Sample Submission
UMass Extension, in cooperation with researchers at UMass Amherst, will assess specimens to determine whether they are black legged ticks (deer ticks), and if so, will determine whether or not they carry the bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. The test can detect the Lyme disease pathogen from a single tick. There is a fee of $40 per sample.
Ticks can also be analyzed for the pathogens of babesiosis and anaplasmosis for a fee of $100. These tests are not conducted separately. The test for Lyme disease must also be ordered at the same time. Thus the test for Lyme disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis costs $140.
To submit a sample, download the submission form and follow the instructions.
Tick Sample Submission Form
Address packages to:
UMass Extension Tick Assessment
Agricultural Engineering Building, 250 Natural Resources Way
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
Use exact address to ensure delivery.
For specific information, contact:
Dr. Craig Hollingsworth, (413) 545-1055,
chollingsworth@umext.umass.edu
What is the turn-around time for diagnostic results?
Typically, we open tick samples on TUESDAY afternoon and begin processing the ticks that day. So far, we have always been able to send results by the end of that week. Specimens that arrive after TUESDAY are processed the following week. Keep in mind that UMass mail can require one extra day for campus distribution.
Is your tick good enough?
A number of people have called to ask if their ticks can be analyzed. The answer is almost always “YES.” We have successfully processed broken and torn, water-soaked, dried-up and alcohol-bathed ticks. A few extra days in the mailbox will not affect the results. We prefer that you do NOT encase your tick in tape, but if the deed has been done we can deal with it,. The best samples are fresh ticks that have been treated as directed on the sample submission form. If we cannot process your tick, we will refund your fee.
About the diagnostic tests
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing detects the genetic material (DNA) of the Lyme disease bacteria and other pathogens. If a tick contains the specific pathogen, the test will give a positive result. If the tick does not contain the pathogen, we will receive a negative result. The test will NOT indicate whether the tick has transmitted the disease. This depends on the amount of pathogen it is carrying and how long it has fed. A negative result however should assure individual that disease transmission from a particular tick is not expected.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health offers the following advice with regard to tick test results.
Tests performed on the ticks are not perfect and they do not test for all infections ticks may be carrying. Therefore, even with a negative result, people should still monitor themselves for the appearance of rash, fever or other unusual symptoms and immediately seek the advice of a health care provider should any symptoms occur.
If someone has been infected by a tick bite, symptoms may begin to occur even before the results of tick testing are available. People should not to wait for tick testing results before seeking medical advice should any symptoms develop.
A positive test on a tick is not an automatic indication that treatment is needed. A positive test indicates that the tick was infected but not that the tick was successful in spreading the infection to the person bitten. The longer a tick is attached to you, the greater the chance that it will spread infection. Discuss any positive test results with your health care provider.
Archive for the ‘Noon Turf Care’ tag
Winter webinar
Last week, I called up Matt Noon to ask him about a webinar invitation he sent me.
Noon, part owner of Noon Turf Care with his brother Chris in Hudson, Mass., held a webinar last fall for his customers and prospects.
One of his friends had recently bought a house, and kept calling Noon with questions about how to take care of various parts of it – the lawn, the plants, the gutters.
“That’s what our clients are like,” he says – lots of questions about the same stuff, all the time.
So, to help answer these questions, Noon put together a webinar and sent the invitation to his Outlook contacts. (That’s how I made the cut.)
The webinar went over fall maintenance tips for homeowners, and focused on their, turf, plants, outdoor power equipment and exterior maintenance.
 
At the end of the presentation, Noon took questions, and offered attendees a free tree and shrub evaluation.
He told me he didn’t get hundreds of people on the call – more like a few dozen. But it allowed him to get in front of a few dozen people at once – people who were interested in hearing his message about lawn care.
The cost to put on a webinar is minimal and the upside is good. You can download Noon’s slides here, and read more in an upcoming issue of Lawn & Landscape.
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The Liquid VS Dry Conundrum: Selecting your Fertilizers |
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By: Matthew Noon, President of Noon Turf Care |
| When I sat down last year with our company agronomist to review our product usage from the past year, I came to a realization that our company needed a new product strategy. During the past several years we have experienced rapid growth which has put a tremendous amount of pressure on top managers to control costs. Product cost for a lawn care company is a major expense that is a large factor that controls profit margins. Aside from wages, product cost is one of the most important factors that determine our financial success. Negotiating product pricing with our vendors is one the most important decisions we make all year. It has been my experience to see Lawn care companies’ product expense vary from 10% to 20% per year. |
| Lawn care company owners and managers are in a difficult position with regard to pricing issues with their vendors. Rising demand factors from China and abroad that have spiked fertilizer costs by almost 10% in the past year. It doesn’t matter whether one uses liquid or granular, both costs have risen significantly. To make matters worse, it has become increasingly difficult to hedge product costs for the season with vendors. Due to recent market value fluctuations in products such as urea and potassium fertilizer, vendors are hesitant to hedge the risk with their customers by maintaining fixed prices throughout the year. Some vendors create early order programs that give the illusion of offering discounts but most are providing the savings to you somewhere else in the transaction. We will not play these games. Our vendors will not offer these gimmicky programs because we insist on rock bottom pricing without all the game-playing if they want to do business with our company. |
| Product availability and cost then becomes a large factor in considering whether we should use liquid fertilizers or dry granular fertilizers. Both National companies and small privately owned companies each have their own philosophy on what to use. While many companies say that they make this decision based only for financial reasons, others base it on quality and results. For the past 12 years we have wrestled with using liquid or granular. Some years we have used liquid and others we have used granular products both having their advantages and disadvantages. |
| Through trials and tribulations, we have come to the conclusion that there really isn’t a right or wrong answer. Decisions need to be made based on each individual company’s specific circumstances. These decisions should be based on cost, storage, equipment and most importantly results. Keeping your customers’ best interest in mind is the most important variable to consider in the decision-making process. At the end of the day, results are the most important because without that you don’t have a loyal customer. Once a client loses confidence in your company based on their lawn appearance not much can convince them to remain as a long-term client. And as we all know, customer churn is a most expensive cost to our bottom line. |
| I have realized that combining liquid and granular fertilizers into our program for the year was the perfect blend depending on the round. Striking a balance of both has truly improved our product cost, labor, consistency in product and most importantly quality of results. Furthermore, it has helped with client perception. When selling a service you never want to make a client feel that they can do the same job themselves. When one of our 500 gallon spray trucks arrives at a client’s home and the technician begins spraying, value is truly added. The client just feels that they can’t do it themselves. I liken it to when you dine out for brick oven pizza. I don’t care how good I can make pizza at home, it does not compare to eating pizza just cooked in a 600 degree brick oven. The service experience is there in spraying rather that applying granular. You wow the client and make them feel that they are receiving value that they could never attain. |
| Liquid fertilizers have their benefits as many of you already realize. As we slowly moved over to using it as well as granular it was a perfect mix but it took some time to train our staff and adjust to this new method. I also thought it was in our company’s best interest to assert more control over our own mixing. This created consistency in our products as well as deterred theft and carelessness in product usage. For example, a lawn technician may not pay attention to the setting of their spreader and apply too much or too little granular to the lawn application. When we mix our own products we can analyze our program over the year in such feature as nitrogen output or usage of weed control. As well as eliminating the waste of opened bags not fully used. It also increased our quality control in treating weeds. No matter how well one manages a lawn technician, if they have to pass over the lawn twice to do the job the second time around with never be as consistent as the first time. When our technicians are using granular fertilizers they miss areas when treating weeds and crabgrass. Loading all of our trucks each morning was beginning to also look like one of those crazy restaurant kitchens with chefs bumping into each other. It was a madhouse when all we used was granular. Loading a half a dozen pallets of fertilizer into trucks was exhausting and labor intensive. It is also a lot cleaner to treat with liquids rather than granular. When using granular, technicians lose much of the product when unopened bags are subject to the elements and many technician spread product spill onto driveways and walkways. |
| There are many advantages to having liquid in your program however, one drawback is the upfront cost. To administer liquid applications one needs the investment of equipment. That is the need for agitating enhanced spray tanks to apply liquid fertilizer on lawns. This equipment can range in cost from $4,000-$18,000 depending on the equipment. Additionally, if it is the desire to mix the liquid products prior to distributing to each individual truck, there is the need to invest in a bulk mixing tank system. We invested in this when we reached 30 trucks in our service location. This cost us approximately $40,000.00. So, although it is a very good investment, it will take three years to see a return on investment. However, once accomplished, we have a clean method of loading trucks quickly and efficiently thereby making it more cost effective. |
| Granular applications also have their advantages. Granular is much more cost effective to apply. Typically all one needs is a $400.00 dollar spreader, a $14.00 bag of fertilizer and a certified applicator for application. It’s also a phenomenal fertilizer to apply during dry and hot period’s times of the year. Slow release granular fertilizers are much better for feeding lawns that are suffering from heat stress and dry weather. Typically, our company applies slow release granular fertilizers during the summer and fall seasons. When applied, our 30% slow-release fertilizers allow lawns to be fed slowly when it’s very warm and dry and those lawn are then fed to avoid burning. Additionally, lawns can then be fed with less frequency. They also make for a fantastic management tool. We have all received that call from a customer that the lawn technician did not treat the entire lawn or even treat it at all. It is very easy for one of our service managers to immediately visit and address by physically going to the lawn and seeing for themselves. A better solution is to educate the customer on the phone to go to the lawn and look closely to actually detect the granular fertilizer. |
| When we began our business we were servicing under 1,000 customers with granular fertilizers. It was a much better option in my opinion. It was easy to scale our service initially with granular fertilizer. Although we always used liquid herbicides and insecticides. Based on my research and own personal experience granular pesticides are less effective in controlling weeds and even insects. As our company grew and we needed to control costs and consistency in product we slowly transitioned into both liquid and granular fertilizers and we have finally struck a perfect balance. We start the first several rounds using liquid fertilizer to feed the lawn quickly without a slow release because we know we will be back again in 5 weeks. We also have the ability of mixing the pre-emergent and broadleaf control so that we can hit control every problem weed and grass on the lawn with one pass by technician. We then transition into a granular slow-release fertilizer for the warm and dry season and the fall as it is better for the lawn. Having this eclectic balance has saved our company time, wages and product cost. Most importantly, we keep our customers best interests in mind by developing a superior lawn care program throughout the year. |
Boxwood Blight Found in Massachusetts |
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In December 2011, the UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab working with samples collected by MA Dept. of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) inspectors positively identified boxwood blight (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum) in Massachusetts.
Beginning in early December, MDAR inspectors performed trace forward surveys of nurseries and garden centers identified by USDA APHIS PPQ as having received boxwood plants from nurseries in CT known to have some boxwood blight infected plants. |
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In the mid-1990’s, plant pathologists in the United Kingdom first identified the fungal disease. By 2002, boxwood blight was present in New Zealand. How the fungus arrived in the United States is unclear, but within the last year, it has turned up in Virginia, North Carolina, and Connecticut landscapes, garden centers, and nurseries. The most susceptible species appear to be English (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’) and American or common boxwood (B. sempervirens), although many species of boxwood are susceptible to infection. Asymptomatic but infected plants of resistant varieties may introduce this pathogen to uninfected areas. The fungus colonizes all aboveground portions of the plant. Initial symptoms appear as dark or light brown circular leaf spots. Infected leaves then turn brown-tan, which is rapidly followed by defoliation. In addition, black lesions often develop on twigs and stems. Plants are not killed by this disease, but become so defoliated as to be aesthetically unacceptable. Infected plants introduced into older, well-established plantings will rapidly spread the disease to healthy plants. This disease is spread primarily by water (rain splash, irrigation, runoff, etc.) and by the movement of plant material in the trade. The best management strategy at this point, before more is known about this pathogen, is to not introduce any boxwoods from unverified sources, either into the nursery or landscape. For information on this emerging issue, refer to the following fact sheet provided by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: Boxwood Blight – A New Disease for Connecticut and the U.S. - Dan Gillman, UMass Extension Plant Pathologist |
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Which turfgrasses grow and survive best with the least amount of water? |
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| That’s the focus of a study, designed to save water, being conducted by the UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture. Using its new rainout shelter, UMass researchers are studying drought tolerance that will help with the management of golf, recreational turf and lawn turf. | |
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JANUARY 20, 2012 Lawn Care meets high-tech at Noon Turf CareBy Josh Steinberg |
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| Starting this season, Noon Turf Care will be using powerful new technology while servicing their client’s lawns, trees, and shrubs. “This great new technology will help us to service our clients more efficiently”, says Chris Noon, President of Noon Turf Care. |
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These mobile computer systems have software to help our technicians service your lawn and give instant printed analysis at the time of service. This new technology will keep our staff safe and they will never get lost with the GPS mapping and turn-by-turn voice navigation. They will use the software to ensure accurate data entry and provide a safe, modern method to service customers. |
| Each of our trucks will be equipped with a mobile unit as well as a color printer. Noon strives to stay ahead of its competition, and with the addition of new technology, the future has never been brighter at Noon Turf Care. |
| Planning for Spring | Flower and Plant Design |
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It’s that time of year again. The Holidays are over, we concentrate on paying bills and staying warm, when the barrage vegetable, and bulb catalogs are rubber banded to our mail boxes! They just don’t fit in the box! This a good time to take a look at your landscape and plan your spring planting projects. The beds and foundations are free of snow and the time is right to save money on these projects. Whether you are planning annual flower dressings, perennial gardens, ornamental trees and shrubs, these catalogues can provide a wide variety of colors and contrasts to choose from. So take a moment to look at them and your own castle to see if some small changes can enhance your landscape. http://www.gardendesign.com/ |
| Fertilization | DIY or hire a professional? |
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Now that the holidays have past, a lot of us are looking to spring and our lawns. Several questions and issues arise while we are in the process of deciding whether to do it ourselves, or hire a professional. Several respected and licensed landscape professionals are also providing fertilization services. The issues to research are generally buying exactly what you need to fertilize your property yourself. Most times a 15,000 square foot lawn is 20,000 or 10,000 square feet, and the home owner ends up purchasing too much or too little and ends up with a partial bag left over. The next application usually requires a different Nitrogen percentage and the cycle begins again. By the end of the season, you have spent a lot of money, without a guarantee, for several bags of rocks in the corner by the garage door. And then there is the true professional turf care company that is licensed, applies exactly what is specified for each application, guarantees its service and is in tune with environmental concerns. This does come at a price, but if you add up the cost of those bags of rocks in the corner you would find that the cost is equal in most cases to having a licensed, reputable company address your lawn needs. So whatever you choose, shop wisely and implement what works best for your landscape. |
| Winter Lawn Care | Challenges with Mild Winters |
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This winter has brought new challenges for lawns. Lack of snow, unstable and fluctuating temperatures etc. If you have not introduced lime over the fall, now would be a great time. Check for accumulating leaves, toys, and Christmas decorations and remove them. These accumulations are harborage points for insects and rodents. They will also impair sunlight and nutrients to dormant turf grasses and promote die off. Vigilance now will help provide a greener start in the spring. |
| Winter Tree Care | Ornamental Trees |
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With an extremely mild winter upon us, the average and exotic landscapes will have several issues to overcome this spring. Lack of moisture at the feeder roots, lack of nutrition caused by unseasonable temperatures using up stored energy and early insect activity are just a few examples. It would be prudent to research and plan a minimal insect, watering and fertilization program this spring to replace lost nutrients and identify any harborage points and egg masses before damage occurs. Be ready to water ornamental trees and shrubs for 45 minutes weekly. This will insure that root systems do not rise to the surface for minimal moisture from light rains and dry out when temperatures rise and soil conditions dry. These 3 small steps can provide healthy landscapes without a lot effort |
| Tree Care | Pruning Practices |
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When do I prune trees?Deciduous treesDeciduous trees (ones that lose their leaves in winter) are usually pruned in autumn and winter. In some cases, for example with magnolias and walnuts, pruning is best done in late summer, as healing is quicker. Trees such as Prunus sp, which are prone to silver leaf disease are best pruned from April to July when the disease spores are not on the wind, and the tree sap is rising rather than falling (which pushes out infection rather than drawing it in). Some trees can bleed sap if pruned in late winter and early spring. Although seldom fatal, this is unsightly and can weaken the tree. Birches and walnuts often bleed if pruned at the wrong time. Evergreen treesEvergreens seldom need pruning, although dead and diseased branches can be removed in late summer. How to remove tree branches and limbs
If pruning cuts bleed sap, don’t bandage or bind the cut, as attempts to stem the bleeding are likely to be unsuccessful and may impede rather than aid healing. tips courtesty of Royal Horticultural Society |
| Turf Diseases | Snow Mold |
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Symptoms: Damage from snow mold fungi usually becomes apparent as the snow melts and exposes the grass in late winter. Snow mold symptoms consist of roughly circular patches (at least 3 to 12 inches) of dead and matted grass blades. In severe cases, these patches coalesce and may not be recognizable as individual circles. Just after snow melt and while the grass remains moist, it may be possible to differentiate between the two common types of snow mold found in New England by their color. The web-like mycelium of pink snow mold (Microdochium nivale) may initially look white and mature to a faint pink to salmon color. Gray snow mold (Typhula spp.) is white to gray in color. The mycelium of both types of fungi will disappear quickly as the grass dries. A useful identifying characteristic of gray snow mold is the presence of tiny brown to black mycelial masses (sclerotia) on the blades and in the leaf sheaths of infected plants. These survival structures vary in size and color, becoming smaller and darker as they dry. The pink snow mold fungus does not produce sclerotia. It is useful to determine whether the disease is pink or gray snow mold because gray snow mold rarely damages more than the blades of the grass. Lawns with gray snow mold can be expected to recover fairly quickly even when damage appears extensive. Pink snow mold, in contrast, may invade the crowns and roots causing more serious injury. It is not unusual for both types of snow mold to be found in the same area. All common lawn grasses may be infected, but Kentucky bluegrass-fescue lawns are the least susceptible to severe damage. Courtesy of University of Rhode Island |
| Winter Property Protection | Snow Plowing |
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For people who value their fine turf, plow staking driveways, walkways and patios is one of the best ways to preserve and demarcate turf from snow plowable areas. Plow stakes can be either wood or fiberglass. The high-visibility fiberglass variety are generally more flexible and durable and sold in 36-40 count bundles.
Stakes should be driven into the ground as close to the driveway, patio or walkway as possible. Placement should be every 8-10 feet, depending on the area you’re trying to protect. Driving the stakes into the ground will be less difficult if you get it done before the ground freezes. If the ground is frozen, it is still possible to get them in using a 3/8″ or 1/2″ drill bit and cordless drill.
People are also encouraged to walk their properties with their landscaper or plow driver BEFORE the first flake of snow hits the ground. This helps set expectations for the plow driver and raise awareness of sensitive areas like ditches, culverts, sprinkler heads and the like. People should also remember they’re paying for a plow service and that it’s perfectly okay to ask the plow driver to raise the plow blade where necessary to avoid damaging the turf below.
The reality for many is despite plow staking, turf damage does occasionally occur. Stakes are snapped off under heavy snow load and the deeper into the winter we go, finding a place to put snow can be a real challenge. Remember last winter? Spring is always the best time to assess plow damage. After the snow melts, replace any large stands of turf back to their original position. Lightly tamp the areas to level them off. It may be necessary to re-seed these areas either wholly or in part to re-establish turf.
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| Winter Tree Injury | Pine |
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A sure sign of winter injury of conifers is the red-brown foliage. It is usually most severe on the south and western sides of the trees, and on trees located in exposed sites. This type of injury occurs when a warm spell follows a cold freeze. The sun warms the foliage, breaking their dormancy and causing transpiration. The roots in frozen soil cannot carry the replacement water to the needles, and the tissue dies. If this injury had been uniform throughout the tree, one would suspect drought stress. |
Winter Property Care | Ice Melt
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Broadleaf Evergreens: Winter Injury
