Home and Real Estate
Landscaping Timely Tips: Part 1
By Larry Williams
Pesticides: Safe and Effective Use in the Home and Landscape
Pesticides are designed to be toxic to the pests they target -- whether they are insects, cause plant disease, or are weeds or other unwanted home and garden invaders. When used properly, pesticides can protect your plants or home from damage. However, when the label instructions are not followed correctly, plant injury may occur, pests may not be controlled, health may be impaired, and pesticides may contribute to soil, air, or water pollution.
Before you purchase and use a pesticide, learn all you can about the material, how to use it, and how to properly dispose of the empty containers. Also, carefully consider whether or not a pesticide is necessary and if a nonchemical solution might be just as effective.
DEFINITION OF A PESTICIDE
A pesticide is any material (natural, organic, or synthetic) used to control, prevent, kill, suppress, or repel pests. "Pesticide" is a broad term that includes insecticides (insect killers), herbicides (weed or plant killers), fungicides (fungus killers), rodenticides (rodent killers), growth regulators, and other materials like miticides, which are used for mite control, or products that kill snails and slugs (molluscicides).
DECIDING TO USE A PESTICIDE
Before using any pesticide, be sure you need it. Verify that the organism you seek to control is really causing lasting damage and research alternative management methods. Keep in mind that most pests cannot be entirely eliminated -- even with pesticides. Some questions to ask before choosing to use a pesticide include:
Is a pest really the cause of the problem? More often than most people imagine, pesticide products are applied unnecessarily because the cause of damage has been misidentified. Damage can also be the result of other factors such as incorrect irrigation, poor drainage, herbicide toxicity, or physical damage.
How many pests are there and will a pesticide spray be justified? A few caterpillars on a plant might not be a problem that requires any pesticide action on your part, especially if natural enemies of the caterpillars are present. However, a very high population causing severe leaf loss or damage to edible fruits or nuts may mean you would want to control the pest. Be sure to base decisions on presence of pests -- not damage levels -- and on your knowledge of the pest's life cycle. For instance, often by the time a tree is defoliated (stripped of leaves), the pests are gone and sprays will be of no use. In the case of foliar diseases, many fungicides must be applied preventatively before symptoms are noticeable.
Can you change the conditions which have caused the pest to become a problem?
Prevention is always the best way to manage a pest problem. Will the conditions change due to the weather or other environmental factors? Is the problem due to gardening practices that can be changed? Each specific pest organism has optimum environmental conditions for causing damage. For instance, powdery mildew in many plants is favored by shade and conditions that favor off-season growth. Sometimes providing plants with a sunny location, opening up canopies to provide air circulation, and avoiding excessive fertilizing will keep the disease from becoming serious. Overhead sprinkling may also reduce powdery mildew problems on some plants.
Other than a pesticide, what else might work? There are many ways to manage pests other than pesticides including:
- Cultural control (using the right pruning, fertilizing or watering regime, or selecting pest-resistant varieties or species)
- Physical control (for example, using mulches to keep weeds from growing, or solarization for soil-borne pathogens or weed seeds)
- Mechanical control (hoeing weeds, spraying leaves forcefully with water to remove insects, or using traps or creating barriers to exclude pests)
- Biological control (using beneficial organisms such as insects that eat or parasitize other insects)
- Replant (in extreme cases, where a plant requires regular pesticide treatment, consider replanting with a more pest-resistant species or variety)
If you decide to use a pesticide, use it in an integrated pest management (IPM) program that includes use of nonchemical methods. In almost all cases, a combination of measures will provide the most satisfactory and long-term pest control.
Source: UC IPM
Larry Williams
Business: (951) 693-4783; Cell: (951) 903-8434
E-Mail: laborist@verizon.net
Time is Running Out! – “The Home Stretch is Upon Us”
By Rusty Cochran
The federal tax credit is coming to an end. The program started in 2009 and is set to expire December 31, 2010. This is an opportunity to make your home energy efficient. The program includes upgrading the windows and doors, insulation, water heaters and heating and air conditioning systems amongst a few other home improvement items.
The residential energy efficient property credit is available to homeowners who make energy savings improvements to their homes located in the United States. The credit is limited to a total of $1,500 for the tax years of 2009 and 2010. The form to fill out is 5695. Here's how it works:
You will get up to 30% of the cost of the improvement with a cap of $1,500 maximum. It is a onetime credit so multiple improvements will only qualify up to 30% or $1,500 total. Here's an example:
If your tax liability is $3,000 and you qualify for $1,500 tax credit, you will pay the IRS only $1,500 in April. It's an instant discount on your tax debt.
Here is a breakdown on the insulation based on a minimum rating of R-30 up to R-60 value. The windows and doors have a U-factor and SHGC of 0.30 or below and meet the prescriptive criteria for such components established by the IECC. Water heaters can be changed out to a commercial storage tank heater because it has a thermal efficiency of greater than 90%. Most typical home water heaters with storage tanks won’t qualify. The most common way to replace the water heater is to go with the tankless water heater. It’s more efficient and you won’t run out of hot water. Make sure it is a qualified product or get with a licensed contractor that can go over the qualifying water heaters with you.
Next on the list are furnaces. They have to be 95% A.F.U.E. efficient gas furnaces. The typical home now is about 80% A.F.U.E.
On air conditioners, it must reach 16 seer /13 seer. A seer is a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The easiest way to explain it is -- well it’s like MPG's (Miles Per Gallon) for a car. The higher the number, the more efficient the vehicle is. In most cases the furnace will have to be replaced as well in order to reach the requirements.
Not only will this make your home more efficient and lower your energy bills, it will also make the home much more comfortable. All the products should be looked up on the AHRI website to check for qualifications and other agencies depending on the improvement. Always do your due diligence and hire the right contractor. Check with the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), Better Business Bureau (BBB), and verify workers compensation and liability insurance, along with trade awards and affiliations.
There has never been a better time to invest in your home with the federal tax credits, utility rebates, and manufacturer rebates. Be energy efficient and live comfortably. Additional information on the federal tax credit can be found on the 5695 federal tax form, www.energystar.gov and www.ahrinet.org. You can also contact Rusty Cochran (President of WC Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.) for more information at 951-600-0700 energysavingshome@yahoo.com .
The Art of Home Surveillance
Oftentimes we are confronted with unique situations at home, at our business, or in our personal lives that require more protection than a traditional alarm system or a panic button can offer. CORE Investigations & Polygraph (CA State License #25534) utilizes State-of-the-Art video surveillance equipment that can be adapted to fit many different applications (residential/commercial).
Depending on the needs of our clients, we can design/build our own surveillance equipment. This ensures we maintain video surveillance coverage of the areas required and “capture” video of certain activities.
One of the most important applications of a residential or commercial video surveillance system is that it be visible in order to serve as a deterrent. However, there are times that a “covert” (hidden) system is required. Due to the wide range of equipment we have in our inventory, CORE Investigations & Polygraph has the ability to install surveillance cameras in areas that do not have direct access to electrical outlets. Those areas could be horse trails that run adjacent to residential properties, barns, remote sheds, and bike paths. Some of the surveillance cameras we utilize are as small as 1mm to 2mm in width and can view images from distances of 20 to 30 feet in low light conditions.
All our cameras are custom designed to meet our strict specifications and utilize the finest Sony chip sets available on today’s market. If you are on vacation or simply out shopping, we can install a residential/commercial video surveillance system that can be accessed and viewed from your iPhone or any computer.
Due to the volume of work we perform, we are able to provide the highest grade of surveillance equipment at “reasonable prices.” We customize each of our surveillance applications and have placed cameras in almost any object imaginable. What makes CORE Investigations & Polygraph unique is that we work with our clients in developing their video surveillance systems. As a result, we are not limited to “off the shelf” stock surveillance equipment that most other companies offer. We learned many years ago that in the world of surveillance “one size does not fit all.”
If you are experiencing acts of theft, vandalism, trespassing, or even harassment, you need to make that phone call to the experts. We “will” identify the “source” of your problem through State-of-the-Art video surveillance systems.
For a nominal fee, we will conduct a physical site assessment of your residence or business and design a video surveillance system that will produce results!
Stay tuned for next month’s article concerning State-of-the-Art Global Positioning
Tracking Devices and how they can be used in your personal and business lives.♦♦♦
Doug Brenn, 25-year California Law Enforcement, Deputy Chief Retired
Owner, CORE Investigations & Polygraph (CA Lic #25534)
(951) 816-3291 work; (951) 816-3292 fax
Website: www.coreinvestigations.com
e-mail: coreinvestigations@verizon.net
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