Blog

At Gerbert & Sons Landscaping and Irrigation we are always ready for the new season. In spring this year we are seeing an uptick in ticks, lighting expansions from the patio to the yard and irrigation updates that can save on your water bill.

Pesky Ticks are on the Uptick

We began seeing a sizable increase in ticks in our area this year. We had a mild winter which brought early tick activity. The ticks were able to remain active and began searching for their hosts earlier that usual. This higher population can lead to a greater risk of exposure. Two ticks we are looking out for are the longhorn and lone star ticks. These ticks have certain characteristics that we have shared below.  The other two ticks we see frequently is the deer and dog tick which are common to our area and can spread lyme disease.

More on the Lone Star Tick

The Lone Star Tick’s bite transmits an allergy to all things red meat. To read more about this tick got to this Providence Journal article on Thomas Mather, the director of URI’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and its TickEncounter Resource Center.

More on the Longhorn Tick

A new report by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) shows evidence of an invasive long horned tick infected with Ehrlichiosis virus. These are known to produce fertile eggs causing an infestation of ticks. A number of towns in Fairfield County are on alert. Please reach out to us if you want to know more.

Illuminate to Accentuate

Lighting is not just for the patio, porch or walkway. We are creating some very creative solutions for lighting your landscaped yard.

• Do you have some heirloom oaks you want to light? Consider some uplit spot lighting to add dramatic effect.
• Is there an area of your yard that is remote, away for convention electrical options: Consider solar lighting to lead the way.
• We are seeing some modern new bollard lamps that are unique and always can help you enhance your lighting plan. Call us today to talk about ideas for your yard.

Have you done Your Yearly Irrigation Update?

We are seeing more customers and businesses taking advantage of Hydrawise Controllers for their irrigation systems. Not only does it’s touchscreen make set up and install fast and efficient, but the system is Wi-Fi enabled so you can control and monitor your sprinkler system from anywhere in the world using your web browser or phone. Hi-tech and saves water too! John and his team can get you set up!

Coming in June

Bring on the Heat.

We will be talking about heat resistant bushes and perenniel flowers that will brighten your yard  for years to come.