Lawn & Ornamental

 

iStock_000006638550XSmallAt Swatter Pest Solutions we know how difficult it can be for a homeowner to maintain and keep a beautiful and healthy lawn, especially with the climate and insects here in Florida.

The majority of lawn issues our customers face are insect infestation and weeds. Swatter Pest Solutions will be happy to consult with you to find the cause of your concerns and set up a plan of attack to prevent insect and weed infestation, which includes proper watering, mowing, fertilization, insecticides and the use of pre-emergent herbicides to stop the weeds before they can get established in your lawn.

We treat the lawn every month either as a preventive or corrective service to control a variety of problems. We use liquid fertilizers as well as dry for a balanced program.

Watering and Mowing

Watering your lawn gives your grass a chance to be healthy and build strong root systems. The best time to water your lawn is early in the day before the heat rises. Healthy grass can fight off disease better, which helps in preventing lawn pests. Inappropriate watering and mowing is the most common cause of lawn damage. Overwatering retards deep root growth and increases lawn susceptibility to stress. Poorly maintained sprinklers can apply too much water in certain spots, while under watering other areas.

This is an area that seems simple enough, but really helps to mow your lawn properly. Make sure your lawn mower blades are sharp. You want to cut the grass, not rip it apart. When you mow, set your height adjuster to 4 to 5 inches of the grass, but making sure not to cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade away. This prevents sunlight from reaching the soil and keeps weeds from germinating. The cut grass will start to fill in bare spots around your lawn when it is cut this way. Maintaining a healthy, vigorously growing lawn is the best way to prevent a severe disease outbreak in turfgrass. Each square foot of turf contains about 500 to 1,000 individual plants, each requiring optimum amounts of water and fertilizer, the right mowing regime, and an aerated, well drained soil. If any of these factors are missing or in excess, the grass may become stressed and more susceptible to disease.

Insect and Disease Control

Insect feeding can cause grass to turn yellow or brown, or die, especially if the grass is already stressed. Damage usually begins in small, scattered patches, which may merge into large dead areas. Some common lawn pests are White Grubs, Mole Crickets, Sod Webworms, Armyworms, Chinch Bugs, Beetles and Fire Ants.

Services We Provide

  • Insect and Disease Control
  • Weed Control
  • Lawn Fertilization
  • Fire Ant Control
  • Tree and Shrub Fertilization

Common Lawn Diseases and Fungus are Brown Patch Disease-is caused by a species of Rhizoctonia fungus. It occurs in St. Augustine, Bermuda, Bahia and centipede lawns and grasses. Brown patch fungus typically begins in a small area of the lawn, but can spread quickly. A first sign of the disease is the yellowing of the foliage. Grey Leaf Spot Disease-can attack St. Augustine grass lawns in early summer. Caused by a fungus, the disease shows up as circular-shaped spots or tan lesions on the blades of grass. If left untreated, a runaway case of grey leaf spotting can take down an entire lawn. Dollar Spot-is caused by a fungus it’s a lawn disease that results in silver/grey spots appearing on your lawn. These spots can vary from 1 to 6 inches in diameter and the spots can also overlap to form larger patches of diseased lawn and can effect and kill the whole of the grass plant including the roots. Fairy Ring-is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over 10 meters (33 ft) in diameter and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. These fungi can cause the development of rings or arcs of deep green grass as well as unthrifty or dead grass.

Weeds

Weed Control is the botanical component of pest control, using physical and chemical methods to stop weeds from reaching a mature stage of growth when they could be harmful to grass, plants and livestock. Today, chemical weed killers known as herbicides are widely used. The best way to have a vibrant, weed free lawn is to nourish your grass and ensure that it is healthy enough to combat weeds. But sometimes, despite good lawn care, weeds can become a problem.

Selective herbicides kill certain targets while leaving the desired crop unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and often based on plant hormones herbicides and are generally classified as follows. Contact Herbicides-destroy only that plant tissue in contact with the chemical spray. Generally, these are the fastest acting herbicides. They are ineffective on perennial plants that are able to re-grow from roots or tubers. Systemic Herbicides-are foliar-applied and are translocated through the plant and destroy a greater amount of the plant tissue. Modern herbicides such as glyphosate are designed to leave no harmful residue in the soil. Soil-Borne Herbicides are applied to the soil and are taken up by the roots of the target plant. Pre-emergent Herbicides-are applied to the soil and is taken up by the roots of the larger plant.
Fertilization

Appropriate fertilization encourages a dense, thick lawn that allows grass to tolerate some insect feeding. The appropriate timing and amount of fertilize varies depending on factors including season, grass species, and local growing conditions. Over fertilization should be avoided since it will produce excess thatch and contribute to the severity of many turfgrass diseases.

When natural soil processes do not provide adequate supplies of these essential elements, fertilizer can be applied to maintain optimum turfgrass growth. The purpose of fertilizing a lawn is to add the necessary nutrients in the required amounts and at the proper time to achieve desirable lawn qualities and healthy turfgrass plants. Adequate nitrogen produces vigorous growth and green color in grass and plants. Nitrogen is the most important macronutrients grass needs to grow. Grass dies if it doesn’t have enough nitrogen. Nitrogen occurs naturally in most soils, but because grass uses a lot of nitrogen, then the need of chemical fertilizers is important. Phosphorus is important in stimulating early root growth and promoting early plant vigor. Phosphorus moves very little in the soil with most of it being bound tightly to soil particles.

Grass requires sunlight, water, oxygen and soil for proper growth. Soil nutrients act as food for the plant. Over time, nutrients in the soil deplete. Fertilization replenishes these nutrients during key growth intervals throughout the year. Grass will certainly grow with or without fertilizer, but fertilizer is recommended to achieve a healthy and lush lawn year-round.

Ornamental Care

For your lawn care needs other than grass, we offer the same environmentally friendly options including insect and fungus sprays and fertilization. Ornamental are very expensive to replace and are vital part of the beauty and curb appeal of your home. Tree and shrub care is an investment. You can count on our regular and preventative maintenance designed to promote plant health and vigor, ensuring your plants value continues to grow. This type of service can only be accomplished by experienced professionals that know the plants they are treating and the target insect.

Fire Ants

Fire ants nest in soil, often near moist areas, such as river banks pond shores, watered lawns and highway shoulder. Usually, the nest will not be visible, as it will be built under objects such as timber, logs, rocks or bricks. If there is no cover for nesting, dome-shaped mounds will be constructed, but these are usually only found in open spaces, such as fields, parks and lawns. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants bite only to get a grip and then sting and inject toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin. For humans, this is a painful sting, a sensation similar to what one feels when burned by fire, that’s why they are called Fire Ants.

Don’t just move your fire ant problem from one side of your yard to the other with another wasted store bought treatment. Swatter Pest Solutions LLC uses a safe commercial-grade product that kills the queen and the entire colony, while ensuring that no new mounds form.

Grass diseases, Lawn insects, and Weed Control can come in many shapes and forms, but one thing is always consistent, TRUSTED Lawn care services from Swatter Pest Solutions LLC to help regain control of your yard.

Comments are closed.