January / February / March 2013

Preparing Your Lawn for the Winter A Few Tips to Help Your Lawn Weather the Cold

anced delivery all year-round.

Water Properly

Over-watering can increase the

damage caused by a freeze or

severe frost, but not watering

at all can present problems

as well. Your irrigation

schedule should be adjust-

ed in response to rainfall

and temperature, but un-

til the temperature

reaches 45°, water

should still be applied

to keep your lawn from

drying up. Refer to

the ‘Recommended

Watering Schedule’

on the next page to

help determine

when and how much to water dur-

ing cool months.

Remember, Deans’ AquaCheck irri-

gation maintenance program pro-

vides year-round monitoring to en-

sure that your system is applying

just the right amount of water at

just the right time.

Reduce Shade

Because shade prevents the sun

from warming the soil, grass in

these areas stays colder longer.

Extreme shade also slows the turf’s

production of carbohydrates which

are needed to tolerate cold. Reduce

this risk by trimming trees or

bushes in excessively shady areas.

In the Event of a Freeze/Frost

Even with all the aforementioned

preparations, a frost or hard freeze

can still damage your turf. In the

(Continued on page 2)

Keeping You in the Know!

While Florida may not have the

brutal winters of our northern

neighbors, our grass may still

need a little more attention

as the cool season approach-

es. This is because, like so

many Floridians, warm-

season grass simply isn’t

used to the bitter cold.

Most grasses of the south,

such as Zoysia and St.

Augustine will sustain

some discoloration at the

onset of cooler tempera-

tures. Though not as at-

tractive as their usual

shade of green, this

is a natural defense

against the cold and

occurs in anticipation of a recovery

in spring. However, in some cases,

when the freeze is too severe, or

when proper precautions haven’t

been taken to prepare the lawn,

low temperatures can lead to last-

ing damage. Consider the following

tips so you can look forward to a

green, healthy lawn come spring

time.

Fertilize Appropriately

Fertilization is important for a

plush and healthy lawn, but the

wrong mix at the wrong time could

lead to more harm than good. This

is because ill-timed fertilization

efforts (especially applications rich

in Nitrogen) lead to new growth—

which is particularly susceptible to

low temperatures. Deans’ lawn fer-

tilization program is tailored to the

environmental conditions in your

area so that your lawn gets a bal-

Winterize Your Lawn! Prepare Your Lawn for The Cool Months Ahead

Pg 1

Return of the “Spidernaut” Spiders in Space

Pg 2

Customer Questions “Will Power-Washing Remove My Pest Barrier?”

Pg 3

Rodent Proofing A Few Quick Tips to Keeping Invaders at Bay

Pg 4

Winter Pests How Deans Services’ GHP Program Can Help.

Pg 4

Deans Uses Termite-Detecting K9s. Why Trust Your Home to Anything Less?

Volume 3, Issue 1

January / February / March 2013

Preparing Your Lawn for the Winter (Continued from page 1)

After a space voyage of almost 42 million miles, Nefertiti the “Jumping Johnson” spider landed at the Smithson-ian’s Insect Zoo at the National Museum of Natural His-tory last week. The spidernaut was sent to the international space station as a student project in June and later splashed down in the Pacific aboard a SpaceXDragon capsule. During her 100-day mission, the spider adapted to weightlessness and learned to snag fruit flies with an un-orthodox method. Instead of leaping onto her quarry, as jumping spiders do on Earth, Neffi “sidled up to the fruit flies,” said Dan Babbit, manager of the O. Orkin Insect Zoo.

Amr Mohamed, an 18-year-old from Alexandria, Egypt, proposed sending two jumping spiders to space for a YouTube-sponsored contest. His experiment was one of two chosen by a panel of all-star scientists, including as-trophysicist Stephen Hawking. In Mohamed’s video pro-posal, he said he thought that jumping spiders would founder in space. “I suggest it will jump toward prey but not get it,” he said.

Once aboard the station in a shoebox-size habitat, Nefer-titi awaited a meal. NASA astronaut and station com-mander Sunita Williams released fruit flies into the spi-der chamber.

“My gosh, I saw her stalking a fruit fly,” Williams said during a September broadcast from 200 miles above the Earth. “She was going real close. All of a sudden, she

Space Spider Landed in Smithsonian after Journey on Space Station By Brian Vastag, The Washington Post

jumped right on her. It was amazing. I think the spi-der has absolutely adapted to space.”

Back in the grip of Earth’s gravity, though, Neffi ini-tially had trouble catching food. “She overshot when trying to leap,” said Babbit.

After splashing down and being transferred to a labor-

atory in Colorado, Nefertiti needed one last ride. The

company that built her habitat, chose the Smithson-

ian’s Insect Zoo as her retirement home. “This spider

has traveled 41.5 million miles”, noted museum Direc-

tor Kirk Johnson, “Splashed down in the Pacific

Ocean. Flew to Japan, flew from California. This is a

special spider.”

event of a frost (that is, when it’s just cold enough

for ice crystals to form on the surface of your

lawn…but not quite cold enough to freeze) be sure

to run your irrigation immediately to rinse away

this layer of frost and prevent damage to the

grass blade. About 5 minutes per zone should suf-

fice.

If a freeze occurs, your action is simple: Don’t wa-

ter. Watering in freezing conditions will only in-

tensify any damage to your grass. By having

properly prepared your grass for this weather,

your turf should shed any dead tissue and re-

bound nicely in the spring.

Generally, January and February are the coldest

months here in central Florida, however, cold

fronts have been known to come in as late as

April, so keep these tips in mind and keep an

eye on the forecast. As always, if you have any

questions about your lawn or would like more

information on our fertilization program, call

us at (352) 787-5300.

Nefertiti, the “Spidernaut” adapts to hunting in space.

January / February / March 2013

Because our product is formulated to withstand normal weather-ing, this type of high-pressure application will indeed weaken your pest control barrier—if not remove it all together. This is especially the case when harsh chemicals are used as cleaning agents. This, of course, presents a concern to any of our customers who have their home power-washed routinely.

Scheduling is the key to avoiding such deterioration. Because your

pest control treatments are scheduled to be applied along with others in your neighborhood, be sure to arrange for your power-washing to be per-formed just prior to your area’s pest control application date. Once washed, we’ll apply a fresh barrier to protect your home. If you’re unsure as to when you’ll be treated next, you can call the office for service details.

It should be noted that, unlike the GHP (General Household Pest)

barrier—which is applied to the foundation, eaves, and entry points—our termite renewals will not be affected by such cleaning agents due to their soil binding properties, so no special arrangements are necessary.

If you have any questions with regard to your next scheduled application (most are performed quarterly) you’re

welcome to call our office at (352) 787-5300 for assistance in coordinating your next cleaning. By doing so, you’ll be sure to receive the most effective application possible! —Joe Tomasiello; Technical Director

Got a Question? We’ve Got an Answer!

Submit your question at deansservices.com/contact

“Will Power-Washing Remove My Pest Control Barrier?”

Deans Drawing Update!

If you haven’t yet entered our drawing to win $50 off your next Termite, GHP or Irrigation service, you

still have until January 7th to tell us why you haven’t yet chosen Deans’ lawn fertilization program.

We’ll randomly select and announce the winner in our next newsletter!

E X P I R E S 0 1 0 7 1 3 VP Marketing

Pressure washing just prior to our pest control

application will ensure that our barrier remains

uncompromised until your next treatment.

____ Unaware Deans offered this service ____ Under contract with another company ____ No interest in lawn fertilization ____ Content with current company ____ Other: ___________________________________

Name: _______________________________________ Account Number: ______________________________ Drawing will take place on or about January 7, 2013. Winner will be drawn at random from all entries received by January 7, 2013 at 12:01 am. Multiple and/or incomplete entries will not be entered into drawing. Current lawn customers ineligible for prize. Prize not redeemable for cash and non-refundable with service cancellation. Odds of winning depend upon number of entries received. No additional purchase necessary.

January / February / March 2013

E ven given the mildness of central

Florida winters, pest activity general-

ly decreases toward the end of each

year as most animals seek a cozy

spot to overwinter until springtime. But some

pests are more likely to be seen during the

cooler months. One of the more notorious of

these wintertime invaders is the rodent.

There are three main types of rodents: Roof

rat, Norway Rat, and the House Mouse; all

three of which continue their search for food

and shelter all year-round. During this

search, they’re attracted to warmth which

occasionally leads them into homes. Once

inside, they can spread disease, contaminate

food, damage items in storage, and even start

fires by chewing on electrical wires.

Let’s take a look at some of the most com-

mon entry points for rodents, and how you

can help reduce their access.

Door Thresholds

Stand inside your garage with the lights out.

If you see light coming under the seal, meas-

ure the area. A 1-lb rat can squeeze into a ½”

hole. A house mouse can fit into a hole only

¼” in diameter! If the gap is too large, replace

your door seal immediately.

Vents

Chimneys, dryers, exhaust fans, and

crawlspaces all have vents that allow air to escape. Be sure that these are protected by

an appropriately-sized metal mesh material,

and be sure it’s secured year round.

Exterior Utility Lines

Utility lines entering your home are some-times run with plenty of room to spare. Patch

any such holes with the appropriate medium

to keep rodents from taking advantage of this

opportunity for easy access (steel wool works

well until a permanent fix can be made).

Eaves As proficient climbers, the appropriately-

Rodents Rodents are able to enter homes through the smallest

of gaps in search of a warm nesting site. Once inside,

their gnawing can cause extensive property damage.

Fortunately, if you have Deans’ GHP program, rodent

eradication is included at no additional charge!

Ladybugs When cooler weather comes, ladybugs can follow the

warmth inside where they accumulate in large num-

bers. Fortunately, Deans is often able to use one of

our many non-chemical approaches to remove or

relocate these beneficial beetles.

Cluster Flies Named for their habit of entering homes and cluster-

ing together on walls and windows, hordes of cluster

flies can enter a home when the temperature drops to

seek shelter from the cold weather. Fortunately,

Deans can evict these seasonal visitors.

Bed Bugs As an exclusively indoor pest, weather doesn’t affect

bed bugs. However, as holiday travel increases, so do

the cases of infestation as these tiny hitchhikers are

brought home from hotel rooms, dorms, luggage stor-

age areas, etc.

Boxelder Bugs Boxelder bugs seek shelter from the cold by entering

wall voids through cracks in the home. Once inside

the walls, heat from your home will draw them into

interior rooms. Protect your home from these winter

invaders with Deans’ General Home Pest Program.

named roof rat can make it up a tree and into a dam-

aged eave without breaking stride. Inspect your

home’s roof and have any damaged areas repaired.

Also, trim back any nearby tree branches to reduce this arboreal rodent’s access.

A brief inspection can go a long way, but if you

should ever hear a strange scratching in the night,

don’t worry...Deans’ General Home Pest program includes rodent eradication at no extra charge. If

you don’t have our GHP service yet, call us at (352)

787-5300 for more details.