Termite-Detecting Canines A Termite’s Worst Enemy

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Swarming Cicadas A Cacophony 13 Years In the Making

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Selecting Healthy Ornamentals Selecting the Shrubbery And Laying Out the Landscape

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Customer Questions “Can Your Products Damage My Trees and Shrubs?”

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Ornamental Diseases 101 5 Top Offenders

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July / August / September 2011 Volume 1, Issue 3

Ty Jones; President

Ever since canines began their course towards domestication, human-kind has found great benefit in the em-ployment of dogs in everyday life.

From their early roles as guard ani-mals and beasts of bur-den, canines have devel-oped an increasingly important role in the lives of humans as hunt-ers, herders, search-and-rescue dogs, police K9s, contraband interceptors, special-needs compan-ions, and—in more re-cent times—even can-cer-detectors. It’s no surprise then, that those on the progressive edge of the pest con-trol industry have adopted canines as an important tool in the detection of termite activity. Because termites emit a scented pheromone, dogs can be trained to de-

tect and alert at the location of live activ-ity, similar to the way contraband intercep-tors are trained to detect bombs and narcot-ics.

Why Use Dogs?

Because termites typi-cally remain hidden from view for the majority of their lives, human inspection alone may at times prove ineffective. With a termite-detecting canine on the case, there’s no longer any place to hide. Such an effective inspection tool allows for early detection, which means

quicker control and less potential for serious damage.

Although several breeds of dog can be used, Beagles are often chosen for this task due to their keen sense of smell and reputable work ethic. Indeed, that is the breed we chose here at Deans for our

NPMA Inc. via BusinessWire.com

Southeastern U.S. Braces as Swarms of Cicadas Reemerge

Residents in 11 southeastern U.S. states are dealing with an unpleasant natural phenomenon that has not occurred since 1998. Periodical cicadas – large, loud insects that are often confused with locusts – are resurfacing en masse after having spent the last 13 years underground. The insects will remain above ground for about a month to reproduce, before laying their eggs and dying. Their offspring will not be seen above ground again until 2024.

These cicadas are easily identifiable by their striking black bodies, red eyes and red wing veins. They are known for the loud “buzzing” noise that males make to attract female mates. Each female cicada can lay between 400 and 600 eggs, meaning populations can be enormous. The National Pest Management Association notes that this year’s large cicada population, known as ‘Brood XIX,’ could mean that some areas will see as many as 1.5 million individual cicadas per acre.

“The good news is that cicadas are considered a nuisance pest and do not pose any threats to humans or

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Keeping you in the Know!

Termite-Detecting K9s Man’s Best Friend Can Be a Termite’s Worst Enemy

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July / August / September 2011

Termite-Detecting K9s (Continued from page 1)

property,” says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the NPMA. “However, cicadas do attract a species of wasp known as cicada killers. These wasps, which resemble extremely large yel-lowjackets, are the natural predators of cicadas and can sting humans if handled or stepped on.”

Although there are more than 3,000 species of cicadas found around the world, the eastern U.S. is home to this unique species, called periodicals. Periodical cicadas emerge from underground in 13- or 17-year cycles. The 17-year cicadas last ap-

Southeastern U.S. Braces as Swarms of Cicadas Reemerge (Continued from page 1)

peared in 2004, although they typically surface in northern states like Virginia, Maryland, Pennsyl-vania and Ohio. This year’s 13-year cicadas can be found in the southern states of Tennessee, Mis-souri, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

For more information on cicadas and cicada killer wasps, or health and property-threatening pests such as termites, ants, mosquitoes, ticks, cockroaches, stinging insects and rodents, visit Pestworld.org.

two termite detecting canines, Dom and Eve. Of course, these aren’t just any Beagles. Before beginning

employment with Deans Services, Dom and Eve underwent exten-sive training at J&K Canine Academy in North Florida. In addition, each year the dogs receive certification as to their effectiveness from the University of Florida to verify their continued accuracy. Canines are just one part of Deans’ industry-leading ter-mite protection program, which includes a $1,000,000 Lifetime Warranty, Formosan protection, and annual supplemental treat-ments. So if you’d like the most effective and affordable protection available, call Deans Services and let us put our dogs to work for you!

Get a Free Estimate and a Fresh Look

(352) 253-0224

Is Your Home’s Paint Fading?

July / August / September 2011

“Can Your Product Damage My Trees and Shrubs?

Selecting Healthy Ornamentals A Few Tips for Picking the Best Shrubs for Your Home

Ornamental shrubs are an important part of the home landscape, but homeowners and landscape designers must be aware of basic shrub characteristics to make wise selections. Each plant or plant group must serve a useful purpose to achieve a well-designed landscape.

Homeowners often select plants with bright flowers or unusual foliage. Only a limited number of unusual or accent plants can be used effectively in the landscape and their location must be skillfully planned. A complete landscape plan should be developed before the plants are purchased. Shrubs are selected on the basis of ultimate size, plant form, foliage characteristics, flower color, season of bloom, and adaptation to the planting site.

Shrub growth habit is quite variable and can be catego-rized as broad spreading, spreading, globose, upright spreading, upright or columnar. Flowering shrubs can be selected to pro-vide color in specific areas of the landscape at different times throughout the year.

Shrubs are evaluated by their adaptability to the envi-ronmental conditions of the landscape site. Environmental con-ditions include the amount of sunlight (full sun, partial shade, or shade) and tolerance to salt spray, particularly in coastal areas.

Soil characteristics of the site may restrict shrub selec-

tion and some shrubs will only thrive if the sites are irrigated and fertilized regularly. Some shrubs tolerate poorly drained soils while others grow best in dry sandy soils.

Plants should be inspected closely before purchase. Shrubs with an unhealthy appearance or with weak or poorly formed branches should not be purchased because they usually develop into "leggy” plants.

Each plant should be examined for insects, diseases, and mechanical damage such as scarred, cracked, or peeling trunks and branches. Abnormally small or yellow leaves are an indication of either nutritional disorders, weak root systems, or some improper production or shipping procedures. The root systems of container-grown plants should be well established, but not tightly root-bound. Roots should be distributed throughout the soil medium and not coiled at the bottom of the

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Our customers are full of questions. Fortunately, we have the answers. Submit your questions via email at deansservices.com!

It’s true that some household chemicals are ‘phytotoxic’, or, harmful to plants (bleach springs to mind due to its common use in home pressure-washing services). How-ever, you can rest assured that no such products are employed by Deans as a means of re-sidual maintenance on your home’s exterior.

By choosing products manufactured by reputable companies such as Bayer, BASF and DuPont, Deans ensures that all of our products used on a regular basis have been care-fully formulated for application near plants commonly found around the home. In fact, most of our products are labeled specifically for direct application to such plants.

It’s worth adding that although we do have access to chemicals that—if misap-plied—could damage foliage, such products are used only for rare instances such as bee or wasp infestations, and in such cases, care is taken to avoid overspray onto surrounding plants wherever possible.

The truth is, disease, nematodes, drought, nutritional disorders and other environ-mental factors are the most common causes of ornamental discoloration or defoliation. To help determine the cause of any such symptoms, always be sure to save a sample of the affected plant. We’ve also included a list of some of the more common ornamental problems encountered here in Florida (See page 4).—Joe T; Technical Director

Our products have been specially formulated for direct application to trees and shrubs around the home.

D.L. Ingram, J.T. Midcap, and W.E. Barrick — UF IFAS Extension

July / August / September 2011

pot or protruding outside the container or penetrating into the ground. The soil ball of balled and burlapped (B&B) plants should be intact and moist. By following these guidelines, you can be sure to get the longest life, and healthiest appearance out of your new ornamentals! For a downloadable PDF article featuring the growth habits, flower color, and tolerance level of the most common Florida shrubs, visit the Uni-versity of Florida online at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep033.

Selecting Healthy Ornamentals (continued from page 3)

Sod, Plugging & Irrigation Repair

Sunscald Sunscald is the result of the root system being

unable to absorb enough water to maintain plant

turgidity. Occurring most often after periods of rapid

growth, sunscald usually affects the tender succu-

lent leaves exposed to the sun.

Iron Deficiency Plants with root disease or those growing in alka-

line soil may exhibit Iron deficiency symptoms. In

severe cases, new leaves may emerge reduced in

size and nearly white in color, often with necrotic

spotting.

Leaf Spots Most leaf spot diseases are caused by fungi that

over-winter in fallen leaves. They produce micro-

scopic spores which spread to new leaves by wind

and rain, causing necrosis and possible defoliation.

Magnesium Deficiency Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is very common in

Floridian flora. Because Mg is a key component of

chlorophyll (the green pigment needed for photo-

synthesis), it’s absence results in yellowing foliage.

Sooty Mold Shown here on a Hibiscus leaf, this fungus obtains

its nourishment from insect honeydew. On leaves,

this coat of mold screens out light and reduces the

plant's capacity to produce food.

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

Phone: (352) 787-5300 Toll Free: 1-877-588-4948 Fax: 352-787-5855 Editor: Joe Tomasiello Contributors: Ty Jones, Joe Tomasiello, NPMA, W.E. Barrick, D.L. Ingram, and J.T. Midcap,

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