Please remember that Rohde’s has a great assortment of Bird Seed and Bird Feeders as well as several brands of some of the best Natural Pet Foods such as Eagle Pack, Nature’s Variety and Precise.

Christmas Gifts and Gift Certificates are available.

OBSERVATION
In my last newsletter one of the readers accused me of not being Christian like because of a portion of the article in which I wrote:

As I approach Plaza Park Dr. I noticed a telephone post. On the post about five feet off the ground there is a plastic wreath. Just a few feet away in the far right lane there are some painted marks on the roadway indicating the path from an unknown vehicle. The paint stops at a figure drawn on the street. The figure is an outline of a person that had been hit by this unknown vehicle. I first noticed the crime scene in September, it has been three months and this sad reminder still remains painted on the roadway for the kids to see. I want to stop and ask the parents if they knew what happened, but I am in a school zone and the traffic is heavy. I am also running a little late and do not have time to stop. I can only imagine that since Garland has started to sell beer and wine incidents like this will increase, more parents will have to stay near their children making sure that they are safe, that their children do not play near the street.

The reader was upset, because I had speculated that the driver may have been intoxicated, and that not all vehicle accidents are caused by DUI’s.

This is true, but my newsletter was about observation, taking time to find things out, taking time to stop and smell the roses.

I did. I already knew that the State of Texas allowed memorials to be placed on the side of the road where an accident involving DUI’s occurred. That was an indication to me that alcohol may have been involved.

When I contacted a representative from Garland I was told that the city never leaves outlines of bodies chalked much less painted on the roadways. I was told that the family members, more then likely, painted the outline as a reminder of the unnecessary death of a loved one.

This reader also thought that my newsletters were one-sided propaganda designed only to lure people into my store. Well, that is true. I do write about products that we sell, but many of you who have been reading my newsletters know, that throughout the years, I have mentioned competitive products, and also mentioned stores just a few miles from us who have products or plants that I do not carry.

Anyway, I lost a client because of the newsletter and thought that I might give my writing a rest, but I had already done my homework for this month’s article which is a sequel to last months.

Last month I was asking my readers to take time and “As you walk around your property take notes and take photos and either send them in or better yet bring them in to the nursery. Let us help answer your questions.”

With the cold winter days upon us we need to remember our old house. “Mi casa is su Casa” is a saying that we reserve for our friends and not our enemas. The insects and vermin that threaten the integrity and comfort of our homes are not welcome, but if you leave the doors wide open, why should they stay outside. The same with the wind and rain, we need to make sure that our homes are sealed properly so that moisture does not rot any wood and winds do not penetrate our homes wasting energy. In order to conserve energy we must find ways to keep the elements out.

Sitting on a couch is not going to help you. Unwelcome pest or guest can be kept out by simple task. To perform these tasks we do need to locate their entry points and the only way we can do this is to be observant.

On a warm afternoon go out side, and remember to take a powerful flashlight with you and some colorful sticky tabs that you can apply to areas that may need attention.

Walk around the perimeter of your house concentrating on the foundation area. Look for mounds of soil built up next to the house or cracks in the foundation. Caulking around windows and doorframes may have become brittle or loose during the summer or after the many years since you have last inspected the exterior. Wherever you see a spot that needs attention apply one of the sticky tabs.

Look for branches of plants or trees that may be growing towards the house. Make notes of all the work needed. Use your flashlight and shine it towards the wall, you will be surprised at the cracks and crannies that will become apparent under the bright light.

When you finish your first trip around your property looking at foundation level, start again, this time look up. Look at the soffit, the gutters, siding and most importantly the union of the sides of the building with the soffit. Has the wood pulled away from the building? Are the solider bricks or the last course of the wall mortared properly? Is there moisture rotting the wood that is supposed to be holding the gutters up?

At a recent continuing education course that I attended in order to keep my Texas Lawn and Garden Applicators Permit, we had a speaker by the name of Jeffrey Seabrook. Jeffery is owner of Seabrook Entomological Services, Inc. and can be reached at 940-323-0088 or 940-390-1142.

During his lecture I learned quite a bit about pest exclusion, but the best part of his lecture came towards the end. He offered to send whom ever was interested a Perimeter inspection checklist.

At the end of this newsletter you will find a Perimeter Inspection Survey Checklist. This list came in handy at my house just last month when I used it as I walked around the perimeter of my house trying to locate pest entry points. I have done inspections at my house yearly and was amazed by the help provided by the Perimeter Inspection Survey Checklist.

As a Texas Lawn and Garden Applicator, I am not certified for structural pest control and can only offer our services outside of the house; however I still highly recommend Rid-All Pest control at 214-340-6969. They maintain perimeter Termites control stations around my house and have helped my wife control some pest problems in our house that I thought were not worth messing with.

Jeffery Seabrook would be a good recommendation if it is true that he sues the least toxic controls available. I had never met him before the lecture he gave. So, be sure to ask him the right questions if you intend to use him.

Before I end this newsletter I wish everyone Happy Holidays and hope to see most of you at our store to buy presents for your loved ones and pets. This ends the propaganda portion for Rohde’s Nursery.

Perimeter Survey Inspection Checklist

Please click here to access the Perimeter Survey Inspection Checklist.