
In the investigate step, we discussed the many ways and reasons that pests could enter your home or inhabit your lawn and garden, and now, after studying and preparing, it is time to eliminate the problems you may have identified. Pests need three things to survive: food, water, and a place to live. While you … Continued
After investigating your home for potential pest problems, this next step is all about arming yourself with knowledge about the problems you have identified. Here, you will want to study the problems you found while investigating and prepare to solve those problems. . By studying and preparing, you’re not only learning about the pests in … Continued
As temperatures start to cool, many of us will look for more excuses to spend time inside. But while we are enjoying the comfort of our warm homes this fall and winter, pests will be on the prowl for a cozy place to escape the cold. By following the I.N.S.P.E.C.T. process, you can ensure that … Continued
Cathie Lavis is a professor of horticulture at Kansas State University. Her expertise includes landscaping, arboriculture, irrigation, and landscape contracting. She provides insight for homeowners and gardeners on plant care, selection, and more. You do not have to walk the historic narrow streets of Orvieto, Italy to realize flowers and plants create romance, ambiance and … Continued