Landscaping & Exterior
Return of the Pesky Stink Bug
September 22, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 2 Comments
It’s right around this time of the year that I start seeing people mentioning a bunch of creepy looking brown bugs infesting their homes in Charlottesville.
Welcome… the Stink Bug!
Appearance
I always describe the stink bug as a little brown bug that looks prehistoric and/or armored and ready to go into battle. These guys are creepy. Every fall they descend upon Charlottesville, and are drawn into houses because of the temperature change between the indoors and outdoors.
Check out the Wikipedia article here.
What do they do?
Well, as best I can tell, they walk in circles and circles around the edge of the ceiling. They don’t seem to harm much. They don’t seem to have any interest in food or clothes, but just in being a nuisance. They seem to sneak in through doors that are left cracked open, or small tears in window screens that they are able to weasel their way through!
How do you get rid of them?
Our experience has been that the only way to get rid of them is time! Usually after 2-3 weeks they completely disappear and stop haunting our house. In the mean time, you can shoo them out, and I have also heard of people vacuuming them up, but I am not endorsing that as my recommendation!
Do they stink?
I haven’t found them to be particularly bad. I think if they are smashed they release a smell that is something like almonds, but I have yet to really experience this.
I’d love to get some feedback on this- has anyone had a less pleasant experience with them?
City of Charlottesville to Hold Citywide Tree Debris Collection next week!
February 19, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
From the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce ChamberBits newsletter….
Citywide Tree Debris Collection
The City Public Works Department will provide a FREE citywide collection of winter storm related TREE DEBRIS for City residents during the week of February 22-26.
City Residents may place tree limbs at the curb for collection no later than 7am of their scheduled trash and recycling collection day. Each street will be worked one time only.
Tree debris cut up by contractors for residents should be hauled away by contractors and will not be collected as part of this collection.
Questions may be directed to the Public Service Division at 970-3895.
Does all this snow hurt my lawn?
December 28, 2009 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
I have had several clients ask about the damage that our recent snowfall is doing to their land. I am definitely not the expert on this, but found a really helpful answer on Turf King-Hamilton- Lawn Care.
Some plants will benefit from a little extra snow during the winter. Snow around the rose bushes will provide some insulation from the sap-chilling deep freeze of this past week. Bitterly cold temperatures for prolonged periods of time will result in more roses biting the dust this winter.
On the lawn, a thick layer of snow will not harm it, provided that there aren’t leaves left on the surface. The snow and leaves combine to prevent air from the foliage. This is likely to lead to accumulation of water under the leaves which in turn will lead to putrefaction. If the grass is cut short in the fall, the lawn is less likely to get diseased by the longer leaf blades being smothered. The last mowing should always be a little shorter. (the problem I’ve had is that autumn doesn’t seem to know when to quit, and I end up with 2 or 3 last cuts. Don’t cut the lawn too short of course, as this makes it more susceptible to frost damage if there is little snow.
Grass that has been cut too short, on the other hand, is susceptible to frost damage.
If you walk on the lawn regularly during the winter, it is also advisable to remove the snow from these paths. Snow that is hard packed by foot prints on the lawn could lead to damage to the grass plants. (it could also lead you down a garden path)
[From Turf King- Hamilton- Lawn Care: Does all this snow hurt my lawn?]
I would love additional input on this from anyone with first-hand experience. Unfortunately my lawn probably won’t even notice the difference!
