Author: Wendy Holtz

While pest problems are much more likely to affect outdoor plants, even indoor plants can fall victim to an infestation from time to time. Houseplant pests can be hard to identify and even more challenging to eradicate. Here’s how to spot and remove several of the most common household pests.

Aphids/Greenfly/Blackfly

Aphids eat sap from new, soft plant growth. They usually hide from sight under leaves. Their green color creates additional camouflage, but they can also be black or gray, and what starts as a small colony can quickly reproduce.

Aphid activity can infect plants with diseases or viruses, causing distorted growth. You can often get an aphid problem under control by spraying the plant with a mixture of warm water and a small amount of liquid soap. Target the aphids themselves, then wait five minutes to wash off the soapy mixture. You may need to repeat this treatment every few weeks if the problem continues.

Centipedes/Millipedes

While centipedes or millipedes in the garden can be beneficial, they can be disturbing to see when they make their way indoors. While they rarely do damage to plants, it’s important to get an infestation under control as soon as you spot one. It’s best to re-pot any affected plants, and you may need to dunk the root ball of the plant in a soap and water solution to drown or kill the insects with the soap.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs damage plants by sucking sap. They’re furry, white, and cluster together, often looking like a clump of cotton wool. If left untreated, they can cause the leaves of plants to yellow and eventually fall off. You can follow the aphid treatment technique described above to take care of mealybugs, too. For severe infestations, use products that contain natural fatty acids or ones that include a surfactant.

Red Spider Mites

The red spider mite is one of the worst indoor plant pests you can come across. While the damage they cause to plants isn’t the worst, they’re tricky to get rid of when an infestation occurs. These arachnids feed on liquids inside plant leaves, and it’s easy to determine you’ve got an infestation on your hands once you spot webs on your plants.

There are several treatment methods for red spider mites. You can give your plant a shower each week to wash off the webbing. If you’re dealing with a severe infestation, with multiple plants affected, you could purchase Phytosieulus persimilis—predatory mites that feed on red spider mites. They quickly outnumber them and efficiently remove the red spider mite colony.

Get Rid of Indoor Pests Today, the Eco-Friendly Way

Having pests in your home can damage your house plants, not to mention create an uncomfortable living environment for your family. When you need to get rid of unwanted pests fast and in an eco-friendly way, turn to the pest control experts of Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control of Orlando. Call us today at (407) 565-9250 for your free consultation.

Want to enjoy a healthy, lush landscape at home, but don’t want to spend all your free time working in your yard? In Florida, you don’t have to sacrifice beauty for convenience. There are several ways to improve your landscaping—and your home’s overall curb appeal—without a ton of effort. Here are five low maintenance landscaping ideas for your Florida home.

1. Make Sure to Mulch

Mulch not only looks pretty and smells appealing, but it also makes your garden easier to maintain. It keeps weeds from sprouting and helps plants get the moisture they need to thrive. Types of organic mulch—like wood chips—break down and add nutrients to the soil, but this mulch will need to be replaced every spring. Kinds of inorganic mulch, like rocks or rubber, never need replacing, and they look great in the right setting.

2. Use Native Plants

When it comes to low-maintenance plants, you can’t go wrong when you go local. Native plants require less fertilizing, watering, and pest control. Luckily, in Florida there are many gorgeous, easy-to-grow native flowers, shrubs, and trees, like azaleas, violets, and the sable palm.

Native grasses require less work, too. In Florida, the best options for low-maintenance lawns include Bahia grass, centipede grass, and Zoysia grass.

3. Consider Ground Cover

If you don’t like dealing with mowing the lawn from week to week, especially when temperatures get hot, consider replacing your grass with a low-maintenance ground cover plant. The right ground cover can give you that lush, green lawn you’re looking for without the hassle of mowing. In Florida, some excellent options include English ivy, creeping phlox, and periwinkle.

4. Make Container Gardens

Container gardens are an easy-to-care-for alternative to traditional flower beds—they don’t require any digging or hard labor. It’s also easier to keep weeds and pests out of potted plants than those living in the ground. Arrange potted plants in your yard in pleasing arrangements and move them easily whenever you’re in the mood for a change.

5. Add Color with Perennials

Perennials are an excellent option if you want to add pops of color to your garden. These plants come back on their own year after year, as long as they get the right amount of water and sunlight. Some low-maintenance native perennials that grow well in Florida’s unique climate include tickseed, blanket flower, and blazing star.

Leave Lawn Care to the Experts

When the weather in Florida gets hot and humid, the last thing you want to do is go outside to work on your yard. While we don’t provide landscaping services, you can rely on the lawn care experts at Evergreen Lawn and Pest Control to keep your lawn green!

Our lawn care is backed with 30+ years of experience in developing treatments tailored to your specific grass. We’ll keep your lawn beautiful, and you’ll never have to lift a finger! Call us at (407) 880-6655 for your free consultation, or get a free quote today!

One of the great things about living in Florida is enjoying a beautiful, green yard almost year-round. The hot months can be harsh on a well-manicured lawn, though, so you need to take specific steps to keep your grass thriving. Here are our top five lawn care tips to keep your Florida lawn looking green during the warmest months of the year.

1. Water When Necessary

Florida summers are hot, but they can also be rainy. While you don’t have to water your yard every day, the grass does need sufficient hydration to grow healthy and green. If your yard looks like it’s in need of a drink, water in the morning so the water can absorb into the soil. Keep in mind that some areas in Florida experience water restrictions, so make sure to find out the specific rules that apply to you before you water.

2. Mow Regularly—But Not Too Much

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make with their lawn care is over-mowing. Depending on the type of grass you have and the weather your area’s experiencing, you may need to mow your lawn once a week or less. It’s best to consult your local lawn and landscaping professionals to determine an appropriate schedule for mowing, so your grass can develop a healthy root system that promotes growth.

3. Keep Pests Under Control

Pests are a year-long problem in a warm climate like Florida, and your lawn is the perfect place for pests to set up shop. From fire ants to mosquitoes, grubs to chinch bugs, there are many pests that can not only damage your yard but make it an unwelcome place to be for your family and pets. Rely on your local pest control professionals to apply eco-friendly, safe perimeter pesticide application to keep these common pests under control.

4. Invest in Yearly Aeration

When you aerate your yard, you give the grass a chance to breathe so that it can better absorb nutrients. It’s best to aerate the yard at least once per year, ideally in the fall. Reach out to your local lawn care experts for professional aeration that keeps your grass fresh and healthy while promoting new growth.

5. Fertilize According to Schedule

One of the best ways to keep your grass healthy and green is to fertilize it. Fertilizer provides essential nutrients your soil may be missing, but you need to make sure you’re using the right fertilizer for the type of grass you have in your yard. Typically, Florida lawns need two to four fertilizer applications per year. Consult with your local lawn care experts to determine the type of fertilizer you need, as well as an appropriate schedule for fertilization.

Trust the Lawn Care Experts to Keep Your Florida Lawn Lush and Green

The best way to ensure your lawn stays healthy and green in the summer and beyond is by relying on local lawn care experts to provide the care and attention your grass needs. Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control – Leesburg is ready to help keep your yard beautiful all year round! Call us today at (407) 880-6655 for your free consultation.

Ticks are a year-round problem in Florida. These pesky and potentially dangerous insects can make themselves at home in your yard, posing a health concern for humans and pets alike. For your peace of mind, defending your home and yard is the best way to keep ticks away and keep your family safe. Here are our top four tick prevention tips to safeguard your home during tick season and beyond.

1. Keep Up with Your Landscaping

Ticks look at tall, dense grass and brush as a great place to call home. One easy way to keep ticks out of your yard and away from your house is by keeping your grass mowed to an appropriate length. You should also rake leaves, compost leaf litter, and generally keep your entire lawn well-landscaped to reduce ticks’ habitat around your home. Most homeowners find that investing in regular care and maintenance from a professional lawn and landscaping service is the best way to keep up with their yard and keep ticks at bay.

2. Use Tick Control Tubes

Ticks aren’t infectious on their own—they become infected when they bite mice that carry disease. If you suspect that ticks have set up shop in your yard, you can kill ticks and keep them away for good by placing tick control tubes around your lawn. These tubes contain cotton and the insecticide permethrin. As mice steal the treated cotton and use it to make nests, it kills ticks as soon as they contact it. It’s best to place these tubes in your yard in the warmer months like July or August, then again, the following May to prevent an infestation.

3. Create a Barrier

Due to Florida’s warm climate, ticks can be found throughout the year across the state. If you live near tick-friendly habitats like tall grasses, shrubbery, or wooded areas, you should consider investing in a physical barrier to keep ticks out of your yard. All it takes is a three-foot-wide barrier of gravel or wood chips between your lawn and the tick-friendly habitat to prevent ticks from entering your property.

4. Invest in Eco-Friendly Treatments

The best way to prevent a tick infestation—or to get an infestation under control—is by relying on a professional pest control service to exterminate the problem. Your pest control experts understand that every property is different, and they’ll create a treatment plan that works for your specific needs. Using family-friendly, eco-friendly treatments, you can say goodbye to ticks in your yard for good.

Keep Ticks Out of Your Yard with the Help of Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control

Ticks are potentially dangerous insects for humans and pets alike, and they can easily set up shop near your home. The best way to prevent ticks from making your yard their home is by relying on Evergreen Lawn & Pest Control – Debary to keep your landscaping in excellent shape. Call us today at (407) 880-6655 for your free consultation!