What you should know about carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are a dangerous pest and can depreciate the value of your property over time. Please have your house and trees inspected annually for these potentially harmful critters. 

Here are some red flags for tree infestations:

• Sawdust near the base of the tree

• Cavities and holes in the wood itself

• Dead or dying limbs

• Moist soil conditions around a tree and decaying debris, even firewood nearby

• Aphid insects seen on tree leaves

How to treat carpenter ants: 

Check out this link to learn more:

https://www.hunker.com/12302184/how-to-kill-carpenter-ants-in-a-tree

Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not actually eat wood, however they do burrow holes within trees and can lead to tree diseases and improperly healed wounds which are more vulnerable in high wind storms causing broken off limbs.  We have been relentlessly having to remove many dangerous trees recently in the Philadelphia area.

Featured Veteran: Paul Pickering

Yard Veteran is committed to honoring and serving vets in our hometown. This month, we showed our gratitude to Paul Pickering by taking him to lunch and helping him downsize for a move. 

Here’s how Mr. Pickering described his service: 

After graduating from college, I realized that I had a military obligation to fulfill; as did many others at the time. After considering my options, I decided on becoming a citizen-soldier and joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1960 as a member of the 333rd Engineer Company (Pipeline) located in Northeast Philadelphia.

Following six months of initial training at Fort Knox, KY, I returned home only to be recalled to active duty–along with 155,000 of the reservists–by President Kennedy as a result of the Berlin Crisis and the erection of the infamous Berlin Wall. This event resulted in activating our unit which was then ordered to Fort Bragg, NC, for the duration of the crisis. Two-week summer training was scheduled annually at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, for our company. I received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army on Jan 31, 1966.

Top 5 Summer Blooms

Rachel_Web_Design / Getty Images

1. Hibiscus (perennial): Requires full sun and lots of water with well-drained soil. Commonly used as a centerpiece for elegant potting arrangements. Attracts bees, hummingbirds and butterflies. It also may be contained in tea which is said to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Gardener’s Path

2. Globe Amaranth (annual): Requires moderate sun to partial shade, moderate water. Also commonly used in bouquets. They are drought tolerant and sustain heat spells well. Useful for garden borders and clusters. Regular pruning may stimulate additional blooms.

Usplash

3. Purple Coneflower (wildflower perennial): Are extremely hardy, full to partial sun, self - seeding and can be divided into clumps for future planting.  It has complimentary features of the famous “black eyed Susan” Rudbeckia wildflower and is easy to grow in most soil conditions.   

Home Stratosphere

4. Lantana (annual): Do well in most soil conditions, full sun and are both deer resistant and heat tolerant. Bloom many times throughout spring and fall and the seeds can be sown from deadheading blooms to be prepared to grow again the following year. However it is not a pet friendly plant since it contains a mild to moderate level of toxins.

Shutterstock

5. Crape Myrtle (deciduous tree): Prefers partial to full sun. Blooms best in non-nutrient rich soil that is slightly acidic. It produces blooms that last from mid - summer to fall season and is often used as a focal point or anchor in gardens. This plant has been recently improved by botanists to resist mildew easier and some are hybrids of two different color blooms in one plant.