The trees on your property do much more than provide you with needed shade all summer long. They add beauty to your yard and increase the value of your home. As the snowy months approach us, Rentokil is here to share some tips to help you prepare your trees for the onslaught of snow we might be facing this winter.

Prune Tree Branches for Winter

The dead branches found in your tree should always be removed at the beginning of summer. Your tree should be well-pruned for their species. Now is a good time to evaluate your tree for any branches that may cause problems for walkways or your home. If there are any problem areas, this is a good time to prune them back.

Apply Mulch Around Trees

When the ground gets cold and warm repeatedly, it can cause the soil to expand and contract. This can mean problems for your tree’s root system. To solve it, place 2-3 inches of mulch around the base of your tree. This shouldn’t be right up against the trunk, because your tree needs to be able to breathe. When you are done, the mulch should be applied in a volcano shape. This mulch may have to be reapplied as the winter trudges on.

Wrap Tree Trunks

This trick is especially helpful when you have a young tree. To avoid sunscald, which is an injury caused by fluctuating winter temperatures, you need to wrap young trunks with a light-colored crepe paper-like material to keep the trunk safe. Wrap just up to the bottom of the branches. This can also help to keep hungry critters from snacking on your tree throughout the winter months as well.

Best Ice Melt for Trees; Potassium, Magnesium Chloride or Calcium

Many ice melts can cause serious damage to your landscaping. It is no different when it comes to your trees. When you are choosing the ice melts you are going to use for your home, choose those that contain potassium, magnesium chloride or calcium. Normal rock salt will interfere with the plants’ natural ability to absorb water, oxygen and other necessary nutrients.

Remove Excess Snow on Tree Branches

In the case that a particularly heavy snowstorm does hit, be aware of the amount of snow found on the branches of your tree. Especially as the leaves start to bud in the spring and a late snowstorm hits. You will want to remove any excessive snow that is burdening the limbs of your tree by gently shaking the branch to remove it.

Keep Squirrels, Raccoons & Other Critters Away

Many food sources are limited for small critters on your property during the winter. You may need to invest in wire mesh to wrap around the bottom of your trees to help keep critters from stealing a snack from your tree and causing damage.

Tree & Shrub Care

If you don’t have the time and tools needed to get your trees ready for the snow, you can count on Rentokil to do it for you. Call us today!

Almost all spiders have venom, but most are too weak to do any harm. Though most spiders are relatively harmless to people, there are several spiders in Utah that are dangerous. Particularly a risk for young, elderly, or those who have a compromised immune system; black widows, hobo and wolf spiders have dangerous bites. Because it is important to understand the characteristics of these three common dangerous spiders, we at Rentokil have elaborated on the fundamentals.

Black Widow Spider Bite

Considered the most venomous spider in Utah and notorious across North America, the black widow spider is known for its distinctive appearance. Females feature a red hourglass shape on their underside and are about a half an inch long, with shiny black coloring a large globular abdomen. Females are the biters and deliver hazardous venom with them. Black widows are actually docile and will only bite protecting their eggs or if they get disturbed. The males are half the size of the females and are often eaten after mating. Black widows are more reclusive in nature, sticking to dark corners and crevices especially in garages, sheds, or other areas on or near the exterior of a home and are more active at night. The venom in their bites will have symptoms manifest in the first 20 minutes where the victim experiences local pain in the area of the bite. From there, weakness, tremor, as well as possible stiffness, cramps and spasms, abdominal pain, chest pain, chills, difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness, fever and/or an increase in blood pressure and heart rate will develop. Where there is not an anti-venom for this, you need medical attention to treat the symptoms.

Hobo Spider Bite

Common in Utah, hobo spiders are part of the funnel-web spider family. They make funnel or cone-shaped, non-sticky webs and feature long legs. They do not exceed 2 inches long, but their sizes vary. They have a brown cephalothorax and darker brown markings. Grey abdomens with yellow markings are present but it can be difficult to spot without magnification. They are often confused with other spiders because of their generic appearance at first glance. Though hobo spiders are not climbers, they are very fast. They tend to keep to ground level and are frequently found in fields, around the brush, woodpiles, rock piles, foundation gaps, or other areas means of shelter. Inside homes, hobo spiders are commonly found in dark basements, hidden in window wells and sills, between objects, or in other protected and undisturbed areas. Depending on whether the bite is dry or wet dictates the severity of the bite. Dry means there was no released venom and the bite is not serious. Wet bites will immediately turn red that go away in a few hours. However, after a day or two, the blister breaks and the puncture develop into open, oozing ulceration. An erupting lesion that varies from pea size to larger than a half dollar or even a flesh hole that potentially leads to dead tissue will result if the bite is severe and untreated.

Wolf Spider Bite

Wolf spiders are commonly confused with tarantulas. These spiders can be dangerous. Dark brown and robust spiders, have eight eyes arranged in three rows; two large eyes on the middle row and two medium ones on the top of the head along with four small ones on the bottom row. Their size varies depending on sex and species, but generally, males are smaller than females. Fang marks are left after a bite and even skin tearing. Lasting up to 10 days, only redness, swelling and pain develops. Lymph glands may also swell.

Spider Control

No matter what type of spider species or other pests have come into your home, call Rentokil to remove them!

We all have had to deal with pests possibly even some kind of pest infestation at some point in our lives, roaches, ants, spiders, and so on, is among the most common. There are many pests that continue to be a nuisance throughout the winter. These pests frequently come inside homes and businesses to escape the colder temperatures and look for food as it becomes scarce. Where you can help significantly keep these pests out, you can’t completely prevent pests and they will inadvertently be brought in. With that in mind, today, we at Rentokil would like to share some tips on how you can help minimize pest populations.

Home Sealing & Interior Pest Prevention

Remove Pest Nesting Sites – If they come inside, most pests will look for food, water, and a place to nest, if there is nothing to find they move on. Remove attractive nesting grounds by decluttering your home. Avoid letting anything in your house pile up. Organize books, fabrics and clear out outdated magazines, mail, and catalogs. Pests can find harborage under and in clutter.
Secure Food from Pests – Your food, including pet food needs to be secure. Remove any clutter, expired food, and debris as you go through the cabinets, pantry, and bread drawers. They can easily get into poorly packaged food such as paper, flimsy plastic, and cardboard as well as easily get to the leftover crumbs left behind. Transfer these foods into pest-safe secure air-tight containers as well as all pet food.
Seal Your Home from Pests – Use dehumidifiers and repair any leaks from faucets, appliances, and pipes as soon as possible to remove the water source and moist conditions pests prefer and/or require. Install weather stripping and caulk as applicable after inspecting for gaps around the windows and doors. Once a week take the trash out or sooner as needed, ensure to always use a liner and once a month, wash them inside and out with hot soapy water. Keep a clean home and high sanitation by cleaning up after every meal and snack, avoid letting piled up dishes sit in the sink for too long, wipe down the counters and once a day, sweep the floors.

House Perimeter & Exterior Pest Prevention

Sealing Home from Pests – You need to thoroughly inspect the structure from the foundation to the roof and everything in between. For insects and wildlife to get inside your home, it does not require a lot of space. Bugs and rodents can slip through cracks and openings. For example, a mouse only needs a dime-size hole and a rat needs a quarter-size hole to slip inside. Seal the home as best as possible.
Maintain Landscape – The natural habitat for many pests is foliage and when it gets too close to your house, it invites the pests in. Minimize the visitation around your home by pruning the trees, trimming the plant life, pull the weeds, and cutting the grass. To avoid offering pests harborage, also remove the clutter including lumber, or building materials, toss the yard clippings. Anything you keep, store away from the house and toss the waste.
Other Tips to Prevent Pests in Your Yard – Avoid leaving pet food available 24/7, repair any leaks or inefficient gutters and downspouts to reduce the water supply.

Year-Round Pest Management

We at Rentokil are readily available to offer pest control management to contribute to minimize the pests from getting inside and to help you eliminate any infestations. Give us a call today to get started!