Uninvited Visitors

You are spending time with your family, enjoying the summer. It has started to get dark and you are anxiously awaiting the fireworks to start when the worst thing happens. Mosquitoes are everywhere. You retreat inside in hopes that you made it inside before being bitten. Unfortunately, you have not. They must have snuck up on you before you noticed them closing in. 

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Here are a few tips and tricks to help you have a mosquito free summer and other common lawn problems that come with summer. 

Tips and tricks

• Mosquitoes are not only annoying pests but they cause millions of deaths worldwide. Mosquitoes are part of the fly family. There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes but, three of the species are most know for the transmission of diseases.


• Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in slow moving water, still water, or places that flood frequently. Draining areas like gutters, buckets, kiddie pools, and other things that collect water is a great way to reduce the number of mosquitoes.


• Using things like bug spray and pest control are great ways to protect yourself from adult female mosquitoes. If you would like help with mosquito control, click here.

Sod Webworms

• Sod webworm are often confused with grub. They look similar and their damage looks about the same. They come from moths unlike grub, which come from beetles. They also eat the blade of grass instead of the root. A great way to tell them apart is, you will probably see little brown moths flying just above the grass. 

• Heat stress is often confused with sod webworm damage. It also appears as brown spots in the lawn. The main difference is that sod webworm damage looks like the blades of grass have been cut off. 

Sod Webworm Moth

• If you are still unsure if you have sod webworm or heat stress the best way to determine which one it is, is to water the browning areas. If consistent good watering does not help the lawn it is likely that you have a sod webworm problem. 

Be Aware Of

1. Seeding season is just about here. Planting grass seed in the fall is actually the best time to start seeding. The ground has been warming all summer and it makes the perfect temperature for the seed to germinate. Seeding will help fill in those bare patches and thicken up the lawn you already have. 

2. Core aeration goes hand in hand with seeding. It not only allows the seed to get to the perfect place for germination, but it also allows water, oxygen, and nutrients to get to the roots of the grass easier. This will help your lawn to become thicker and greener.  

Looking for a healthy, green, and weed free lawn?

Contact us today at: 435-753-5296 or mylawn@lawndoctorutah.com

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Summer is Upon Us!

No school, warm weather, BBQs, pool parties, and camp outs are just a few things that summer brings, however, with the warm weather it also brings a multitude of things that we don’t want. Mosquitoes, grub, bill bug, heat stress, drought damage, morning glory, crabgrass, and spurge are just a few of things that need to be prevented. 

One of the most common questions we get this time of the year is what do grubs look like and how can I tell if I have them or not? Here are a couple tips and tricks on how to identify them and the problems they cause.

Tips and Tricks

White Grub

• Bill bug larvae is more commonly seen in Northern Utah than white grubs but their damage is very similar.  

• They both eat the root system of the grass and if you pull up the damaged areas it will come up as if it was carpet. This happens because there are no longer any roots to anchor the grass down. 

Bill Bug Larvae

• When looking for indicators of the bug, are you watering and your lawn is still looking dead? Have you ensured that all affected areas of the lawn are  getting the proper amount of water? If so, it is likely that you have grub or bill bug. 

• Some things to consider, if your grass does not pull up like carpet, then you likely have another issue such as heat stress.

Grub damage above view

June is the perfect time to put down a grub preventative treatment. Grub preventative services make sure you will not see any damage throughout the year, and it covers you from both white grub and bill bug larvae.  If you are unsure if you need a preventative treatment or need help identifying a problem, let us know.

Be Aware Of

1. Summer is the time of year crabgrass starts to show up in full force. Crabgrass germinates when soil temperatures get between 55 and 65 degrees. It can also produce 150,000 seeds per growing season. Seeds can stay dormant in the ground for up to 30 years. If you are starting to see crabgrass show up, you can find more information about how to get rid of it here. 

2. Mosquito season is quickly approaching and temperatures are consistently 50⁰ F. At these temperatures hibernating mosquitoes are awakening and dormant eggs are hatching. As temperatures get warmer mosquitoes will start breeding at an alarming rate. It is time to start thinking about mosquito control options. This is the time of year to prevent a mosquito infestation before it happens. 

Looking for a healthy, green, and weed free lawn?

Contact us today at: 435-753-5296 or mylawn@lawndoctorutah.com

www.lawndoctor.com/cachevalley-ut/

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April Showers . . .

April is here and it may not look like it but, some of our favorite flowers will soon be blooming. Daffodils, pansies, tulips, dandelions. Okay, maybe not dandelions. We may not like them but along with flowers, dandelions and other weeds will soon start popping up everywhere. Dandelions and crab grass are two of the most hated weeds among lawn owners. They never seem to go away and, no matter what you do they are always there. Here are a few tips and tricks to keep dandelions and other weeds out of your yard this year.

Tips and Tricks

Dandelion

• According to the USU Extension, peak flowing season for dandelions occurs during temperatures between 60-70 degrees F.  The best defense for these annoying weeds is to have a thick, strong, and established lawn. To achieve that be consistent with your fertilizer applications and, use a basic broad leaf weed control product, such as 2-4-D, to control dandelions once they germinate. If you do need some help or have questions about fertilizer or weed control just click this link for more information.

• Even though crabgrass only germinates in the hot summer months, springtime is when you apply your defense against crabgrass with pre-emergent weed control. A pre-emergent weed control application blocks only annual weeds such as crabgrass from germinating. It is very hard to control crabgrass once it has germinated in the summer months.  The great thing about crabgrass is that it dies in the fall when temperatures get cooler. It's not too late to apply pre-emergent. Other annual weeds pre-emergent blocks are spurge, foxtail, and oxalis.

Crabgrass

Don't worry, if you don't have the time to think about fertilizer, broad leaf weed spay, and pre-emergent. We've got you covered. Our highly trained technicians are licensed through the state of Utah (and Idaho) to apply these products, so you don't have to worry about finding time to do it yourself.

Be Aware Of

While preparing for the future weeds in your yard is important there are a few other things you should look out for.

1. It's time to start thinking about your lawn mower. Sharpen your mower blade and ensure it is in great shape.  Mowing with a dull blade damages the grass blades, slows healing, increases water lost, and makes grass more susceptible to bugs and disease. Adjust your lawn mower so it never cuts more that 1/3 of the grass blade. This will promote a stronger root system and thicker growth.

Sod Webworm

2. In the night sod webworms are slowly becoming active again in the warmer weather. The moth larvae begin to eat the blades of grass, leaving the roots intact. This will cause thinning in the lawn and brown patches. As it gets warmer the larvae will become more active and you will start seeing the damage they have been doing. To reduce the risk of  sod webworm keep your lawn fertilized and watered. A strong healthy lawn reduces your risk of getting sod webworm. 

Looking for a healthy, green, and weed free lawn?

Contact us today at: 435-753-5296 or mylawn@lawndoctorutah.com

www.lawndoctor.com/cachevalley-ut/

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. . . Bring May Flowers (Dandelions!)

May is the official start of dandelion hunting season! Now is the time where you can hunt and destroy these weeds throughout your lawn. The great thing (or not so great thing) about dandelion hunting season is that it lasts about 7 months so there is ample time to join the hunt!

If the dandelion hunt is too hard or tiresome for you, all our highly trained technicians are licensed through the state of Utah (and Idaho) to hunt for you! As always, here are a few tips, tricks, and services that will help you understand your lawn even better.  

Tips & Tricks

Mosquito

• You probably have started seeing mosquitoes, spiders, wasps, and other pests in your yard and house. Pests are not only annoying but can also be harmful. They like to hide in unkempt areas and cracks. Sealing all the cracks and holes, that might be letting bugs get into your house, is a great way to keep unwanted pests out of your house but can be time consuming. Click this link if you would like to learn more about different kinds of pest and the best ways to get rid of them. We can help you keep bugs and pests from getting into your house with our pest control services. 

Stressed out lawn taken May 16, 2019

• Your sprinkler system should be up and running. Test and reposition sprinklers to ensure full coverage. To make sure you are getting even coverage place cans throughout the yard and water as usual. After watering compare the amount of water in each can and adjust sprinklers to ensure you are getting even coverage. For more information on this click here. It is so important to have proper water coverage, especially when the heat comes. Make sure your lawn is getting the correct amount of water to prevent it from getting stressed. Go to this link to see how much you should be watering during the week.

Be Aware Of

1. Weeds! We have seen an abundance of weeds already this year from dandelions, thistle, clover, and mallow. There are many things you can do to help stop weeds and prevent them. Click here for more information. If you do not have time to fight weeds yourself we offer a variety of services to help all your needs. 

2. Grubs are the larvae of beetles. The larvae lives right under your thatch layer and eats the roots of your grass. Early signs of grub damage appear as brown spots in the lawn. You usually will not see any signs of damage until after it is done. Don't worry, the end of May is the perfect time to start putting down grub preventive.  

Understanding your lawn and what it needs will make a huge difference in its appearance, health, and wellness.  

Looking for a healthy, green, and weed free lawn?

Contact us today at: 435-753-5296 or mylawn@lawndoctorutah.com

www.lawndoctor.com/cachevalley-ut/

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