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Archive for Blog – Page 2

Flea Control Starts Now

By Wells Brothers
Sunday, April 24th, 2022

flea controlIt’s time to talk about flea control. As the temperatures warm up, so does the flea population. Take care to treat your yard, pets, and home for fleas, to ensure a happy and healthy summer for humans and furry friends alike.

Fleas in the Yard:

Fleas like temperatures below 95°F with humidity above 50%. As usual, it’s better to prevent them than to remove them. Fleas are brought in by urban wildlife like rabbits, rats, squirrels, raccoons, etc. If you feed the birds, you’re also feeding the critters (with the fleas!!) that visit the bird feeders. So, if you have a flea problem and feed the birds, stop feeding for a month or so to get the problem under control.

If you have fleas, treat the yard and your pets, see the section “Fleas on the dog/cat”.  You need to treat the yard, the pet, and the house within a 24 hour period. When fighting fleas it is all about breaking the life cycle. There are a bunch of all-natural and synthetic products to choose from. Most products will take more than one application, 5 to 10 days apart to break that life cycle.

Our number one product for outdoor flea control is sulfur, but remember it is a repellant, not a killer. There are two types of sulfur, powder and granulated. Application rates vary but the following have worked well for me. Use 10# to 15# of granulated sulfur to cover 1,000 square feet and should be reapplied every 10 to 14 days depending on the weather. Five pounds of powdered sulfur will cover about 1,500 square feet and should be repeated weekly.

The all-natural product called Yardsafe from the folks at Cedarcide is a high concentration cedar oil product in a ready-to-use quart that will cover about 2,000 square feet for the initial application. Repeat application in 5 to 10 days. This will kill the existing fleas and has a good residual for several days afterward depending on the weather.

There are also quite a few choices on the chemical side in both liquid and granulated. A good rule of thumb is to pick products with an active ingredient that ends with the suffix, “thrin”. Some of the most common are bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin and my favorite product, lambda-cyhalothrin, is the active ingredient in Cyonara. This quart attaches to the hose and will cover about 8,000 square feet. As always please read and follow all label directions.

 

Fleas on the dog/cat:

When combating fleas on your pet, there are two routes you can go. The first is the all-natural route. The most popular here at Wells Brothers is cedar oil-based products. One of these products is Vets Choice pure cedar oil. This can be mixed with water to make a spray or dip. Another product is the highly popular Wells Brothers premixed Pet and Animal Spray. This is a cedar oil product that is premixed in a spray bottle and ready to use. All you have to do is spray the animal thoroughly until the fur is saturated to the skin. Then just let the fur dry naturally. Cedarcide Original Spray is another option. This spray can be used directly on the pet, or on surfaces and bedding. All cedar oil-based products are contact killers and repellants of all sorts of pesky insects.

One more natural flea option is called Flea Away. Flea Away is an oral tablet that is given daily to cats and dogs that create an undesirable environment for fleas, ticks, and mosquitos. Flea Away works because unwanted insects come to a dog or cat because they smell Co2 (or carbon dioxide). The ingredients in Flea Away work to mask the smell of Co2 on the animal.

So, you’ve tried the all-natural options, and you still have a problem. It’s time for all-out chemical warfare. Again, you have many options. Over the counter options are as follows:

Sprays, dips, shampoos, collars, and room foggers for the house are all very effective. Whichever option you choose, be sure that the product includes an ingredient called IGR (Insect Growth Regulator). IGR disrupts the growth cycle of immature insects and provides up to 2 months of control of pre-adult fleas. Don’t forget about flea collars. A lot of products only kill adult fleas, so you will think that you have everything under control. Then BAM! Another re-infestation. Wells Brothers carries many of these products by Adams that includes IGR technology. Wells Brothers also carries monthly spot-on treatments by Adams and Bio Spot. The Adams products contain an IGR. The final option for flea control products is ones that you can only get at the vet. These products include spot-on and oral products. When used on a monthly basis, these products are very effective for controlling parasites of all kinds.

Preventative measures will help ensure a flea-free pet and house. A flea-free pet is a healthier and happier pet. So what do you do when you get fleas in the yard, then on the animal, and now in the house? You will need to treat the yard, the animal, and the house all within the same 24-hour period. That way you are not chasing them from one environment to another.

 

Categories : Blog, Bugs, News & Updates

Time to Plant Bermuda Grass

By Wells Brothers
Monday, April 18th, 2022

By the calendar, May is the time to start planting Hulled Bermuda grass. Bermuda seed germinates best when soil temperatures are above 75 degrees. After the soil is prepared, sow the seeds. The seeds should be covered with no more than .25 inches of soil. It will help if the cover soil is then lightly compacted (rolled). Keep the seedbed moist even if it requires watering several times a day. With ideal conditions, Bermuda usually germinates within several weeks. But there are many factors that can slow the germination; soil characteristics, temperature, and moisture being the top three. The above method applies whether you have bare dirt or you are overseeding an existing lawn. If you are overseeding a lawn, you must first mow the lawn very short and remove as much thatch as possible before planting.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it isn’t. Preparing the soil means removing all unwanted plant growth and roughing up the surface. Sow the seeds with either a spreader or by hand (as evenly as you can). Cover the seed (.25 inch max) with compost or you can rake the seeds into the soil. Keeping the seedbed moist can be the hardest part of this task. If the seedbed dries out germination will be delayed.

Our most popular type of Bermuda is called common. It is available in a 50# bag and we also sell it by the pound. Application rates for Bermuda grass seed range from 1/2# to 3# per 1,000 square feet. My rule of thumb is 1# for every 500 to 750 square feet. (If you are not pressed for time, you can use one seed per acre!). When you buy Bermuda seed (or any other seed) look at the seed tag for the “Pure Seed” and “Germination” ratings. Our common seed is listed as 95/85. That means it’s 95% pure seed and 85 seeds out of 100 will germinate. Bermuda seed is expensive, so know what you are buying and the square footage of the area to be planted.

 

Categories : Blog, News & Updates

Mosquito Control Tips & Products

By Wells Brothers
Friday, April 15th, 2022

During my youth, I was to head home when the street lights came on. One spring night I was doing just that when I came across 2 mosquitoes sitting on a street sign. One mosquito said to the other “you want to eat him here or take him home”. The second mosquito replied, “if we take him home the big ones will get him”. Well, I took off like the mosquitoes were chasing me. It's time to think about mosquito control. Click here to read through our "Mosquito Control Tips & Products" from Wells Brothers.

The one thing that we all must remember is there is no magic bullet for controlling mosquitoes. The best battle plan is to eliminate the environment that mosquitoes need to live and breed. Stop the larva by having no standing water. I cannot emphasize the importance of keeping your gutters clean. Keep the grass cut short, beds maintained, and don’t overwater your landscape. Do not forget to treat your bubblier and French drain lines, along with rain barrels and saucers for the potted plants. You can treat these areas with products like Mosquito Bits or Mosquito Dunks. The active ingredient is BT (bacillus thuringiensis) with the subspecies israelensis, or just call it BTI.

Promote habitats for the purple martins, bats, and dragonflies. They don’t eat as much as you think, but every little bit helps. Plant a variety of herbs (including citronella), as most have a repellant effect. Change outside lighting from white to yellow light bulbs or lenses, as they will not attract these flying vampires. Don’t forget the citronella Tiki torches and candles. They have a small effect on mosquitoes, but you will get that island feeling. The two repellants that I’m impressed with are the very effective Patio Egg and Murphy’s Mosquito sticks.

The Spartan Mosquito Eradicators are the most innovative mosquito control products to hit the market in a long time. The first generation is sold in a two-pack that covers an acre and will last 90 days. These are available at Wells Brothers. The second generation is called Pro-Tech and will last 30 days. As always read and follow the label directions.

The use of sprays and granule repellents in the environment is an option. One of the best all-natural sprays is a cedar oil product called Yardsafe by the Cedarcide folks. Others include citronella, garlic, and orange oil sprays. Synthetic sprays include permethrin, cypermethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin. Granulated cedar and garlic work as repellents. Permethrin granules are used as broad-spectrum insecticides. The all-natural repellant sprays will last about 2 days but the granules will last substantially longer. Synthetics, both liquid and granulated will last from a couple of days to a month. Length of effectiveness for all products will hinge on the weather.

The last resort is to hose yourself down with a repellant of some sort. Products that contain cedar (Cedarcide Original) and marigold oils are on the all-natural side. Synthetics include Spartan Go, Deet, permethrin, and believe it or not, Avon’s Skin so Soft. They are all effective. Products containing Deet are on the top of the list.

 

 

 

 

 

Categories : Blog, News & Updates

Treat For Chiggers NOW

By Wells Brothers
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022

It’s spring in Texas. The winter slumber is now over for all of Mother Nature’s critters including everyone’s favorite parasite, the CHIGGER! Also known as a red bug, berry bugs, harvest mites, scrub-itch mites, and those low life, belly crawling, pond scum sucking………. Chiggers are such an irritant that the US Army has a fact sheet on them. For us homeowners, the best defense is a good offense. Chiggers come into our environment from wildlife including birds, mammals, and reptiles. They also like an undisturbed environment. Start by disturbing their environment. Keep your lawn mowed, watered, and fertilized on a regular basis. In other words, maintain your lawn. The next step is trying to control the wildlife in the yard. This means taking down the bird feeder for a month or two.

Applying sulfur to the yard is the most common all-natural method for chigger control. Sulfur is a repellant, not a killer and because chiggers live in clusters, sulfur must be applied heavily. Light applications just spread out the problem. Powder sulfur is more effective than the granulated but does not last as long and is a mess to apply. Putting powder sulfur in a sock and dusting yourself is another method. You need to apply the sulfur everywhere you don’t want to get bit! This same methodology applies to the lawn. The rule of thumb is a 50-pound bag of granulated sulfur should cover 2,500 square feet and lasts about three weeks depending on the weather. A 50-pound bag of powder will cover about one acre and last until it gets wet.

There is another all-natural product called Yardsafe from the Cedarcide folks. This high concentration cedar oil product is in a ready-to-use quart that will cover about 2,000 square feet for the initial application. Repeat application in 7 to 10 days. This will kill the existing chiggers and will keep them out for several weeks depending on the weather.

There are also quite a few choices on the chemical side in both liquid and granulated. A good rule of thumb is to pick products with an active ingredient that ends with the suffix, “thrin”. Some of the most common are bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, and permethrin. My favorite product, lambda-cyhalothrin, is the active ingredient in Cyonara. This quart will cover about 8,000 square feet.

Prepare yourself if you venture into woods and pastures during chigger season. The aforementioned sulfur sock, Chigg Away, Tick Shield, and Cedarcide’s Original work very well. As always please read and follow all label directions.

Categories : Blog, News & Updates

Every Gardner Should Plant Herbs

By Wells Brothers
Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

Plant herbs

Every gardener should plant herbs. They will add some natural insect repellent to any veggie bed. They smell good, look great and of course, you cook with them. The wife and I have a dedicated herb bed. This bed borders part of our patio. I would like to tell you that this location was selected because of the insect repellent properties of herbs. It was really done this way so the grandkids would have easy access to playing in the herbs.

Herbs have a few issues. One of them is that some border on being invasive. Anyone that has grown mint in a bed knows what I’m talking about. The other is that some will bolt very quickly. Wikipedia says “Bolting is the premature production of a flowering stem (or stems) on agricultural and horticultural crops before the crop is harvested”. Stress from heat, amount of sunlight (day length), nutrition, and water are some of the things that will cause bolting in crops. Last year Cilantro was the first to bolt. It started early and took most of us by surprise. When herbs bolt it happens fast. The flavor can change and not always for the better.

The simple way to stop bolting is to trim the flowering stems as soon as they appear. This task can be a twice-a-day chore. All this makes bolting sound like a bad thing, right? In most cases, if you let the herb complete the bolting process you will get volunteer plants from the seeds. Basil is the best or worst at this.

Stop by Wells Brothers Pet, Lawn & Garden Supply in Plano. Our patio is full of fresh herbs, garden plants, and flowers ready to plant in your garden.

Categories : Blog, Gardens, News & Updates
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