Services
What I'm called for, and what I do first
Six calls make up most of my year. Each starts with a look and ends with a note.
Garden insects
Aphids, beetles, borers, caterpillars and slugs on vegetables, roses and perennials. I identify first, and I'll tell you when an insect in the bed is on your side.
Ants and other house visitors
Ants, boxelder bugs, lady beetles, cluster flies. I look for the way in, seal it, and use bait only where the ants are feeding.
Ticks at the yard's edge
A walk along the lawn edge and the shade beds, advice on plant cutbacks and wood-chip borders, and a treatment of the edge only when it is warranted.
Mosquitoes
I look for standing water first, because that is where most of them come from. Where water can't be drained, a label-approved product for that water only.
Wasps and hornets
Nests removed early or late in the day. I tell you whether a nest far from the path can be left alone, since it will die back by itself in the fall.
Mice in the fall
Gaps closed with steel mesh, snap traps in covered stations, and a check visit. Outdoor bait stations only if sealing and traps can't do it.
Before I come
A short list that makes the visit better.
A few things help the walk: knowing where you've seen the problem, and leaving what you've done so far in place. None of it is a chore.
Note where and when you saw it, and a photo if you can
Leave traps and plant damage as they are until I've looked
Tell me about any spraying your neighbors or a lawn company do
Keep pets in on the day if the gate is open to the yard
What I don't do
Work I'll send to someone else
Better to say it now than after you've booked.
Termites and wood-boring insects
These need an inspector with the right license.
Wildlife in the attic or walls
Bats, squirrels and raccoons are a different trade.
Large trees
A tree with an infestation is a job for an arborist.
Whole-lawn programs
I'll look at your lawn's edges, not run a fertilizer plan.
Tell me what you're seeing
A photo and a place in the garden is enough to start. I'll say whether it needs a visit.