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Yellow Starthistle
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Ranchers and landowners in California readily recognize this noxious, foreign invader as a painful nuisance and Equestrians recognize it as a threat to their horses. If eaten in large quantities it can inflict a serious nervous disease in equines called Chewing Disease. At the onset of symptoms the disease is 100 percent fatal. Do not allow horses to graze in pastures or on rangeland containing Yellow Starthistle! No livestock species other than horses are affected by this tragic malady.
Yellow, Starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis, was introduced into the US sometime in the 1800's. Since that time it has spread all across the drier climates of the western states. A native of Eurasia, this tenacious and aggressive weed thrives in dry conditions preferring bare soil, waste areas, over-grazed rangeland and roadsides. Germination of the seeds occurs in fall and winter, flowering is from July to August. Two types of seeds are produced: The plumed seeds are spread by the wind and the non-plumed seeds drop close to the parent plant. Toward the end of the summer the rangy, blue gray to silvery gray skeletons are clearly visible.
Prevention of Yellow Starthistle can be accomplished by removing young plants with frequent cultivation and good grazing management. Chemical control is best accomplished when the plants are young and in the rosette stage. Established infestations usually require two years of treatment to accomplish effective control. |
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BROADLEAF
WEED CONTROL IN TURFArticle Headline 
Spring is the season when broadleaf weeds begin to grow at an accelerated rate, competing with desireable turf grasses for water, nutrients and sunlight. If left unchecked they will continue to grow, multiply and overtake the lawn, resulting in an unsightly quality of turf, which will guarantee that you and your lawn will become, "the talk of the neighborhood." Yikes!
Be sure that the personnel caring for your turf follows these practices because the most effective broadleaf weed control begins with prevention, in the form of good turf management practices. | |
Proper Lawn Mowing
Practices
 Headline
Be sure that your landscape professional is following these five steps to help ensure a healthy lawn that is attractive to customers and/or tenants:
1. Make sure your mower blade is sharp. This ensures a clean cut minimizing moisture loss.
2. Mow in the afternoon, when the lawn is dry to avoid tearing the leaf blade. Torn leaf blades are more susceptible to fungal infections. The shredded area also turns brown, giving your lawn an unhealthy appearance. 3. Most of the newer turf types used in California do best at 1 ½ -2 inches in height. At this height, the turf will shade the soil and discourage germination of broadleaf and grassy weeds and aids in water conservation by lowering soil temperatures and reducing evaporation. 4. Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade in any one mowing to avoid stressing your lawn out. If you need to remove more than 1/3 it should be done in steps. Start by raising your mower height one or two notches for the first mowing, then wait 3 days, lower the height back down and mow again.
5. Alternate your mowing direction and pattern to avoid wearing ruts in the turf. These five simple steps will go a long way to assist you in maintaining a beautiful lawn that you'll be proud of. |
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Kiss Your Yellow Starthistle Goodbye!
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS!
FOR BEST RESULTS THE TIME TO SPRAY IS NOW
Our treatment, when applied in the rainy season at the rosette stage can provide 95-100% control of yellow starthistle in the season of application. Control from treatments applied at bud stage average 50-98%. Plants not completely controlled do not flower or produce seeds. Bud stage applications can provide excellent control 1 year after treatment. Control of yellow starthistle is optimal when application is made at rosette stages.
IN CALIFORNIAFOR BEST RESULTS THE TIME TO SPRAY I S NOW!
SCHEDULE YOUR TREATMENT TODAY AND KISS YOUR STARTHISTLE GOODBYE! |
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Greetings!
In this issue we repeat some of the articles from last Spring because they are recurring and sometimes major concerns for our commercial clients. We have also added some new subjects of interest to our customers. Be sure to read the piece on the little understood Brown Recluse spider.
Folks who like to do their own pest control can now shop at our Online DIY Store and have professional grade products shipped directly to their homes or businesses in all of the Contiguous 48 Lower States.
If you enjoy our newsletter please take time to and recomend that they subscribe to receive their own copy each and every quarter.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at Pest Control Center, Inc.
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Diagnosed With a Brown Recluse Spider Bite? Get a Second Opinion
 | | Photo by: Eddie McGriff, University of Georgia |
The Brown Recluse Spider, Loxoxceles reclusa; Just the name of it makes people shudder. The mere thought of being bitten by one can make your heart race, and for good reason. This spider's venom has the potential for a type of severe tissue damage that is progressive and slow to heal.
According to sources at the Centers for Disease Control there are roughly 10,000 spider bites reported each year and approximately 2,000 of those are from Brown Recluse spiders. There are some problems with these statistics.
- The Brown Recluse Spider only occurs in two regions of the United States, the Central (or Deep) South, the Midwest and a few other, small localized areas. The species simply does not exist in most of the country. For California residents, the diagnosis of a recluse bite in our state has a very high probability of being a misdiagnosis, since the spider does not naturally occur here. The only exception might be one where a recluse was contained in a shipment coming from its native range. This would be a rare occurrence. Note: There are some brown, fiddle-back spiders that are native to California which mimic its appearance.
- The species is called the Brown Recluse for a reason. It is very shy, preferring to hide in dark, undisturbed areas of homes and buildings or outdoors under rocks or other debris.
- They prefer to escape when threatened and only bite if handled, pinched or squished.
- Most bites from this spider heal quickly. A small percentage of bites results in massive tissue necrosis.
- There are bacteria that can cause similar necrotic damage if they enter even a slight wound. Spider bites cannot be diagnosed by simply looking at the damage. For a positive diagnosis of a brown recluse bite the spider must be captured and positively identified as a Brown Recluse, by a trained professional.
So, if you've been diagnosed with a Brown Recluse bite, be sure to get a second opinion and have a pest professional inspect the location where you think you encountered the spider. Perhaps he or she can collect and identify it.
 | | Brown Recluse Damage, CDC Photo |
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IT'S TERMITE SWARM SEASON.
Of all the wood-destroying organisms that pest control professionals deal with, termites are infamous. These insects are responsible for millions of dollars in damage to commercial and residential structures in Northern California. Populations of termite colonies are comprised of the queen, workers and soldiers. All are female. In Spring a mature colony will produce winged reproductives of both sexes. This is the only time of year when males are present. There are two termite species that infest structures in our region: Dry Wood and Subterranean. Of the two, the subterranean species causes the most damage to structures. Spring and Fall are the seasons when these insects are noticed more readily, as the winged reproductive forms, called alates (sometimes confused with "flying ants") emerge from mud tubes created by mature colonies. This emergence usually happens in the early evening just prior to dusk. The reproductives fly and mate. After mating, the males die and the females become the queens of their own, new colonies.
To remain ahead of the game, every building with wood components should be inspected at five-year intervals and older buildings or buildings with crawl spaces underneath should be inspected every 3-4 years. If you think you have seen the mud tubes or termite reproductives swarming and suspect that your multifamily building or business may have a termite infestation don't guess and don't wait. Call Pest Control Center, Inc. and schedule an inspection by one of our licensed technicians at one of the numbers, shown at the top of this page, before further damage occurs.
For more information on termites go to:
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Got Springtails? You May Have a Moisture Problem
 | | Photo by: Susan Ellis, Maryland, USA |
Occasionally we get a call from a frantic customer, complaining of a huge mass of tiny hopping creatures either on the ground near their home or indoors in a bathroom, kitchen or garage. When our technicians arrive they quickly identify them as Springtails. Springtailsare creatures of the order Collembola. They are tiny (up to 1/8 inch long) nuisance pests. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes. Springtails have six legs, and antennae with 4-6 segments. They occasionally appear in large numbers, usually following cool, rainy weather. They prefer the moist, outdoor conditions, living in areas with damp leaf litter and other decaying organics. Because they do not possess a waxy cuticle on their exoskeletons, they will dehydrate and die indoors unless there is an area with an ongoing moisture issue in a particular area of a structure. They are largely beneficial organisms that feed on fungi and decaying plant material. Springtails do not bite. Their only defense is to hop when disturbed by using a spring-like abdominal appendage called a furcula. The furcula is normally folded up beneath the abdomen.
Control of springtails is usually a matter of clearing up the existing moisture problem, whether indoors or out. Pesticides are generally unnecessary. |
ATTENTION DO-IT-YOURSELFERS.
OUR ONLINE STORE IS OPEN!
link for our latest updates regarding the store's opening. If you prefer to do your own pest control you can purchase professional grade products and have the convenience of online ordering and home delivery, to any location in the Lower 48 Contiguous States. (Some restrictions may apply.)
Just go online and Visit www.pestcontrolcenter.com/store
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We Humans Aren't The Only Creatures Affected By Spring!
