The West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito or, rarely, due to blood transfusion. Mosquitoes generally become infected after biting birds infected with West Nile and then spreading the virus to humans. While most people infected with West Nile Virus (WNV) do not experience any symptoms, many… Read more »
When you’re out and about on Long Island, there are several tick species to look out for to help you avoid disease including Lyme—the most common tick-borne illness. As soon as the weather is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit you are at risk for tick bites in grassy or wooded areas across much of the United… Read more »
Ticks are in the news for spreading diseases like Lyme Disease and Babesiosis, but mosquito-borne diseases are also a risk to public health and something that everyone should pay attention to. Mosquitoes are a public health risk due to the numerous diseases they spread across the United States. Some diseases, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis… Read more »
The warm weather is here and we’re back to spending time outdoors. Unfortunately, while we’re outside there’s a better than average chance we’ll encounter ticks. Currently, there are three kinds of ticks that are most commonly found on humans on Long Island. These include black-legged ticks (aka, deer ticks), Lone Star ticks, and the American… Read more »
Everyone loves to see spring flowers peeking out of the ground as soon as the weather turns, but in order to make that happen, it takes a bit of planning! To ensure that your yard is filled with blooms all spring and summer long, follow these tips for planting. Beautiful bulbs make beautiful flowers, so… Read more »
It’s that time of year; when the weather is getting just a little warmer and it’s time to start seeds indoors. One of the best methods for starting seeds uses cardboard egg cartons to start your plants. Cardboard egg cartons are biodegradable and make the perfect little planters for growing seeds. You can start indoor… Read more »
March is here and that means that spring is just around the corner. For those of us itching to get back into the garden, our time has come. Now is the time to begin turning that gardening plan into reality! March gardening means a lot of prep work before the early spring growth begins. Start… Read more »
There are just over 50 days of winter left before spring starts, and many of us are just dying to see a little spring color in our homes. One of the best ways to do this in late winter is to force flowering branches. The term forcing refers to cutting a piece off of spring… Read more »
Winter is here and while we’ve already had a good dose of the cold; soon we’ll also be getting winter storms, which can damage trees. Whether it’s a strong wind or the weight of wet snow, the trees on your property need a certain amount of care to get through the season undamaged. The first… Read more »
Autumn is here and that means leaves are likely falling all over your yard. You are probably thinking about breaking out the rake and buying some leaf bags, but before you spend money and put in the time, consider this: you don’t actually have to rake all of the leaves on your lawn. It’s true!… Read more »