Things to Do in September

Do not think that you have won the war on crickets and grasshoppers just yet. The first genstars or the adults may have died but you will see or hear some younger generations soon. Use Nolo Bait now to get a jump on this young generation.

Lawns

September is one of the best months of the entire year, for seeding or sodding new lawns. It is also a good time to overseed an old lawn to help fill-in the bare spots and crowd out weeds. If you are not going to overseed with Fescue, rye, vetch, clover or any other seed now is the time to use Corn Gluten Meal (CGM) as a pre-emergent for control of Dales Grass, Johnson Grass, Crab Grass and others. CGM also works as a fertilizer. with a 9-1-1 ratio.

If you do not use CGM fertilize the lawn with Green Sense Fertilizers (did you notice how I slipped a Green Sense product in) to help feed roots through winter.

Fall Color

After the long hot summer, you can now start thinking about flowers or fall blooming perennials. You may want to add some color to the garden such as geraniums, pansies, flowering kale and cabbage, fall mums, snapdragons, or petunias. Wildflowers can be started from seed this month. Simply scatter the seeds in a row, or in open beds. You can enjoy their beauty next spring and summer.

Then collect the seed from your favorites and save to sow in next year's garden.

Fall Vegetables

We just received a large assortment of fall veggies such as spinach, broccoli, and cabbage.

Slugs and Bugs

Slugs are now laying their fall batch of eggs, so be on the look-out for slug eggs. They are usually in clusters of up to fifty eggs. Each egg is about the size of a bb. They usually appear almost translucent in color, and are usually found along the edge of the lawn, or under sticks and stones. Try spraying with Ultra Fine Horticultural Oil.

Planting

Fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Fall planting encourages good root development and gives the plants a chance to get established before the spring growing season, next year. By starting early, the roots can spread quickly and avoid winter freeze damage. Also if you need to divide or plant perennials, the cooler temperatures this time of year are less stressful to plants, as they work to become established in their new locations.

Fall is an excellent time to transplant trees and shrubs.

The Animal Adoption Center of Garland

Many of our customers have asked why we support The Animal Adoption Center of Garland and why they must make a donation to them in order to get a discount. Well, the reason is simple. Karen, Sally, and even though I am afraid of dogs, we all hate to hear about animals being put to sleep because of some humans’ carelessness or neglect. We asked The Animal Adoption Center of Garland to write out their mission statement and a wish list so that we could pass it on to you. I hope that by doing so you realize what a contribution to society they are making, and show them your support as we do.

The Animal Adoption Center of Garland is a non-profit, no kill animal shelter. Our mission is to help locate good and loving homes for as many cats and dogs as possible. We also try to educate people on the importance of having their pets spayed or neutered because the animal population is out of control. Most of our time is spent cleaning, doctoring and caring for the many animals that reside at the shelter. Our building, as well as our resources, are quite small, so every day is a struggle to provide the food, the medicines and the veterinary care that is necessary to keep our animals healthy and happy.

Over the past year we have had several animals that have required surgery or expensive treatments. Even though the veterinarians work with us, it is very costly. It is very rare that an injured animal comes to our door that we do not treat.

It is only through donations from people who care about the quality of life in their community, that we can continue to provide these services to our friends. Below is our "wish list" of the things we need to keep our shelter running. Money is one of the things not listed, but is greatly needed. Some of our major expenses are medical bills for sick or injured animals, medical supplies and much needed repairs to our facility.

If you should ever be looking for a pet or would just like to come and spend some time with ours, please feel free to come by and visit. We are located at 117 North Garland Avenue in Garland, Texas.

Wish List
PAPER PLATES
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
LIQUID BLEACH
ADAMS FLEA SPRAY
WINDOW CLEANER
LIQUID HAND SOAP
CANNED AND DRY DOG AND PUPPY FOOD
CANNED AND DRY CAT AND KITTEN FOOD
CRUNCHY DOG BISCUITS—ALL SIZES
CAT LITTER
DURABLE PUPPY AND KITTEN TOYS
STRONG TRASH BAGS, 33 GAL. OR LARGER
ALUMINUM CANS (WE RECYCLE FOR CASH)
"HOMELESS HOMERS" FROM GAINES AND KENNEL RATION PRODUCTS
SIMPLE GREEN (CLEANING SOLUTION)
OLD TOWELS AND RUGS
CLEANING RAGS

This Is My House and I Don’t Want You Hear

Here I am living in a death trap. My new house and we have a list of unwelcome visitors, crickets, roaches, rolly pollies and silver fish to name a few, but every bug that has tried to come in the house has died before it made it past the baseboards. Our new house sits on a creek lot , and I know that there will be more critters for me to keep out of the house, but I need to find out how they are coming in. I need to think like a "pest" and find ways to get in. Karen, our store manager, says that I should not have a problem with that, it comes natural to me. Being a pest.

I know it is hot outside, and even insects need water , and would prefer cooler temperatures, but why don't they just crawl under a rock and DIE! I need to seal all entries to my house and kill them before they come in.

As I went out into my yard, to look around, I noticed that there ware large bark chips being used as mulch in several areas around the house, a good hiding place for roaches, I scrape up about 10 wheelbarrows full and put these in the compost pile. As I walk by the garage I noticed that there were two large Carolina Jessamine vines growing up on two columns and a third one against the garage wall, this one grew through a vent and into the attic. It took me 10 minutes to remove each one.

I saw a loose brick, that was on a planter, and when I picked it up to see if I could reuse it, some roaches scurried away, in fright I dropped the brick and stood on my tiptoes, in disgust I started stomping at them, missing everyone. Embarrassed, I quickly looked around to make sure that none of my new neighbors saw me, making a mental note to do this after dusk wearing camouflaged clothing. Gosh, I sure hope I did not scream.

Embarrassed I went into the house and was talking to my wife Sandra, when Alfred our long haired dachshund, jumped on the couch between us, wagging his tail looking towards Sandra and then towards me. "Alfred what do you have in your mouth?" Sandra questioned. As she grabbed for it, the hairs on my neck and back stood on end with her blood curling scream. I saw a roach fly out of Sandra’s hand towards me. I saw Sandra sprout hairs on her upper lip as my scream caused them to grow. Now we know why Hispanics sing "La Cucaracha Song" that way it appears we are actually dancing as we try to kill those suckers.

The next day I brought home some materials, that would help me regain my house from these pests.

Boric Acid (five pounds), D.E. (10 pounds), Pyrethrum (seven ounces) and a bowl puffer. I mixed all of these together in a five gallon bucket. I filled up my puffer and went directly to the roach infested planter. I always tell my customers that if you see the dust after you applied D.E. then you applied to much. Weeeeelllll, I think I over did it , it looked like it had snowed in August. After I reload I spent the rest of the afternoon looking for entry holes where bugs may try to get into the house. Weep holes, spaces between the first row of bricks that allow moisture to escape, spaces where the brick meets the woodwork for doors, windows and the soffet where mortar seems to fall off, I puff the mixture in each cavity.

When I finished doing this I set out to seal all holes using several different products. I used STUFF-IT, a copper mesh that you cut up into small pieces and "STUFF IT" into weep holes in bricks, holes around utility pipes (gas lines, telephone, a/c, etc.) Use extreme caution when using this products around wires you never know if there may be some exposed wire. Stuff It works by building up electrostatic energy, when the wet noses of the bug touches the copper: ZAP! POW! I sit on the outside of the house waiting for bugs to crawl into the cavity. As soon as it gets halfway in the body gets real stiff and their legs start to shake. You can hear their teeth chatter and the hairs stand up on end. It may be a long wait, but it sure is worth it. Please share your experience with me.

For larger spaces I used foam insulation, this foam expands and fills in voids keeping mice, squirrels and other vermin out. I also noticed that I had some cedar planks that were rotted, so I went to the slumber yard ahead and changed these, too.

Of course everyone knows what caulking is. Normally as homeowners we put it off until our windows are about to fall out, this lets conditioned air out and more bugs in. While I was caulking a window, by the front door, my son Victor ran outside and did not close the door behind him. My wife screamed (lightning bolts followed her command) for him to close the door. I laughed thinking that the previous owner probably scolded his kids for leaving the door open but never bothered to close the large gaps around window sills and thresholds.

With all these pest trying to come in and look for water I had a dream that night. In that dream an airplane had crashed in the desert and three men survived the wreck. They set out across the desert to make it back to civilization. Several days past and these very thirsty men saw an oasis, they run towards it only to find that a pack of hyenas are drinking from it. Thirsty one man decides to approach and the hyenas attacks, tearing flesh off of this man’s bones, while he screams " I only wanted water." Another man runs in to get a drink, thankful that his friend sacrificed his life so he could get a drink. As he kneels down to take some water, a crocodile leaps out of the water, and before this poor soul gets a drink has his head chewed off. The next men decides to climb a tree and lower his shirt sleeve into the water, so that he can suck moisture out of the wet material, but as he climbs out to the end of the branch.... No it does not break, that would be too obvious.

There is a large snake that rapidly coils around him and slowly tightens around this man’s body, but much to his relief it starts to rain and he gets some water on his tongue and dies happy.