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Ticks are a growing concern, for a good reason. With the increasing population of deer in Pittsburgh and reports of Lyme disease diagnosis doubling over the past 10-years, ticks are everywhere. But when do we have to be more concerned about them, how can we identify them, and how best to remove them are questions that any of us might have. In this blog article, we try to address some of these topics.

When are ticks at their peak? As with most bugs, ticks have a seasonal life cycle. Typically the tiny nymphs are the ones that feed heavily in the spring and summer (May through July) and that do the most damage in transmitting Lyme disease to their hosts. Other stages of ticks are not as likely ...

There are so many weed controls now-a-days, but which one is right for you? In this article, we attempt to provide some general tips and recommendations to make this choice an easier one for you. Here we go...

Organic vs Chemical: Organic weed controls continue to evolve and become more effective, so if the desire is to go organic, there are now effective options to kill and prevent weeds while being 100% organic. Liquids such as ones with Iron HEDTA are safe for lawns and are effective against common broadleaf weeds and even harder to kill weeds such as clover and moss. Organic products tend not to be as broad purpose as chemically derived ones. Organics also work best in the hot summer mon...

Safer alternatives to weed control have been around for 10+ years, but in the last 2 years we have seen a growing number of options in this category! If you are opposed to using chemicals in your lawn and garden, there are now many more options to kill and contain weeds around your home than ever before. And their effectiveness is quite impressive as well.

Weed and grass killers are best applied to garden areas around mature plants, or around driveways, sidewalks and other structures. Burnout from Bonide is a favorite for many years and works by 'burning' the leaves of plants to effectively kill the plant. Spectricide's weed and grass killer is new to our store and a much safer alternative...

We love succulents and we have many great products for you to find creative ways to care and display them in your home. Cute and functional planters in various sizes. Terraniums and decorative moss to make a unique display. And a multitude of potting mix and plant foods to make them feel right at home!

Here are some tips for success!

Some sun, but not too much direct sunlight. Succulents love sunlight, but too much can cause them to sunburn. If the plants are getting too little warmth and sunlight, the soil may not dry out enough and be prone to root rot.

Some water, but not too much water. The general rule of thumb is to water succulents indoors once per week. If they are in a sunny spot, ...

The drought and heat over the past 2-3 weeks has been very tough on our yards and lawns. As rain continues to be scarce, here are some tips to improve moisture retention and to get through these hot times with little-to-no damage to your beloved plants.

GARDEN AREAS:

Make sure that these areas are mulched with 2+ inches of material. Mulch provides some much needed shade to the soil and prevents the ground from drying out and from the soil getting too compacted. Landscape rocks can work just as well if that is your preferred look.

LAWNS:

Water is so important, especially so for young grass that may have been planted last Fall or this past Spring. More mature lawns will probably be able to withst...

The Wet and Forget family of products were introduced to the US over 10 years ago, and they have become a favorite of many because of how simple and easy they are to apply! As the name suggests, simply WET and FORGET. No scrubbing, no rinsing required.

I recently had an opportunity to use these products at my home in Dormont on a few locations that have continually gotten worse and worse with mold and moss growth. This organic growth was forming on a wooden seating bench as well as a decorative retaining wall at the side of my house. That's why I called upon Wet and Forget! The results in just 2 weeks have been fantastic. The retaining well is more porous and for that reason will take a litt...

Tired of furniture pads that wear out and fall off, all too soon? There is a better solution!

Flexi-Felt furniture pads are not your normal pads. The tape will NOT de-laminate from the felt and the felt will NOT shift out of place. Instead Flexi-Felt pads are made from highly durable felt that is adhered to furniture layers with an adhesive that is 5X stronger than traditional tape that is used by the competition.

Great for all situations include difficult scenarios where carpet meets hard surfaces, or rough surface floors such as natural stone, or floors that have deep grout lines. Flexi-Felt pads are made to withstand the vigors of our daily lives.

Check out this video to see them in action!

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This season, there has been much concern about the flu as well as the Coronavirus. Protect yourself the best that you can by keeping your home clean and washing up after you are in high traffic areas. One product that can help you greatly in this task is BactroKill from the Bactronix company. This company is based right here in Pittsburgh, and has been specializing in home, office, and hospital sanitation measures for years. About 5 years ago, they started to retail a product that kills and destroys many viruses and bacteria with just a simple spray. This product is called BactroKill and it has been trending this winter, for obvious reason.

BactroKill uses a non-toxic nanotechnology that wil...

The weather looks to be getting colder this weekend. Soon, we will need to start using ice melters more frequently to combat the snow and ice. We have provided this short article to help you choose which ice melter is best for you based on the applied-to surface, their age, and the air temperatures.

Protect your dog’s paws from the uncomfortable and irritating side effects of snow, ice, and rock salt at this time of the year with 100% all natural Musher’s Secret!