Mealybugs are here! Look on the tips, stems, and undersides of the leaves for these white insects clustered together. If they go unnoticed for a short period of time , they will produce a protective cottony barrier over their bodies to protect themselves. Many times we hear “I have a white fungus on my plants”. Insecticidal Soap or Neem Oil can be used to kill these pests. Multiple applications may be needed. Thorough coverage is a must, and I usually recommend spraying once a week for 2-3 weeks to make sure you have killed them all. If you only have a few clusters of them
at the tips of your plants you could smash them with your fingers and rinse, or cut off the affected tips and throw away the bugs in a sealed bag. Be a bug scout. Keep your eyes open and search. These pests usually last most of the summer.
-DeAnna
easier, and can save you a lot of sweat. 
Seems a little early with all the rain, but the temperatures are right on up there where they should be for May. I am seeing lots of damage to the lawns and finding chinch bugs. Areas of the lawn will look dry, especially near the sidewalk or driveway where it is the hottest. If you dig up a shovel width piece of lawn and shake it over white paper, you will see small black bugs with a white stripe across their back. The old method was to cut the bottom out of a coffee can and push it into the soil of the dry area, fill it with water and the chinch bugs would float. Try finding a metal coffee can these days! You can spray the areas with Cyonara, 
Triazicide, even Mosquito Beater Hose-end will kill chinch bugs. You do not have to spray the whole lawn, just the areas affected. The grass will quickly recover. For an organic control, use Spinosad or Diatomaceous Earth.
stay away from them until the days get longer and drier. With rain and heavy moisture in the air, they suffer from Phytophthora, an airborne fungus, and die within days. We promise we will get them in as soon as conditions permit!!
Time to treat for grub worms. Did you know, grub worms come from June bugs? Grubs are the larval stage of the brown June Beetle that flies around your porch light every Spring. If you notice a large number of these beetles, you may want to consider treating your yard with Bayer Season Long Grub Control. It works to kill grubs for approx. 3 months. Grub worms eat the roots of your grass during the early spring and summer causing the area to die. You can literally roll your lawn up like a carpet. If you have grubs each year, then it is likely you will have them again. Taking precaution now is better than waiting till late summer or early fall and seeing the damage already done. An organic solution is to spray out Beneficial Nematodes. Each sponge contains 5 million nematodes, enough to treat 2000 sq. ft. of surface area. Reapplying these nematodes monthly will help to build the population for effective control of grubs and fleas through the summer. If do not want to treat or are unsure if you have the problem, just watch your grass closely. Any areas that look dry and wilted but the rest of yard does not, it could be grubs. Dig down and look. If you find more than 4 grubs in one square foot of area, then you should treat with Bayer 24 hour. If no grubs are found, and 
Every year around this time, I think about how much my Mom has done for me. When I drive back home to visit her, I always look for her favorite flower (which of course is a weed!). Much to my Dad’s chagrin, I arrive home with a bushel full of Queen Anne’s Lace. If I could, I’d buy her enough Queen Anne’s Lace to make a whole bed of it for her, but generally nurseries don’t sell too many weeds! For Mother’s Day this year, instead of buying your Mom cut flowers, why not find out her favorite 
Water lilies are a wonderful way to add color and the coolness of water to your patio or landscape. A large pond or lake is not necessary for these floating beauties, they can be enjoyed in any container that holds water. They only need a depth of 18 inches and around 24 inches across. They come in submersible pots. Place them in at least partial sun. Water circulation is not necessary. Feed with Pond Tabs Fertilizer Tablets every month. Water lilies love heavy clay soil which we have plenty of. When your lily outgrows its pot, find a slightly larger pot, go dig up some clay dirt and mix with water, make a “mud pie”, place your lily in the new pot, pour your mud around it. It’s good to put some pebbles on top of the mud to help keep your water clean. Water gardens draw lots of fun bugs like dragonflies but also grow mosquitoes so be sure to 
throw in a mosquito dunk, ok for good bugs…death to those flying vampires! Or put in a guppie or two and they will eat ’em up. Have Fun!
Time to fertilize your lawn, trees & shrubs! Hopefully by the time you get this, the sunshine will have warmed and dried the soil enough to fertilize. Use Gill Lawn and Garden for all your trees, shrubs, vines and groun
dcovers. Also feeds the vegetable garden. Covers 6000 sq. ft. per bag.
For weed control in your lawn, use Weed B Gon for St. Augustine. We have a new formulation that is safe to use on Floratam St. Augustine Grass. Treats up to 2500 sq. ft. and comes in a ready to spray hose-end bottle. Image will kill some broadleaf weeds (dollarweed) as well as a few grassy weeds (grassburrs) without hurting your St. Augustine. Another new product we have is Topshot. It also kills all broadleaf weeds in the lawn and comes in a package with 2 ampules which cover 5000 sq. ft. Simply add 1 ampule with water in either a pump sprayer or Dial n Spray to cover 2500 sq. ft.. For best results apply weed killers when weather is warm (not hot) and sunny for 3-4 days. Do not use in flowerbeds for weed control (except Image), only as a lawn application.
your clothes will always smell great!
