FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Lawn

• When is the best time to water?
  The best time to water is in the early morning hours, between 4-7 am. Avoid late afternoon and night as this could promote disease conditions.
• How much water to apply?
  About 1/2″ – 3/4″ of water when the lawn shows water deficiency, 2-3 times per week during the summer and once every 10-14 days in the fall in the absence of rainfall.
• What is the correct mowing height for the lawn?
  Mowing height depends on lawn type and varieties within lawn type.

• What is the most common insect pest in my lawn?
  The major or most common insect pest you will find in your lawn depends on your lawn type and management practices. In general the major insect pest of St Augustine grass is chinch bugs; severe damage tends to occur from March through October in Southern Florida and April through September in Northern Florida. The most serious insect pest of Bahia grass is the mole cricket. There are three species of mole crickets in Florida, Twany, Southern and Short wing. Mole crickets are also a major insect pest of Bermuda grass. Several insect pests attack Centipede grass, but the hardest to control are scale insects called Ground pearls, for which there are no effective chemicals for control. The most serious insect pest of Zoysia grass is the hunting billbug.
• What is the most serious common disease to affect my lawn?
  This will depend on the lawn type and management practices. The most serious disease of Bahia grass is Dollar spot. This is expressed as spots several inches in diameter scattered areas of the turf. Bermuda grass is affected by many diseases, including Dollar Spot and Brown patch. The principal disease of Carpet grass is Brown patch. The principal disease of Centipede grass decline. Brown patch and gray leaf spot are two major disease problems of St. Augustine grass. Zoysia grass is affected by dollar spot, brown patch and rust.

Insects

• Are Ants and Termites closely related?
  No ants and termites are not closely related. Ants belong to the insect order Hymenoptera and are closely related to bees and wasps. These insects undergo complete metamorphoses, passing through the egg, larval, pupal and adult stages. Termites belong to the insect order Isopteran, having equal pairs of wings.
• Can Roaches transmit diseases to humans?
  Yes, especially species that live in contact with human feces like the American cockroach, may transmit bacteria responsible for food poisoning, such as salmonella, shigella, and viral hepatitis organisms. German cockroaches are also believed capable of trasmitting Staphyloiocus, Streptococcus, and coliform bacteria and responsible for allergy and asthma problems.
• Which is the most difficult to control in homes?
  German Roaches are the most common indoor species and most problematic to control. Because this species has the highest reproductive potential of all the common pest cockroaches.
• What’s the principal food of fleas?
  The adult fleas obtain blood by sucking on the host while the flea larva primarily feeds on dried blood from the female flea.
• What two groups of insects feed on stored woolens, furs, feathers?
  They are clothes moths and carpet beetles.