It is vital that, in any landscaping project, a pest control program is included. Unwanted insects and other problems will be attracted to the newly created environment because of the seemingly inexhaustible food supply, nicely damp soil and ideal breeding ground. Here are a few ways that you can maintain control over these pests.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes thrive in moist conditions and they will breed in any puddle. They can be eradicated using repellants, but a better alternative is the mosquito magnet. Repellants contain chemicals that can be harmful to people and the environment. Mosquito magnets kill mosquitoes without the use of these chemicals. The magnet releases a gas that resembles human breath to a mosquito and it is attracted to the machine, where is succumbs to dehydration.

Regardless whether you use a magnet or another way to get rid of mosquitoes, you should follow these rules to reduce the amount of mosquito breeding in your garden:

* Rid your garden of any pools of still, stagnant water.

* Clean any areas that collect water, such as a birdbath, daily to kill any mosquito larva.

* Keep any ponds or pools aerated and in the case of swimming pools, maintain the chlorine or salt level at all times.

* Any aquatic plants in ponds will attract mosquitoes, so check them regularly.

* Fish and other aquatic animals will eat mosquitoes, so fill your ponds with these.

* Drip irrigation will water your plants, but the soil surface will remain relatively dry.

Earwigs

These creatures are readily seen in gardens that have accumulated piles of lawn cuttings, leaves and foliage. Here are a few ways to rid your garden of these pests:

* Make it a regular occurrence to clear the garden of such debris.

* Some mulch can result in an infestation of earwig, so check your mulched areas regularly.

* Use the drip irrigation as in the case of mosquito control to maintain a dry soil surface.

* Include “bird friendly” features in your landscape. The birds will be a natural controller of the earwigs and other pests.

Controlling Animal Pests

Most gardens will seem attractive to animals. Some areas prevent the killing of these pests, so it is best to discourage them from entering your property.

Here are some tips to discourage animals such as groundhogs, moles and rabbits from coming into your yard:

* Maintain your fences and ensure they are pest proof.

* Rid your garden of areas where the animals may hide out, such as tall grass, weeds and leaf piles.

* Use objects such as pinwheels as “scarers” around your fence to discourage the more timid animals.

* Use traps that will capture the animal humanely, allowing you to free them into the wild.

Live Animal Traps

These are as they suggest, a trap that captures the animal alive, allowing for it to be released some distance from your home. There are a number of these traps available, but the best are the havahart traps. They are easy to use and come in a number of sizes. They are safe to use around children and pets. You can purchase these online from the website havahart.com.

Organic Pest Control Methods

Common organic products, most of which came from plants sources and are readily available and you may even have at home, can be mixed together to make anti-pest formulas that are powerful enough to kills pests but are not harmful to humans or to the environment. Such organic products include insecticidal soap, oil of Neem plant, horticultural oil and seeds of various plants eg Pyrethrims. With some knowledge you can easily make your own at home.

Many new organic gardeners are confused about or frustrated with the control of bugs and pests in their gardens. All types of plants, from roses, bushes, or trees, to fruits or vegetables, annuals or perennials, attract bugs which like to eat parts of the plant. Some bugs eat the leaves and stems, while others eat the flowers, and some eat the entire plant. However, there are actually many different natural ways to control these pests.

Although you could simply pick the bugs off your plants as you find them, this can be a very time consuming process, especially in a large garden with many plants. It is not efficient to control pests in this way alone. However, there are many other natural ways you can control bugs in your garden.

The first step you’ll need to take is to effectively control the weeds in your garden. In order to do this, you need to leave enough space between your plants to allow room for pulling up any weeds that you see. Especially in vegetable gardens, you should leave a wide space between the rows, so you can use a hoe, which makes a quick job out of weeding. For best results, be proactive and pull weeds before they become large, because it is much easier to pull them when they are small. They will come out of the dirt easier, and will not have dropped seeds for more weeds, or drawn a lot of bugs into your garden.

Not only can you control pests by removing weeds, but also through planting certain species which help to control pests. Many people do not realize that certain herbs and flowers even repel many common bugs. For example, chives can help prevent scab in apple trees. Also, black spot on roses can be controlled by chives around your rose bushes.

Another plant which can be used to repel pests, Elderberry, is quite effective against garden moles. But is never effective to be one of the indoor houseplants because of its poisonous parts. If you stick branches and leaves of this plant into the mole holes, the moles will leave your garden. A tea or wash made from Elderberry leaves can also help control aphids, carrot root fly, cucumber beetles, or peach tree borers.

Garlic is another plant with many uses in your garden. However, a word of caution when taking care of vegetable gardens: the flavor of garlic can be absorbed by other houseplants, so be careful when using garlic as a repellant near your vegetable garden, as it should not be used near vegetables which would taste odd with a hint of garlic flavoring.

Yet another all natural garden solution is Lemon Balm. This can be used as a repellant for many bugs and pests. Just sprinkle lemon balm leaves in your garden. Not only this, but crushed lemon balm leaves can also be rubbed directly onto your skin, preventing mosquito bites.

Pests, deer, rabbits, mice, and insects all love your fresh, home grown vegetables. And they go a step further, munching on leaves and roots. These creatures not only eat the vegetable but also prevent the plant from producing.

Vigilance is required to keep your vegetable garden free from pests. Combining various methods makes this chore easier.

Good pest control starts even before the vegetables grow, by proper soil preparation, plant selection and watering practice. Maintaining a slightly acidic soil, around pH 6.5 can help. Keeping the soil well fertilized helps the plants grow well, which gives them the needed assistance to fight off pests.

Seek out seeds that are pest resistant. Don’t fear genetic modification programs, since one goal is to create just such seeds. If you transplant, select healthy plants.

Watch for pests and harmful insects. Chemical sprays, however, are not your first solution. Gardening problems can often be controlled biologically, but you must be knowledgeable about the organisms present in your garden. Some of these organisms actually aid your plants in healthy growth.

Japanese beetles, caterpillars, and aphids can be eaten by assassin bugs. Stink bugs eat potato beetles and certain caterpillars. Ladybugs consume aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites. These are just two examples among many.

Water your garden in the morning to minimize fungus and other problems. Growths can occur on vegetables, similar to grass, when excessive moisture is present on plant leaves during nighttime temperatures. Letting your plants soak up needed moisture with adequate time for drying before the temperature drops will prevent such growths. Often times a weakened plant cannot survive minor infestation, so keep your plants disease free to minimize insect damage. A healthy plant can fight infestation.

Prevent the spread of insects by planting different species. Pest populations may explode when numerous similar plants are spaced close together. These pests either gather together or reproduce more quickly. And eradicating a big population of pests is more difficult. They can ruin your plant before you are able to get rid of them entirely.

Just as with animals and humans, pests spread in part by contact. Removing any part or plant that has been infected is not always necessary, but may be your only means of saving other healthy plants if you cannot save the infected plant.

Keep larger animals - rabbits and dear, for example - away from your vegetables by building a fence with a narrows mesh base.

Commercial insecticides can be useful when preventative efforts are not enough. These products are designed to eradicate insect populations and are still safe for human contact and consumption of the vegetables.

You could have uninvited dinner guests and not even know they’re munching until you fall through your floor. Termites are a huge problem that costs five times more in damage than the combination of all the floods, storms or fires. There are some ways to spot these pesky insects. They are survivors and often change their habits to adjust to their living conditions. Therefore, it’s important to let a professional inspect your area or you might miss the evidence they leave.

A single colony of termites may invade your home or commercial building but you only recognize it after the biggest portion of structural damage has occurred. There are other potential problems from termites often overlooked. Termites can damage the plastic covering of wiring and cause potential fire damage. Thus, their activity not only creates huge expenses but also endangers the lives of the homeowner and their family.

And it’s not just wood that termites are after - they will eat just about anything, even furniture and clothes! Just imagine putting your hand into your pocket and finding a termite eating away at your clothes!

The number one investment you have is your home or business. To protect this investment, you should try to keep it free of the threat of termites. One thing to look for is the telltale sign that termites are digging channels in the wood of your walls. Look for any ridges in walls which come up from the ground as well as in your foundation. These are the channels created by termites as they literally eat away at your home.

Packed earth on the foundation walls is another sign of termite infestation. A build up of earth will often be left by termites where the flooring meets the joists in your home. You should also check spider webs for termite wings. There are even some sounds and odors which may be due to termites.

The best measure is prevention or early intervention before damage is high. Within three months time, thousands of dollars of damage can occur. Have your home inspected frequently, particularly if there’s been an infestation in the neighborhood. Those that live in Sydney need to be vigilant because of local infestations. Termites travel and it won’t be long until your home or business is their supper.

If you find any signs of an infestation, contact a specialist immediately. If you try to deal with them without professional help, they may simply go deeper into the soil and wait; breeding and waiting for the right moment to return.

If you think that your home might have termites or simply want the peace of mind which comes from knowing that your home is free of this threat, then you need to contact a professional. Pink Pest Services have certified termite experts on staff who can inspect your home to let you know whether or not your home is safe.

Pink Pest Services has state of the art equipment such as fibre optics and thermal imaging these experts can detect the presence of any termite infestation. If they find that you have a problem, they’ll formulate a plan of action to rid your building of the pests. If, however, Pink Pest Services find nothing, you can sleep well knowing there’s no termites in your woodwork.

If you live in Sydney, you should have your home inspected at least once a year. Before buying a new home or commercial property, always bring in an expert such as Pink Pest Services - this can save you thousands of dollars; when it comes to termites, an ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pund of cure.

Real estate investment has become increasingly popular as time has gone by. The reason being, there is potentially a lot of money to be made if you do things properly. However, while a lot of money can successfully be made through property investment, unfortunately, a lot of money can be also be lost.

In this article, we’ll lay out some information about some problems which can accompany property investment. If you are armed with this knowledge, you will be much better prepared to make wise investments and maximize your property investment profits.

First Things First - What Can go Wrong?

Let’s say that you’ve found that perfect property to invest in. It seems ideal and you can visualize the potential profits which the property can offer. You’ve got the cash on hand, you know they’ll accept your offer and you already have ac clear idea of what you will do with the property - so what can go wrong? The answer, sadly, is a lot!

For instance, suppose an investor (we’ll call her Ms. Brooks) goes ahead and purchases that ideal investment property. She manages to a get a concession on the asking price, down from $150,000 to $120,000 and she is absolutely thrilled. She has inspected the property and there seems nothing wrong with it that a fresh coat of paint couldn’t fix. However, just a few weeks after she buys the property, she notices that the walls have become damp. Seems there was a leaky pipe which the previous owner neglected to mention (or repair, for that matter). Because of this leak there is now a mold problem and half of the property’s plumbing now needs replacement, which costs thousands, eating up most of Ms. Brooks’ profits!

The above is just one example of what can go wrong. There are so many unexpected problems that can arise from property investment that many people just do not consider. Other common potential problems include:

The cost of the property exceeds the selling costs

There are hidden problems

Ending up with a property that isn’t what you expected

Becoming emotionally attached to the property

Not taking the competition into account

The above are just a few of the most common potential property investment problems. There are many more that you should also become aware of if you want to ensure that you make the right choices. So just how can you avoid making these mistakes?

Hiring a Professional

The simplest way to avoid these common property investment problems is by hiring a professional.

Hiring a property inspector is very helpful; they will give the property a thorough look and let you know what the problems are with the property, helping you to plan for investments. They can also give you information on the energy efficiency of the property and whether it is in compliance with building regulations.

Investment properties require a large investment, so it only makes sense to do things the right way to make the most of this large investment. Hiring a professional can help you to not make the costly mistakes made by all too many property investors and thus see larger profits.

Be quiet for a moment. Did you hear that sound too? What is that? A prowler in your yard? No, but it is a serious threat to your home that you hear- termites! Termites, also known as white ants, are working diligently to destroy the hard work you’ve put into your home. Before it’s too late and the damage has already been done, you must track these tiny menaces down and eradicate them before they destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for.

Termites need food and water, just like any other animal. However, the favourite food of the termite is wood - which makes your home look like a 24 hour buffet to them! Termites feed on the cellulose in wood, which they convert to sugar in their digestive process. Termites get water from leaky faucets and standing water in or outdoors. Don’t give termites a free meal!

About twenty percent of homes in Sydney are already infested with termites. You can keep these destructive insects out of your home by taking preventative measures to protect yourself. First, make sure that you have no faulty parts in your ventilation system which allow for the build-up of water, which will attract these pests. Giving termites a drinking fountain is like inviting them into your home. Also check your foundation for any cracks which will make it easy for termites to get in.

Termites live their lives underground. They build networks of tunnels which may extend as far as a yard underground. They will even tunnel right into your home and can literally undermine the ground you stand on! To keep termites from getting in, you have to be on guard. Termites can utterly devastate a home and seriously damage the investment you have made in your home.

One of the biggest problems with termites is that you may not even see them. They won’t knock on your door politely asking to come in. There may be no signs of their presence at all, but the damage is being done. To be safe from this danger, you need to get rid of them before they seriously damage your home. An investment in termite protection now is far better than paying for the destruction which they can cause.

Annual termite inspections protect your home and its value. When selling your property prospective buyers will expect proof of the house being termite free. If there are any indications of a previous termite infiltration, even if termites no longer exist, it can cost you losing valuable equity, just the fact that termites were once present. In high-risk areas, experts recommend timely termite inspections at least twice a year. This damage control stops termites dead in their tracks before you have to say”there goes the neighborhood.” Termite infestation is a serious threat in Sydney. We cannot just sit back and hope the problem will disappear.

You’re going to need professional help to eradicate the threat of termites. A complete inspection can help prevent and detect termite infestation. A professional can help you be prepared for this threat which can destroy your home without warning. Develop a plan for exterminating these pests and you’ll protect yourself and your home.

Insects might be responsible for some of the problems you are experiencing with your roses. These insects can be your roses’ worst friends, and will cause major damage if you do nothing to keep them away. These are some of the top ten most wanted enemies of your roses, and some ways to identify them and get rid of them.

1. Aphids

Aphids are the most frequent insect problem you will find in your roses. These insects like to make themselves comfortable in the roses’ growing tissues like buds and shoots. Aphids usually are just a problem during the spring and early summer.

Although few - or even moderate - numbers of aphids won’t cause much damage to your roses, you need to watch them and make sure their numbers don’t spread. A large group of aphids can produce honeydew, a waste product that has the consistency of a sugary liquid. This honeydew can encourage mold; the mold eventually will blacken the roses’ leaves. Flowers may decrease and new buds may be killed if there are large numbers of aphids in your roses.

You may not need to use insecticides to control your aphids. They have some natural enemies, including syrphid flies and lady beetles. If these insects aren’t around to deter your aphids, you can try washing them off of the roses with water or special types of soaps.

2. Spider Mites

Spider mites may be to blame if you notice that your roses’ leaves are drying up and falling off, or if they look like they have numerous small dots (stippling). These pests are so small that you might need a magnifying glass to find them.

Spider mites usually infest your roses because of dry and dusty conditions. It’s possible to try to control them by reducing the amount of dust and by making sure that your roses and other plants have enough water.

3. Fuller Rose Beetles

Fuller rose beetles spell big trouble as adults, when they like to chew on your rose bushes. You can usually tell they are there by the ragged edges on the roses’ leaves and flowers.

The beetles usually feed at night, when they will chew away at the roses’ flowers and leaves. During the day, fuller rose beetles hide on the leaves’ undersides.

Pesticides typically are not effective in dealing with these persistent beetles. Your best method to get rid of them is picking them off by hand.

4. Thrips

Thrips have a particular fondness to white or light-colored roses. They damage the blooms by leaving brown streaks on the flowers and cause an immense amount of damage. Thrips are a very big problem when the rose bushes are planted close to each other; thrips move easily from one plant to another.

It can be hard to control thrips with pesticides because the pesticides are mainly effective when the insects are in their development phase and are very difficult to see. The best way to get rid of thrips is to clip and throw away the infected flowers.

5. Caterpillars

Some caterpillars love to make lunch and dinners out of rose leaves. Although the damage usually doesn’t threaten the plant, the leaves can look unsightly. Remove the damaged leaves and prune any buds that are damaged.

6. Rose Slug

These insects are actually the larva of sawflies, but look like caterpillars because the rose slugs have legs. You can wash rose slugs off the bushes using a spray of water. One of their natural enemies also may keep them at bay.

7. Leafcutter Bees

These bees make holes in the rose bush leaves and take the leafy material back to their nests.

Although the leaves may not look nice, you really must put up with the bees. There’s no effective way to keep leafcutter bees away from your roses. Bees also are good for the plants because they help with pollination.

8. Rose Curculios

These pests, which are about a quarter of an inch long, start dining as young as larvae on your rose buds as they develop. The rose curculios are particularly fond of yellow and white roses.

Rose curculios eat the buds by punching holes in the buds and blooming flowers. They kill the buds before the buds can even open. You can get ride of a rose curculio infestation by getting an insecticide from a local garden or home center.

9. Flat-headed borers

Flat-headed borers can make the canes of the rose die back, and can kill the canes and the entire plant.

To get rid of the insects, you’ll need to remove any material that has an infestation. You can keep your rose bushes healthy by making sure they have enough water and not overpruning them during the summer.

10. Scale Insects

These pests get their names from the armored scales that they have. Scale insects also like to cause havoc with the cans on your rose bushes.

They may look like small gray ovals, and don’t really move around. Because scale insects have no legs, they are there to stay. The best way to try to control them is to prune infected canes and put pesticide oil on any canes that you don’t prune.

Trying to control pests and bugs in an organic garden can be challenging, just ask an organic gardener. No matter the flora, all have their variety of insects that they attract. No plant leaf, stem and/or flower are immune.

The most time consuming yet most natural way is to inspect each leaf and flower for bugs and removing them by hand. This is not ideal if you have a large garden and obviously not a favorite method among gardeners. Thank goodness, there are other methods one can use.

Persistent control of weed growth is a step in the right direction. From the beginning of planting, especially in vegetable gardens, a large enough space for a hoe to work easily should be left between rows and seedlings. If done early on, weeds are easily taken out and are not given time to drop their seeds and attract unwanted vermin to your patch.

Certain plants used as by-standers in the garden are also deterrents. These herbs and flowers act as natural repellents and aid in controlling annoyances. Some to consider are chives, elderberry, garlic and lemon balm.

Each plant is used differently to repel. When chives are planted around rose bushes they prevent black spot and they also prevent scab, when around apple tress. Elderberry branches and leaves can be used to displace moles just by simply putting them into a mole’s hole.

The tea you make from the leaves of this same plant can also be used to fend off aphids, carrot root fly, peach tree borers, and cucumber beetles. The smell from garlic is another repellent but be careful not to plant them near other vegetables that might absorb its flavor. Scattering lemon balm leaves throughout can also repel in your backyard landscaping. Did you also know, by rubbing the crushed leaves of lemon balm you can ward off mosquitoes? These methods are all repellents that can be used in your organic garden to keep pests away.

A disease known as “damping off” is a common affliction suffered by plant seedlings in their transition to a new home. A good method to cut down on this is through the use of a sterilized starting mixture, which limits the appearance of this disease. If you notice any of your seedlings have been affected by this, you must remove and discard them to ensure it doesn’t spread to other seedlings.

Another common bane of the average house plant is leaf mold, most commonly found on rubber plants and screw pines. This fungus will also spread if not contained, so affected leaves should be immediately removed and burned. If the disease has already spread too far there may be nothing left to throw out the plant, as it could very well lead to the disease affecting other nearby plants as well.

This rule applies in many instances. Pest infestation especially will often require you to throw away the entire plant. The effort to try and rid the plant of the pests and restore it to good health, coupled with the ever present risk of other plants becoming infected really makes this choice an easy one.

Of course this may certainly be a difficult decision, especially when the plant in question is one you’ve had for a long time, and has become as much a part of your decor as any other piece of furniture or decoration. The good news is that if the pests or disease have not spread overly much, you can still endeavor to save it. The plant should be moved to a new location, away from other plants while you try to bring it back to health. At least in this way you can be certain that no other plants will be infected should the threat continue to grow worse.

Pests, in the form of insects, are one of the most common forms of plant suffering. One of these is the aphid, an insect which usually inhabits the underside of leaves. They come in a variety of colors, which may be difficult to pick up when colored similarly to the leaves themselves. A good spray with water may be enough to remove them, and should be the first step taken in trying to do so. When that fails you can resort to a commercial insecticide instead.

Multiple sprayings will likely be necessary, after which point the remaining few may need to be taken off by hand. This can be accomplished by winding a wisp of cotton around the end of a toothpick and lightly dipping it in alcohol. This creation should easily remove the remaining few who proved resistant to the water or insecticide.

Another form of insects are scale insects, which con in a number of different shapes, sizes and colors. Plants most susceptible to these pests are ferns, ficus tree plant, citrus fruits, ivy and palms.

These hardy pests have a level of immunity to insecticides that makes other methods of removing them more viable. The toothpick method mentioned above is one of the better ways to get rid of these guys, as you’ll be all but forced to remove them by hand one way or the other.

These are just a few of the many pests you may encounter when dealing with house plants. The most important thing is to always keep a watchful eye over your plants to make sure they’re in good health, and take action immediately when anything seems to be awry.

Termites! They are everywhere and in Australia they are a real problem. A little known fact is that there are areas in Sydney that are termite-prone. If your home is located in one of these zones then you should have regular inspections scheduled. Another thing to keep in mind is if you are planning on purchasing a new home in Sydney then you need to make sure that the previous owners has been working to combat any such termite problem, because the last thing you need is to take on a big problem that can get much worse.

The fact of the matter is that you need to have pest control in your home in Sydney no matter if you own a home or if you are paying rent. Here are 10 termite facts that you must know, especially if you think you don’t need to take any precautionary action.

1. Australia is seeing an increase in the termite menace and the financial damages are astronomical. Millions of dollars are lost by Australians every year due to damage by termites.

2. The estimate for new termite damage is about 130,000 homes each year. There are about 20% of homes damaged by termites in Australia.

3. Flood, fire and storms are bad, however the loss realized from termite damage is 5 times that of the other three hazards combined.

4. The most notorious termite species present in Sydney are Coptotermes Acinaciformis (subterranean) and Kalotermes (dry wood termites). These termites are robust and known to attack both timber-framed as well as brick-and-steel-framed homes with equal gusto.

5. Termites develop a liking for building materials that are increasingly used in the construction of homes.

6. One averaged sized termite colony can chew up a room’s floor in just 3 months - yes, termites have quite an irrepressible appetite.

7. Once termites get inside, they do not stop at chomping just building materials - they begin feasting on furniture, clothing material, footwear and even electrical wiring.

8. If you find termites in your home and attempt to destroy them or their colony, they will come back with more brute force. This is because they live in the soil and can easily dig their way to safer places inside the earth and come back again because they know their source of food is in your home. It is best you leave the job to experts.

9. Most people know that you can detect termites by tapping on wood with a screwdriver handle. However what most don’t realize is that even doing that could cause the wood to crumble and give way. This will disturb the termites and will limit the options for treatments.

10. Only experienced and specialised termite inspectors, and no one else, are qualified to treat termite related issues.

Well, the fact is if you have a home or are planning to buy one in Sydney, you need to hire an experienced pest control agency that knows termites like the back of its hands. If you don’t, you will compromise on your health and wealth by ignoring or avoiding the problem.