http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/Tips, tricks and hints of everything lawn and pest!60http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=107http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=107As we come into February, it's time to get our landscape ready for the upcoming season. It's the best time for a dormant tree spray application. Many may ask, what is a dormant tree spray? And of course, why do I need it?! What is a dormant tree spray?The dormant tree spray application is the first reccomended application for your trees and shrubs and this is done just before your trees come out of dormacy. The2012-02-03http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=106http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=106Winter is right around the corner! With all the cold weather, you need to get your sprinklers blown out before things begin to freeze. Why do I need to blow out my sprinklers?You need to have their sprinklers blown out every fall before the weather begins to freeze. This is important because the water that is in your sprinkler system will expand when the weather drops to freezing temperatures. This expansion can2011-10-24http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=105http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=105Holidays are a time for family to get together and re-connect with one another. For many military families, this time of year is especially hard with family members serving. Senske wants to help ease this pain. Each year, we choose a deserving military family's home to decorate in each of our holiday lighting service areas. We need your help in finding some deserving families this year! Nominate a family!Email2011-09-20http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=104http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=104In honor of the upcoming spider season, we've decided to dedicate this week to spiders. Therefore, it's "Spider Week"! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for plenty of spider trivia and tips! As much as many people despise spiders, they are beneficial creatures. They feed on other insects and actually control insects in gardens and homes. Spiders make their way into your home to find a warm place to winter in. However, many people2011-09-06http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=103http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=103This past winter was a long, heavy and wet one for the northwest and intermountain regions. La Niña is to blame! And not only does La Niña disrupt our spring by prolonging winter, but it also sets the stage for a surge of insects!La Niña creates unusually cold temps around the equatorial region of the Pacific ocean. Those warmer winters can be attributed by El Niño, which creates the opposite - warmer ocean temperatures around2011-08-24http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=101http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=101Check this guy out! Researchers have discovered this ancient insect in some fossils in Brazil. They actually created a new order, called Coxoplectoptera to categorize this new and unique ancient insect species. The "Frankenstein" insect has many attributes of other common insects today - which is probably why they nick-named it after Frankenstein. It had the forearms of a praying mantis, the wings and middle-body segments2011-08-04http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=100http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=1004th of July weekend is a major vacation and travel weekend for many families. For those of you traveling this coming weekend, it's important to remain safe, especially when it comes to bed bugs!Bed bugs have been on the rise again, and there's a good chance you could run into them on your summer travels. So here are some tips to stay safe, what to look for, and when to call a professional.What are bedbugs? Bed2011-06-30http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=99http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=99With warm weather comes spending more time outside. And if you have a furry, four-legged family member, you are spending more time outside with them too. But don't forget that with the warm weather comes tick season!Ticks are a well-known nuisance typically never harmful aside from itchy bites. However, they are able to transmit diseases in humans, cats and dogs. The tick season is typically April through September. Some2011-06-28http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=98http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=98BBQ season is in full swing with the official start to summer! Everyone is enjoying the warmer weather, especially with the extra long and wet spring this year brought. While you're enjoying family, friends and great food outdoors, bugs might want to join in on the fun too!Much like your mooching Uncle Bob who always shows up to the party without a dish, here's some pesky creatures that might try and crash your parties:2011-06-21http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=97http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=97Discolored grassScott from Salt Lake asks: What is the cause of my lawn turning different shades of green. Most is a regular green where as some areas have a lime-like greenness in color. Any ideas and solutions?There are many shades of green in grass. From the crunchy and brown to the lush, plush dark green. Those that have fantastic lawns can be the envy of everyone on the block, making many wonder: what do they do to get their2011-06-16http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=96http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=96Bill BugAs June comes in full swing, and finally brings the warmer weather, bill bugs come too! Some of you may wonder, what is a bill bug? Others know very well what these annoying turf-destroying pests are! They are common across the United States, more frequently seen in our Boise and Salt Lake area territories. Bill bugs are a type of beetle, commonly known as weevil or snout beetle, noticeable by their distinct elephant-like2011-06-08http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=95http://www.senske.com/tomsblog/default.aspx?blogid=95Watering is a challenge in inconsistent spring weather.This year's drawn out spring, full of inconsistent weather creates many watering challenges for homeowners. The proper watering of turf is often times one of the most frustrating problems that home owners face. Yet improperly watering can cause a number of problems. Overwatering can cause extreme stress on your lawn by limiting the necessary oxygen from soil pores ultimately causing2011-06-03