Are you in charge of maintaining athletic fields? If you’re looking for a two or three week head start on getting your fields ready for spring — consider a proven IPM practice: dormant overseeding. (Farmers, this can work for cool-season grains and forage crops. And homeowners — here’s a trick from the pros that you…Continue Reading Snow, Frost a Big Help for Head Start on Quality Turf — or Crops
Check It Out: Our School ABC IPM Blog
Enjoying our ThinkIPM blog? Truck on over to our School ABCs blog — you’ll find plenty of good stuff there, too. Sure, it’s aimed mainly at school staff — but who doesn’t care about our schools? Seek no further: The ABCs of School and Childcare Pest Management Brought to you by the New York State…Continue Reading Check It Out: Our School ABC IPM Blog
The Difference Between Voles and Moles
Is it mole? A vole? These small mammals are often confused with each other, probably because they’re both associated with tunnels. But they’re really quite different and, depending on the circumstance, could be a pest — or not. Since the first step in IPM is to identify your problem, let’s shed light on these two…Continue Reading The Difference Between Voles and Moles
IPM for Dead Grass SOS
Grub damage is showing up in New York later this year than usual, so don’t let your guard down just because it’s October. Still, how do you know if it’s grubs — or something else? One test: if you can loosen the sod with a trowel or garden fork, then peel it up like a…Continue Reading IPM for Dead Grass SOS
Punching Out Grubs
Cutting grass roots to the quick — that’s a grub’s stock in trade. But pesticides cost money and time — let alone potential health hazards, whether to ecosystems or us. Cutting grubs to the quick? Now, there’s an idea. Groundskeepers and savvy homeowners use aerators with their sharp tines to break up hard, compacted soil,…Continue Reading Punching Out Grubs
Why Is This Grass Weak?
Let me count the ways. First, a little perspective – this is the front lawn of a school that was just renovated. There was little money to invest in the lawn and even less to help the struggling lawn. Problem #1: Compaction This area was the staging area for the equipment and material storage during…Continue Reading Why Is This Grass Weak?