Fire ants are hard working, organized and even dangerous to some. Treating fire ants is not easy. 

Sometimes their mounds are mistaken for dirt, making them even trickier to tackle. Here is what to know and how to treat a fire ant problem.

Identifying a fire ant mound

A fire ant mound is raised and looks like a pile of aerated dirt. This is the displaced soil from the ants digging tunnels underground. 

Fire ants create amazing and expansive tunnels underground. These are for escaping should anyone or anything dare to disturb the mound. Underground tunnels contain the eggs and larvae of the colony, along with countless worker ants. 

Don’t do this when treating fire ants

When you disturb a fire ant mound, you might be shocked by the hundreds or thousands of ants that come rushing out. The agitated ants will bite and sting anyone nearby. 

Dangers of fire ants

One fire ant bite will sting a little, though it is more common to be stung multiple times by multiple fire ants. Blisters that develop afterward fire ant stings are allergic reactions, though some people develop more severe reactions. 

Areas immediately surrounding the sting may swell, burn, or itch. These stings and/or allergic reactions to the stings can be very dangerous to our children and our pets, especially if they are allergic. 

Should you DIY this?

While there are plenty of DIY fire ant “solutions” you can try, most are just chasing them around underneath your lawn. The best way to fight fire ants is with a bait system. 

A bait system does not disturb the mounds. When the mound is disturbed, fire ants get angry.

Bait systems 

With a bait system, fire ants get the bait and return to their underground system of tunnels. They then “share” the bait with the army below your lawn.

 Lawn & Pest Solutions has the technology and expertise to provide season-long fire ant control treatment for houses. 

Target the queen

Our efficient and effective treatments target the queen, not just the mound. In just two strategically timed bait applications, we typically wipe out 95% of your fire ants. 

We will visit two more times per year just to assess the effectiveness or apply more bait (if needed) at no extra charge. 

Give us a call or click here and we will send out a licensed technician for treating your fire ant issues! We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee areas with lawn and pest services. 

Is lawn aeration just an “extra” step like a wash, rinse, repeat? What is the purpose of aerating if you are already watering, mowing, and “feeding” your lawn?

Improve the health of your lawn 

If you are wondering, aeration is when holes are poked in your lawn to allow for “the good stuff” like water, nutrients and fertilizer to get down into the roots. 

Why it is needed:

• To break through thatch.
• Thatch is the layer of dead grass that compacts on your lawn over time. 
• Thatch robs your grass of necessary rain and nutrients. 
• Thatch is a thick covering that prevents the “good stuff” from getting through to the roots. 

What are your options?

People have been known to use anything from pitchforks to baseball cleats to aerate their lawns. However, those DIY techniques require a LOT of time on energy and they aren’t very effective.

Lawn aeration is an option you can add to your Lawn360 program at Lawn and Pest Solutions. You will see a noticeable improvement in your lawn over time if you add this annual service to our Lawn 360 program. 

Lawn fertilization, weed control, and aeration will make your lawn the best on the block! Contact us here to get a quote on our lawn services. We can make the Lawn and Pest Difference in your lawn today! Our trained lawn techs serve the North Mississippi and the Memphis, Tennessee areas. Look for their official Lawn and Pest vehicles and uniforms all over neighborhoods in this region.

“One Thing Leads to Another”

Cleaning gutters prevents many other issues. In 1983 an English new wave band hit the charts with “One Thing Leads to Another”. As in many other aspects of life, this is true!

But I don’t WANT to…

What if I don’t clean my gutters? This goes back to that “one thing leads to another” motto…

• If you don’t clean your gutters, they become clogged with leaves and debris.
• Clogged gutters don’t drain and they collect water.
• Collected water causes wood to decay and rot

Guess who loves rotting and decaying wood? Termites! Termites feast on rotting wood.

That’s not all.

Another catchy phrase that applies to more than the “sham wow”…

As a result of clogged gutters, washed areas form. These areas can hold water close to your foundation. This causes the soil to become saturated and water can seep under your foundation. Joining the group of water loving pests are…mosquitoes!   

It’s not a fun job, but someone’s got to do it.

Overflowing gutters can wash out mulch and flower beds near your home. These washed areas can thin out your lawn. Thin lawns give weed seeds an open area to grow and germinate. 

Termites, mosquitoes and now thin and weedy lawns, all because no one likes to clean out their gutters!

Make it a priority to clean out your gutters this summer. While we don’t offer gutter cleaning services, Lawn and Pest Services can assist you with termites, mosquitoes and weed control. 

Contact us here and we will send a licensed pest technician to give you a quote. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis area neighborhoods of Tennessee.

Whether it’s a late spring freeze or a late summer drought, there is always something “out to get” our landscape! Being proactive in the treatment of shrubs and all of our plants is important. 

Proactively treating your shrubs will help them to get strong and stay healthy. This is important with the adverse weather conditions of our Memphis, TN/North Mississippi region.

Protecting your investment

By proactively treating your shrubs with our Plant Health Care program, you will protect your investment. Watch a few #askpaul videos to clear up most of your questions and concerns.  What to expect to get from our Plant Health Care program:

• 6 visits per year from a licensed lawn technician with advanced knowledge of plant health care. 
• At each visit your plants will be fertilized.
• At each visit your plants will be monitored for insects, diseases and will be treated for what is found.
• At each visit you will receive a feedback form from the technician which tells you what he observed, what he did and what you need to know to keep up the treatment process.

This program allows a professional to examine your plants and determine what is best for them. You also get a pro who is treating and nurturing your plants to get the most out of your investment.

Are you replacing shrubs from year to year?

The money you spend on a plant health care program will eventually save you from replacing diseased or dying/dead shrubbery. An expert eye can detect a problem in your plants before it spreads to others. 

A healthy lawn and plant landscape will be strong enough to endure April freezes and August droughts. 

Let Lawn and Pest Solutions proactively treat your shrubs and lawn. Contact our office to learn more about our plant health care program. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee areas. 

Use this checklist to prepare your mower for summer:

• Lubricate all moving parts!
• How is the fuel filter? Fuel filters can’t be cleaned because they can easily be damaged, so just buy a new one.
• Get a new spark plug! These are inexpensive, no need to clean or reuse old ones.
• Replace the belt or battery if needed.
• Check your fuel! If you have left fuel in your mower for more than 30 days, go ahead and drain it and fill it with fresh fuel. 

#AskPaul 

While Lawn and Pest Solutions is not in the business of mowing lawns, we want to help you have the healthiest lawn. Having the proper equipment is very important to achieving a beautiful lawn. Getting your lawn mower ready for summer is an important step you can take at home. 

If you need more help with getting a beautiful lawn, we have a staff of professional lawn technicians. Lawn and Pest Solutions can help you, just contact us today. We serve the Memphis, Tennessee, and North Mississippi regions.

Reseeding Bermuda grass in your lawn is something to consider. Do you need it? Is it time? 

When is the best time to reseed Bermuda grass?

The best time to reseed Bermuda grass is in the spring, but established Bermuda grass lawns rarely need to be reseeded. 

Bermuda grass is the most popular choice for lawns in our Southern region. It loves full sun, thrives in our heat and is very tolerant to drought and traffic. However, Bermuda grass does have nutritional requirements and some might say “high maintenance”. If your Bermuda grass looking a little thin, reseeding might be an option.

Thin Bermuda grass?

Bermuda grass goes dormant over the winter, and as always dormant doesn’t mean dead. Dormant Bermuda grass may be brown, but it is just resting. As the temperature warms, Bermuda grass breaks dormancy and it starts producing a lot of new growth. 

How can I keep my Bermuda grass strong?

There are several things you can do as a homeowner to help your Bermuda grass get strong. 

• Aeration early in the growing season relieves the stress of compacted soil.
• Warm temperatures and a good fertility program make all the difference for Bermuda grass.

What makes a Bermuda lawn healthy?

A healthy lawn can fight off weeds, drought and disease better than a weak lawn. Here are some suggestions:

• Mow at a lower height 
• Water after mowing
• Fertilize
• Aerate
• Get rid of weeds

Get rid of weeds

Comparing a healthy lawn to a healthy body makes this easy to understand. A healthy lawn is strong, free of weeds, and gets plenty of air and water and nutrients. 

When that healthy lawn is attacked by disease, weeds, drought or insects it has a much better chance of surviving and thriving. Just like healthy bodies! 

Our Lawn 360 program puts a plan into place for your lawn to receive the proper nutrients at the correct time.

We can help.

We can help you determine if reseeding your Bermuda lawn is necessary. We provide services to fertilize, aerate, and treatments to keep weeds from emerging or returning. We can help you get your lawn into the best shape ever! 

Our Lawn and Pest Solutions Technicians serve the Memphis, Tennessee and North Mississippi areas. You can message our office 24 hours a day just by visiting our website. 

Our techs are friendly, trustworthy and dependable. Read our Google reviews to see how pleased our customers are with our services.

What is a plant health care program? A plant health care program puts an expert in your yard who can detect problems before they spread. 

A professional will examine your plants and determine what is best for them. A plant health care program will then treat and nurture your plants to get the most out of your investment.

Protecting your landscape is protecting your investment

Having a beautiful lawn requires an investment, of time, work, and money. The money you spend on a plant health care program will eventually save you from replacing diseased or dying/dead plants. 

Why spend so much on shrubs, flowering trees, and plants for your yard, and then drop the ball? That is like building a pool and never putting in chemicals or cleaning it out!

What to expect:

• At Lawn and Pest Solutions, our plant health care program includes six visits per year. 
• A licensed lawn technician with advanced knowledge of plant health care will plan and oversee your program.
• At each visit your plants will be fertilized.
• At each visit, your plants will be monitored for insects, and diseases and will be treated for what is found.
• At each visit, you will receive a written report from the technician. This report tells you what he observed, what he did to treat your plants, and what you need to know to keep up the treatment process.
• Based on your report, your plants will get a fertilizer with micro nutrients and soil beneficial, insect and disease control targeted specifically to your plants and their health at that specific time. 

How is this program different from others? 

Most programs include a pre-mixed spray that is applied to all of the plants, no matter what they need at that time. 

Why replace plants from year to year because they are unhealthy?

 A healthy lawn and plant landscape will be strong enough to endure April freezes and August droughts. Let Lawn and Pest Solutions take care of your plants and lawn.

Contact our office to learn more about our plant health care program. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee areas. 

Due to our warm winter, “summer weeds” are already starting to appear. You may have noticed many plants already budding out ahead of their normal schedule. 

Right now, dormant weed seeds in your lawn are waiting to grow. Thanks to the ways weeds have evolved, they will germinate and start growing before your grass!

Crabgrass

In Mississippi and Tennessee, crabgrass is our number one summer weed, typically germinating (right now) in mid-March. That is why it’s important to consider an application of pre-emergent now.

Pre-emergent

Pre-emergents don’t kill established plants or weeds, they prevent summer weeds from growing. Pre-emergents form the backbone of most weed control systems, but they are not the “end all be all” solution. Our Lawn360 Program at Lawn and Pest Solutions takes care of pre-emerge, post-emerge, lawn fertilization, spot-treating, and more.

Timing is everything

If you are applying a quality, professional grade pre-emergent, there is a window of opportunity. Now is to the time to apply the products to achieve the desired results.

Now is also the time to apply treatment to rid your lawn of existing “summer weeds.” Look for dandelions, onions, goosegrass, dove weed, and dallisgrass to pop up and handle them swiftly!

DIY?

Controlling weeds is a matter of timing and applying the right amount of the right treatment. Many DIY’s end up costing more money and causing more frustration. 

Your lawn and landscape is a large investment. Don’t risk damaging what you have already put so much into. 

Summer weed control is a job you can hand over to the professionals at Lawn and Pest Solutions. Give us a call at our office and we can take care of your lawn, weeds, and all. 

Our lawn technicians cover the Memphis, TN, and North Mississippi areas. You will enjoy getting to experience the Lawn and Pest Difference.

If you want to learn more about other lawn or pest control services, issues or FAQ, check out our #askpaul playlist on YouTube.