Controlling Spring Lawn Weeds
March begins lawn–weed season in many parts of the country. And if you want to keep you lawn looking beautiful and weed-free, Bayer Advanced can help. First, it’s important to be able to identify the types of weed you have and the conditions in which they thrive.
Weeds are classified as either broadleaf, like dandelions, chickweed, clover, henbit and creeping Charlie, or grassy, such as crabgrass and nutgrass. In the past, the type of weeds you had, as well as the type of lawn you were growing, dictated which herbicide you should use to kill the weeds. If you had broadleaf weeds, you applied one product. If you had grassy weeds, you used another. If you had both, which was often the case, you had to make at least two separate applications, an expensive and time-consuming proposition.
Now Bayer Advanced has simplified lawn–weed control, making it easier than ever to kill both broadleaf and grassy weeds. Bayer Advanced™ kills over 200 types of broadleaf weeds including dandelions and clover PLUS grassy weeds like crabgrass and nutgrass – without harming your lawn (not for use on St. Augustinegrass, Bahia, bentgrass, carpetgrass, centipedegrass or Dichondra). The line features the most convenient and easy way to treat all of your weeds PLUS Crabgrass– the Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Lawn Weed & Crabgrass Killer Ready-To-Spray – just hook to your hose and go. It also comes in Ready-To-Use containers, ideal for spot treatments, and concentrate for larger areas. Ready-to-use formulations contain SmartTrack®, a nonstaining red marker that shows which weeds have been sprayed before it slowly fades away.
If you have a lawn consisting of Southern grass like St. Augustine turf (except the variety called Floratam) kill broadleaf weeds with Bayer Advanced™ Southern Weed Killer for Lawns Ready-To-Spray.
But what if you have Bermudagrass as a weed in your cool-season lawn (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue or perennial ryegrass)? That’s always been one of the worst problems in what are called transitional areas (middle sections of the country where both warm-season and cool-season grasses grow). Now there’s a way to remove the Bermudagrass weeds without damaging you lawn. Bayer Advanced™ Bermudagrass Control for Lawns Ready-To-Spray selectively kills Bermudagrass weeds allowing fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass to thrive.
Tips For Keeping Weeds Out of Your Lawn
Here are other ways to keep weeds from invading your lawn.
Know your grass type. Different lawn grasses grow in different parts of the country, and knowing which type you have is important to how you care for it and what problems may occur. For instance, if you live in the Northeast, cool-season grasses like tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass grow well. In the Deep South, warm-season grasses such as Bermudagrass, centipede and St. Augustinegrass are best adapted. But even within the grass types, there are varieties that resist specific pest problems and may be the best choice if you are planting a new lawn. If you don’t know what type of lawn you have, take a sample to a local nurseryman or your local county extension office to find out.
Build up the lawn’s overall health. Proper maintenance goes a long way in preventing weeds. Fertilize cool-season lawns in fall and spring. Feed warm-season lawns from late spring into summer. Water regularly during dry spells and mow at the appropriate height for your lawn type. In spring or fall, aerate cool-season lawns to help nutrients and air reach the roots. Dethatch grass that’s too thick. When it’s fall, rake leaves to help the lawn “breathe.” Click here for more information on lawn care.
Fire Ant Season Is Here Again
Warming spring weather marks the start of another fire ant season in many mild-winter areas, especially the Southeastern United States. Fire ants sting more than 5 million Americans every year. Those stings can be so bad that approximately 25,000 people are forced annually to seek medical attention.
"Fire ants are extremely aggressive insects that thrive in sunny, open environments such as lawns and gardens," said Bayer Advanced™ garden expert Lance Walheim. "When a mound is disturbed by a child or pet stepping or lying on it, worker ants boil out, swarm over the victim and inject venom repeatedly."
Fire ants have been in the United States since the 1930s. They came in cargo ships from South America and arrived in the United States through the Port of Mobile in Alabama. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, fire ants now infest more than 310 million acres in this country. They're a big problem in the South and a growing problem in the Southwest and in parts of California.
A January 1999 study by Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences estimates that fire ants cause about $1 billion worth of damage each year. Not only do fire ants sting people, the USDA says the ants kill turtles, small birds and destroy the buds and developing fruits of 139 species of native wildflowers and grasses. The USDA also reports that fire ants may reduce the ability of bees to successfully pollinate flowers.
Fire ants are 1/16- to 1/4-inch long and reddish brown in color. They live in mounds with many underground tunnels. A queen ant lives up to seven years and produces an average of 1,600 eggs per day, so a fire ant colony can consist of as many as 250,000 ants at a time.
So how can you eliminate fire ants fast? Bayer Advanced™ Fire Ant Killer Dust contains 0.5 percent beta-cyfluthrin in a ready-to-use dust that kills fire. And it doesn't have the strong odor associated with many other fire ant dusts. Just shake the dust on the mound using the built-in shaker top and follow the application with a gentle one gallon sprinkling of water (high pressure will cause the ants to move the mound). The worker ants track the powder into the mound, killing the queen and the entire ant colony quickly. The 1-pound size can treat up to 130 mounds. Bayer Advanced™ Fire Ant Killer Dust can be used on lawns, flowerbeds, ground covers and around trees and shrubs.
Products Mentioned In This Article
Bayer Advanced