Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design?

Article by: Linda J Bruton

Do pests , The Perfect Beginner Perennial Flower 'gopher' your lawn? Chances are, if you have a lawn, , Tips for Garden Decoration you risk the chance of having pests, , US Flags such as the gopher and his cousin the mole. And, perhaps even those pesky six-legged creatures- ants and other insects- call , How to Grow Strawberries your grass , How to Grow Strawberries patches home. , 5 Fengshui Ways to Increase Curb Appeal Why are these animals and insects attracted to your lawn? And, what can you do to stop them from burrowing and nesting? Those answers and more will follow in this article.

Most household lawns , Manage Algae are not large enough to attract so many pests , Whack 'Em Back - Getting More Flowers by Pruning that a serious problem will result, but nonetheless, they can be a nuisance and cause some minor damage to your grassy nook. Insects are not very easy to spot, as some are so small they are naked to the eye, however, they can be identified by dead, brown patches of grass. , Growing a Sustainable Garden! Telltale signs of moles and gophers are a little more obvious- dirt hills on the top of your lawn, , Flowers, An Annual Event and beneath them, tunnels and holes. Once you identify that you have pests, , The Perfect Beginner Perennial Flower you then need to decide the best way for you to take care of the problem.

The first option is to call , African Violet Care an expert. Use your local , Growing a Sustainable Garden! directory or a referral from someone you know that had a similar problem. But if you are like most people today, you may want to do it yourself. , How Bat Houses Can Improve Your Backyard Experience And, if you are a DIYer, the first thing you need to do is size up your situation, and what you are up against. Let's look at insects first.

When dealing with insects, the first thing you must realize is that not all insects are bad guys. Sure, we probably would swat at them all, but in reality, some insects can actually act as exterminators against others. Other insects can actually help control your thatch level. There are two types of insects when it comes to the ones who invade your lawn: above and below ground insects. Above ground insects usually feed on your grass, , Take Another Look at Those Wild Surreptitious Weeds and can be seen fairly easy. Some examples of these can be chinch bugs, green , Easy Working With Cordless Lawn Mowers bugs and armyworms.

The below ground insects are just that, they feed on your lawn , Tips for Garden Decoration through the root , Some Favorite Garden Bulbs system, which means they are the most destructive of the two. They are also the most difficult to identify since they are not easily seen. These can include grubs, beetle larvae and billbugs. There are literally thousands of species of insects, far too many to list here. You could borrow a book on insects from your local , Flowers, An Annual Event library, or check out some entomology websites to learn more about what roles and functions they have. After all, you don't want to kill off any allies!

There are five basic types of treatment for anthills and other insects: chemical insecticides, biological insecticides, botanical insecticides, insecticide soaps and predatory insects (remember- some are your friend!). There may also be specific types for specific insects. Weigh each option and choose which one fits your needs the best.

Moles and gophers are two of the most common animal pests, , How to Naturally Dry Hydrangeas and due to striking similarities they are often confused. Both animals build tunnels under your lawns, , Abatement Challenges of Non-Native Noxious Weeds but that does not mean they are the same. These two have many things that set them apart from one another. Moles are smaller than gophers, and have pointed snouts and large front claws. They do not feed on your lawn, , mower Maintenance Tips That Help Produce The Best Lawns but the insects that dwell within. Sounds like they are helping you with the insects? Maybe, but the moles' tunnels leave mounds of dirt on the ground above, and their shallow tunnels cause uneven ground.

Gophers, the largest of the pesky pair, have buckteeth and small ears. These creatures love to dine on your grass , Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives and plant , Patio Design - Add Awnings As A Colorful Finish For Your Patio Design roots. Gophers also leave mounds of dirt, but they do far more damage underground, causing sinkholes. While your green , The Basic Steps to Bamboo Gardening may not encompass as many acres of the turf in the movie Caddyshack, they can cause just as much recurring trouble. Getting rids of gophers and moles leads to one grand solution- killing them. There are also more conventional methods, such as traps.

The best way to deal with pests , Waterfalls though is to perhaps not have them at all. This can be achieved by taking preventative measures in your lawn. , Plants - Your New Roommate But of course, nature , Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives has a mind of its own!

For hundreds of other tips , The Basics Of How to Plant Container Gardens for creating your own perfect lawn, , Take Another Look at Those Wild Surreptitious Weeds be sure to visit: http://www.YourPerfectLawn.com

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Hills and Holes: Not Part of Your Landscaping Design?

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