Great tips to keep your lawn healthy in the Summer!

Posted on August 4, 2010 with No Comments

Here is a great video R came across that tells your how to maintain your lawn in the summer time.

Massachusetts is on alert for a mosquito-borne virus, EEE

Posted on August 3, 2010 with No Comments

The state health department decided to take action against the mosquito-borne virus, eastern equine encephalitis.  Health officials recently sampled water from multiple pools and 30 were tested positive for EEE, nearly three times what they expected.  The governor ordered to spray areas over the state with pesticides to kill the virus starting as early as tomorrow.  Between 2004 and 2oo6 there were 13 cases of humans being affected by EEE, including 6 deaths.  EEE has not been seen since 2008 but the high volume of mosquitoes this year should make people alert.  Officials advise people to stay indoors during dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active, to prevent getting EEE.  When you do go outside, make sure your wear long sleeved clothes and repellent.  Here are more tips to stay mosquito free during the summer.  West Nile Virus is also a mosquito-borne virus that people should be aware of.  If you have a mosquito problem, JP McHale can protect you family. Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook for an inspection!

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Mange on Dogs ALERT!!

Posted on July 12, 2010 with No Comments

What are they?

Canine scabies, also known as sarcoptic mange, have been affecting a great number of dogs in the recent months. The sarcoptic mites invade the skin of healthy dogs and puppies which can create problems.  The most common effects are severe scratching and hair loss.  From the intense scratching, most dogs will develop sores and infections on the skin.  The mites like to latch on to dogs but they can also live on other animals and even humans.  The female mite will burrow into the skin and lay eggs there.  These tunnels can get to be several centimeters long! The eggs will hatch 3-8 days after the females lays them.  The babies will grow as the mother dies off.  The whole process takes 2 to 3 week.  Mites that live in cool moist environments can survive up to 22 days, but the mites in room temperature will live only 2 to 6 days.

How does my dog get them?

An animal can get scabies by being around an animal that is already affected.  Wild dogs, coyotes, and foxes have a good chance of carrying the mites.  They do not have to come in direct contact with the animal, but just be in the same areas that they were once in.  Once your dog gets the mites, when he goes inside of a house they can affect other pets and even humans.

JP McHale Pest Management can offer a comprehensive solution to any Mange problem.  Simply contact us by phone 800-479-2284 or email to talk to someone about protecting your home from mange!

Watch out for unlicensed landscapers!

Posted on June 25, 2010 with No Comments

Yesterday, Fox 5 News did a report about a Long Island landscaper in their evening segment, Shame on You.  This landscaper had lost his license two years ago but continued doing business with customers.  It was reported that over 30 customers were getting ripped off and not getting the service they had paid for. The landscaper will now face charges from the district attorney for fraud.  When you contact JP McHale you can be assured that we are current with our licensing and all state requirements. JP McHale is licensed in pest management and plant health care.  All of our products are environmentally sensitive and approved by the EPA.  When researching a prospective contractor, you should go on your state/county’s website to try and find a list of licensed professionals as well as fraudulent ones. JP McHale is a Westchester Pest Control company.  We would love to help you with your pest or lawn problem! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.

Pavement Ants, Fire Ants, and Their Bite!

Posted on May 25, 2010 with No Comments

A recently published article in New Hampshire’s online Sentinel Source article explains how a resident was recently bit by ants and wanted to find out what kind of ant it was.  Normally most people think that if they get bite/stung by an ant, it’s a fire ant.

Left: Fire Ants, Right: Pavement Ants

Fire ants are known for their painful sting.  They are usually small, red ants that nest in lawns or on cement.  Pavement ants are a little bigger and are black.  They get their name because they like to nest in the crack of pavement.  The resident sent the ant sample to a lab in Connecticut and surprisingly it turned out that the bite was from pavement ants.  When you are outside make sure to be aware of all ants.  Do not leave crumbs or food just lying around and make sure you use insect repellent with DEET when outside.  If you have an ant problem, feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter.

Picture Source, Picture Source

The Emerald Ash Borer big threat to Trees across New York!

Posted on May 24, 2010 with 1 Comment

The New York Daily News published a breaking story today about the outbreak of the Emerald Ash Borer.  The Emerald Ash Borer is only ½ inch long but can cause destruction to a whole forest.  The Emerald Ash Borer is a small insect who feeds on the inside of ash trees, ultimately killing the trees.  They appear to be a shiny green/blue and have a thin body.  Emerald Ash Borers leave behind a D like hole in trees, but often hard to spot.  There is said to be over 900 million ash trees in New York and the rise of these insects can cause a major problem.  The feds decided once they realized 39 trees were already dead in Cattaraugus County that they need to act on this matter immediately.  The feds decided to set up 9,800 traps to catch the insects throughout New York in 42 counties, but none in New York City.  They want to kill the insects where they will be in large numbers.  The Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Asia and seen in the United States in 2002.  The insects are very hard to spot, however, so you cannot detect where they are until ash trees start to die.  A big infestation of these insects can cost the government millions of dollars to treat, so the government is hoping they can solve this problem quickly.  If you are concerned about your lawn and trees, contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, twitter, facebook, or live chat.

Picture Source

Vole Dashes In-front of Obama!

Posted on May 21, 2010 with No Comments

Yesterday President Obama gave a presidential address to try and solve an ongoing Wall Street battle.  As he began to address the audience, a small rodent ran across in-front of the podium.  Some photographers snapped a photo of it but questions of what kind of rodent it was began to be discussed.  A wildlife biologist, Russell Link, identified the rodent as a vole, which is commonly referred to as a meadow mouse.  The vole ran from one bush, across the steps where Obama was, and into another bush.  It is not clear whether the president saw the rodent or not, but minutes later he went into his office without answering questions.   Workers at the White House said this was not the first sighting of a rodent appearing at a president address; surprisingly the same rodent appeared the week before when camera crews were setting up for a previous presidential address.  The White House was originally built on swamp, so there is no surprise that rodents are an issue.   Voles are usually found in grassy areas and underground burrows.  Voles rummage though the ground, uprooting grass, causing destruction to your lawn.  If you have a vole problem or any other rodent problems contact JP McHale by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, twitter, or visit us on our website.

Picture Source, New York Post article

Guns N’ Roses & Queen Are Now Methods For Mass Beetle Control

Posted on February 10, 2010 with No Comments

Talk about Natural Pest Control…

Beetles are killing various trees that are important to the ecosystem. So how do you prevent them from doing that? How about blasting some “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, or how about some “Stone Cold Crazy” by Queen, or even just play some Rush Limbaugh clips. Scientists have found that by playing heavy metal music or Rush Limbaugh (Limbaugh was so annoying to the scientists that they played his voice backwards with the same effect), aka the “nastiest, most offensive sounds they could find”, near beetle infested trees effects tunneling, mating and reproduction. This in effects makes it harder for beetles to eat through trees. It is thought that the acoustic stress that comes from these sounds disrupts feeding and even causes beetles to kill each other. “Beetle Mania”, as the project is dubbed, doesn’t use Beatles music, passing on the irony.

While using these sounds works at the start, after a while the beetles begin to ignore it. When this happened, the scientist turned to a new idea. The idea is to play this aggressive call made by males of the “tree-killer” species. They would play the call louder and longer. By doing this, it messed everything up for the beetles. Tunneling, mating, reproducing was effected. They were particularly effective in turning the beetles against each other, which is rare. On one instance, they played the call as a male and female were about to mate. The effect? The male ripped the female apart. There is still a need to expand this testing, to build upon the early returns. However, until then, it is pretty safe to say that the beetles would rather not hear Paradise City any time soon.

Discovery News broke the story.

Ask The Experts At JP McHale: Winter Rodents and Arbor Care

Posted on January 4, 2010 with 2 Comments

Q. I hear rodent activity spikes this time of the year, how do I protect my house from rodent activity?

Answer: As colder months come up on us, rodents will seek into warmer areas. It is important you examine potential avenues of entry around your house to exclude these commensal creatures. Openings around garage doors, pipe chasings and foundation cracks can provide access. Seal these openings! Establishing bird houses or feeding bread to birds within 25 feet of your home will attract rodent activity. Do not store bird feed, dry dog food or any other type of feed in bags. Transfer the contents of these products into plastic storage bins if kept under your sinks or in basement areas.

As winter nears, your home needs the protection of a full service pest solutions program.

Q. How do I best prepare my plants, arbors and shrubs for the blustery winter months ahead?

Answer: Winter temperatures and weather can wreak havoc on your arbors. Deep root fertilization aerates the soil and constructs a pathway of vitamins and nutrients directly to your arbor’s root system. Your trees and shrubs will retain these essential nutrients in its root system, pulling it from them when required, for early spring growth.

Q .What are the benefits of lime applications to my lawn?

Answer: Weeds grow best in acidic soil while grass benefits from a neutral base. Lime neutralizes the soil ph and mitigates any adverse reactions to organic fertilizer. Making a long story short, healthy soil leads to healthy grass. Healthy grass combats weed development. You cannot get any greener than that!

“There’s no weapon like experience.” JP McHale Pest Management Inc. is a family owned and operated pest management company since 1971, we are one of the top 50 largest pest control companies in the United States. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about the services we offer.

Five Fall Tips For New York Homeowners

Posted on November 2, 2009 with No Comments

1. Why should I aerate my lawn at this time of the year?

This is the optimum time to set your lawn up for success next spring. Aerating your lawnscape will relieve soil compaction and break down the barrier of thatch resting between soil and new grass seedlings. This exercise will make soil more receptive to water, and essential nutrients, simultaneously expanding root growth.

2. What is the most effective way to prevent wind burn or halt winter damage to my evergreen trees?

Applying an anti-dessicant application to your conifer trees will give the needles a healthy shine, while assisting your arbors in retaining important moisture levels. This environmentally sound, wax based product, seamlessly melts off in spring when your plants are ready to commence the growing season.

3. How do I best prepare my plants, arbors and shrubs for the blistering winter months ahead?

Winter temperatures and weather can wreak havoc on your arbors. Deep root fertilization aerates the soil and constructs a pathway of vitamins and nutrients directly to your arbor’s root system. Your trees and shrubs will retain these essential nutrients, in its root system, pulling from them when required, for early spring growth.

4. Describe the benefits associated with Lime applications to my lawn.

Weeds grow best in acidic soil while grass benefits from a neutral base. Lime neutralizes the soil ph and mitigates any adverse reactions to organic fertilizer applications. Neutral soil optimizes the effects of organic fertilizer. Making a long story short, healthy soil leads to healthy grass. Health grass combats weed development. You cannot get any greener than that!

5. I hear rodent activity spikes this time of the year. How do I protect my house from rodent activity?

As cooler months come upon us rodents will seek entry into warmer areas. It is important you examine potential avenues of entry around your house to exclude these commensal creatures. Openings around garage doors, pipe chasings and foundation cracks can provide access. Seal these openings! Establishing bird houses or feeding bread to birds within 25 feet of your home will attract rodent activity. Do not store bird feed, dry dog food or any other type of feed in bags. Transfer the contents of these products into plastic storage bins if kept under your sink or in basement areas.

Please contact us if you are interested in any of our services. We service New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.