TDI Blog

Termites date back more than 120 million years to the time of the dinosaurs. Termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage to homes and structures in the U.S. annually. Damage costs that are not covered by homeowner’s insurance. Termites are known as “silent destroyers” because of their ability to chew through wood, flooring, and even wall...

Anthills can be annoying, especially when trying to mow the lawn. They can also be a literal pain, depending on the kind of ants you have. Fire Ants are very common in the Huntsville and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, their presence can make parts of your yard a “no-go” area, especially if you have children or pets. Fortunately, ant nests are ge...

In North Alabama, there are both warm season and cool season grasses that grow in the transition zone. The U.S. has a region known to the turf industry as the transition zone that extends through the central part of the country and includes parts of each of the other four zones. This is the most difficult region in which to grow grass. Both cool-se...

A grub preventative application in late May through early June can be one of the best tools for preventing grub infestations. The threshold for grub populations is 10-12 grubs per square foot. Turf cannot recover from infestations nearing the threshold. A preventative application is all about the timing of the treatment. Applications only work if a...

Late August through early October is the best time to aerate and overseed. Before overseeding your lawn , you should first determine what types of cool season grasses would perform best in your location. In North Alabama, a blend of turf-type Tall Fescue generally works best. Blends usually contain 3-5 different varieties of fescue with different q...

If you have an abundance of mosquitoes in your yard or garden, you know they can be very unwelcome guests. These pests carry and spread dangerous diseases like the West Nile virus and other nasty illnesses. But how can you prevent these pesky insects from taking up residence in your yard? If it’s too late and they have already moved in, how can you...

This question gets asked frequently. While there are many factors, the following covers the most common instances that can cause plant loss in the landscape. To start, environmental factors are usually the first issues to cover or rule out as possible causes. One issue may be too much water. This can be from extended periods of rain, the plant bein...

What is a ground mole, and how can you identify its presence in your yard or garden? Moles are small, rodent-like insectivores that live underground, spending most of their time digging intricate tunnels to find worms and insects, feeding mainly on earthworms, but they also feed on snails, slugs, millipedes, and centipedes. They actually prefer to ...

Treating your lawn in the fall depends mostly on the type of grass you have. For cool season grasses like Tall Fescue or Rye Grass, aerating and overseeding is the most important service done to your lawn over the course the year. This is the time of year to promote new seedlings with the correct nutrients so that the seedlings can mature quickly. ...

Aeration is a lawn care procedure which alleviates compaction and allows water, air, and nutrients to penetrate your lawn while stimulating beneficial bacteria, fungi, and protozoa to grow. These beneficial organisms are aerobic ("good guys"), meaning they need air to thrive. When the soil is compact, it has less air-holding capacity and becomes an...