Insect Planet-Great for Kids-March 5th

Mark your calendar on Saturday, March 5th for the Harvard Museum of Natural History's Insect Planet event. Running from 9 am to 5 pm with hands on activities to examine live insects and learn about the many insects that share this planet with us this is a great event for familys with children. Our children alway enjoy seeing the insects doing the activities the museum has set up for this event. See you there!

-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.

A Gnawing Issue

This time of year, even with 12 degree nights and snow on the ground, rodents can be active around structures. Usually, they will exploit and make larger existing openings. A favorite is the opening that may be in between two doors, at the sweep level of an astragal seal. This photo shows a small gap that let enough heat and odors out of it to encourage a rodent to start expanding the opening. You can see a leaf pictured in the gap between where the mouse has chewed it apart. The solution here is to remove these damaged vinyl sweeps and replace them with new, brush style sweeps.

-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.

Blooms Ahead

As we settle in for a very cold evening, I am looking forward to the upcoming flower shows. The granddaddy, the Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. This fantastic show is from February 24 to 27th with tickets available at AAA locations throughout southern New England. This show is followed by BLOOMS! at the Boston Flower & Garden Show. The Massachusetts Horticultural Society (MASSHORT) has information available online to plan your visit March 16 to 2oth at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.

-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.

Going down the drain.

Clean drains will reduce fly activity. You can clearly see the pens, forks and straws in the bottom coated with organic matter. What is not visible, but present, are the fly larvae and pupa casings in the moist, organic matter. Using high quality Brushtech

to clean the drain and maintain the drain, the fly breeding source in this drain is eliminated. Fly management is integrated pest management by managing breeding sources, typically wet organic matter, without the use of pesticides.

-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.

New England Grows

Yesterday at New England Grows, attendance was light, but there were some excellent presentations, including one by C.L. Fornari, a last minute replacement for the original presenter, Kerry Ann Mendez. This is a link to some of the notes from C.L.'s presentation on Low Maintenance Perennials, including the grand prize, a list of low maintenance perrenials. . She has good ideas for plants that follow her criteria of low maintenance, the criteria include that it live, not require many other inputs and that it not spread or seed itself around the garden.

-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.