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Landscaping That Does More than Look Good

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Tropical plants are renowned for their lush colors, but that beauty comes at a steep price for homeowners who maintain them. Some thirsty flowers like Iris pseudacorus require standing water, which is extremely costly in Bryan-College Station during the summer. If you’re looking to practice sustainable gardening, reduce water and energy consumption whenever possible.

Mulch

Most people who mulch prefer organic materials like bark chips and pine needles, but you can choose rubber, cardboard, or stone if you don’t want to reapply mulch every year. When applied to an entire flower bed, mulch presents a beautiful, uniform look, and it helps keep the edges clean. Weeds have more difficulty growing up from the soil through several inches of mulch.

Mulch also reduces soil evaporation, so you don’t have to irrigate as often. According to one research project presented at Texas A&M, mulch reduces water evaporation by 25%, which could save you thousands of … Read Full Post »

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Living with Wildlife Instead of Fighting a Losing Battle

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Imagine that you spray your foundation monthly, but the bugs keep returning. After years of work and gallons of insecticide, the strategy hasn’t helped. With pesticide-resistant bugs and environmental contamination in the news, experts have realized that chemical weapons aren’t always the best method for managing pests. This knowledge isn’t entirely new. Scientists have been developing integrated pest management (IPM) techniques for more than 50 years. IPM is a pest control philosophy that combines several different approaches to keep pests at acceptable levels. These strategies can be used to manage lawns, landscape plants and household pests.

Whether we like it or not, pests are part of the local ecosystem. In some cases, they help control other bugs. In other cases, they provide food for other species. Instead of using a blanket approach to eradicate every living bug within your property lines, IPM focuses on ways to adjust the natural balance. Here’s … Read Full Post »

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5 Tips for Irrigation: Save Water and Money!

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Remember when you were a kid and you had no idea that the lush, green lawn where you played baseball and turned cartwheels all summer took so much upkeep? Forget about mowing—the mere cost of watering the lawn is a surprise to many homeowners. Some homeowners are wasting water (and money) by using irrigation incorrectly. Have you ever gone for a walk in your neighborhood and dodged the sprinkler that was watering the street? How many people in your neighborhood have their irrigation system on constantly, even on a rainy day? There are ways to keep your lawn and garden from wilting without draining your bank account. Here are five:

1. Water wisely. Watering your lawn and garden efficiently doesn’t have to mean purchasing expensive equipment or becoming a self-sustaining hippie commune. Two habits that can help you conserve water are watering in the early morning and keeping the water where … Read Full Post »

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Healthy Grass under Your Tootsies

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
Which lawn personality are you?

It isn’t summer until the kids are running around on the green lawn in bare feet and tank tops. Of course, in the land of endless summers (like in Bryan-College Station and most of the southwest), it’s tank top weather year-round! High temperatures and unpredictable precipitation make lawn maintenance a tricky proposition. This combination invites all manner of creeping, crawling and rapidly expanding pests that can take over your lawn faster than you can find your flip-flops.

Fungus Grows on Texas Lawns

St. Augustine grass is popular as a Texas turf material because it grows thick and green with proper lawn care. It’s also cushy and not too tickly on bare feet. However, this grass type is also susceptible to pest problems, especially when forces of nature conspire to create a cozy environment for fungal growth. Other grass types including Bahia and Bermuda can harbor some fungus growth given high temperatures, waterlogged … Read Full Post »

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It’s Huge, It’s Scary and It Wants Your Tomatoes!

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Once you’ve tasted fresh, home-grown tomatoes, you’ll scoff at the anemic, mass-produced ones available at grocery stores. Growing tomato plants is rewarding, but you may run into a few challenges. If the leaves and unripened tomatoes develop holes or disappear overnight, or you find dark green droppings around the base of your plant, it’s time to inspect it for one of the tomato grower’s greatest enemies.

Identifying the Tomato Hornworm

The tomato hornworm is a large, green caterpillar with a curled head and a sharp-looking red horn on its rear. A mature hornworm is between three and five inches long and its markings include white stripes and rows of false eyes on both sides. At first glance, it resembles a ghastly little alien and many new tomato growers are quite startled the first time they spot one. A closer inspection reveals that the little fellow is harmless. Its size is intimidating, but it’s soft, squishy and … Read Full Post »

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Life-Saving Education for Allergic Kids

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Childhood is a carefree time when kids are encouraged to play and have fun. Unfortunately, a bee or wasp can bring the fun to an end. In the United States, roughly 3% of children are allergic to insect bites or stings. While many reactions cause mild swelling and discomfort, a bee sting can also cause a life-threatening reaction that requires epinephrine. That’s why it’s essential to teach allergic kids to identify signs of wasps and bees and to act accordingly.

In College Station and many parts of Texas, stinging insects are active all year. As pest control experts, ABC highly recommends treating your outdoor areas during fall and winter through a collective approach that includes landscaping, pest control and lawn care in College Station.

Photos, field guides and online videos are all excellent resources for teaching children how to identify and avoid stinging insects. Children should be aware that wasps don’t only … Read Full Post »

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The Healing Potential of Commercial Landscaping

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Landscaping can be undoubtedly appealing to the eye. Well-designed and manicured scenery can provide sanctuary from the bustling city or busy institution. While the visual appeal is obvious, there are also psychological benefits to landscaping. Landscaping designed to help ease stress and calm the mind can consist of additions such as water features, privacy-enhancing structures, flowers and more.

Introducing a water fountain to your yard can help create a serene and relaxing environment. The sound of running water is calming and healthy for resting your mind and body. But if you want to take that next step, a koi pond might be what you are looking for. Some studies show that gazing at fish help to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

You may have moments when you want a little time to yourself, or perhaps a bit more privacy. Partitions or screens that give needed privacy are a visually appealing option. … Read Full Post »

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Make Sure Your Gardening Choices Are Safe for Pets!

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Did you know that there are several popular plants and gardening products that can be hazardous to your pet?  By consulting with or utilizing a professional lawn care service, people can keep their pets safe while still enjoying the green thumb lifestyle and all of the benefits that come with an attractive yard.

Cocoa mulch is a very popular option for gardening because of its rich brown color and sweet smell of chocolate. Cocoa mulch contains the remnants of cocoa bean shells that have been used in the production of chocolate. Much like the finished product, cocoa bean shells can be toxic to dogs. A dog that consumes chocolate or cocoa bean shells can suffer from a wide variety of ailments, including elevated heart rate, diarrhea, muscle tremors, vomiting, seizures or even death. Fortunately, there are several other less-toxic mulch mixes that are available, including mulches with a pine or cedar … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs Win at Hide-And-Seek

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Many adults today have heard stories passed down from their grandparents about bed bugs under the sheets or crawling in the walls at night. Although these pests had been mostly eradicated from the United States in past decades, they have been returning in great numbers during the past 10 years. More and more reports are surfacing in Bryan and College Station. To solve a bed bug problem, it is important to know how to identify these sneaky pests and how to kill them.

Identifying Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are easy to identify, but they may be hard to find. When light hits them, the quickly run and hide anywhere they can. The common telltale sign of their presence is a series of bites. They are often in a row, and the bites appear as red raised bumps. The bumps may itch, but this is not always the case. When bites appear, look … Read Full Post »

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West Nile Scare in Brazos County

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Over the summer months, cases of West Nile virus were verified in Brazos County. If the virus continues spreading, local residents could find themselves feeling ill and missing work. This could be detrimental to household incomes, local businesses and even medical facilities. In rare cases, West Nile can be fatal, so taking proper precautions is important. Companies specializing in pest control and landscaping in College Station and Bryan can assist in controlling mosquito populations in the area. While this is an important step, it is also helpful to take some preventative measures of your own.

Drain all sources of standing water. Mosquitoes love pools, puddles and spas. Be sure to change the water for pets frequently. Stagnant water is the ultimate breeding ground for mosquitoes. If possible, keep water dishes for pets indoors.

Minimize risks in the yard. Have the shrubs and hedges trimmed down. Keep the lawn very short, and avoid … Read Full Post »

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