You don’t want this happening on your property.

Deer fencing is a unique addition to any yard or recreational area, and in the Bucks County and Montgomery County areas, homeowners are looking into the addition of deer fencing because of its many advantages.

A deer fence is much higher than a conventional fence. A regular privacy fence is fine if you’re only trying to seclude yourself, but they’re often not high enough to keep deer and other wild animals off your property.

An adult deer, after all, can jump as high as eight feet. In order to effectively keep them outside your private area, the fence clearly must be high enough to keep them from jumping over it. Not only do deer cause great destruction, but they can also spread Lyme disease by carrying infected ticks onto your property.

Peter Benz Landscaping has been installing deer fencing for many years to prevent deer from destroying everything from residential gardens to commercial orchards and nurseries, while also assisting with deer tick control.

But whether you choose Peter Benz or another area landscaper to install deer fencing on your Bucks or Montgomery property, we nevertheless strongly suggest having the installation completed by a professional.

Here are five important reasons why:

Deer Fences Must Be Properly Maintained

Because of its height, a deer fence must be properly maintained on a regular basis. Vines and other climbing plants can add unnecessary weight to a fence, causing it to sag and break under the pressure. If vines are left intact during the winter months, any ice and snow that adheres to them can cause additional damage.

It’s important to have a deer fence closely inspected every six months. Any damage caused by animals or the elements can be seen and repaired before a major problem presents itself.

Assuming a deer fence is installed by a licensed and insured professional, however, the chance that it will be able to withstand the elements — as well as any dangers that arise from naturally curious animals — are much, much greater.

A Pro-Built Fence is Strong Enough to Keep Animals Out

A professional deer fence installer knows exactly which materials will make your fence as sturdy as it needs to be. (At Peter Benz, we install a poly coated steel web material.) In some areas, where the elements can be rather harsh and animals may be strong enough to damage certain fences, the right materials can mean the difference between a sturdy fence and one that will stand the test of time. Professional installers also know special techniques that can help strengthen the intersections between the wire and the posts.

Deer Fences Need to Be Installed at the Proper Height

A properly licensed and insured deer fence installer will always be able to determine exactly what height your fence should be. Local installers know which kinds of animals you’ll need to be most concerned with, and what types of fencing materials will best protect you and your family from those unwanted intruders.

A Properly-Built Deer Fence Protects Your Family from Unwanted Insects

While deer will rarely attack humans, the insects they carry certainly will. Unfortunately, those insects also tend to wreak havoc on the immune systems. Deer ticks are an especially seriously problem in Pennsylvania, where a large portion of the deer tick population is infected with Lyme disease, which can be deadly to humans. The number of insects that can breed off one adult deer, in fact, is astounding. Did you know deer can also carry fleas?

When deer are allowed to roam free throughout your property, insects will eventually take up residence. A professionally installed deer fence can absolutely help prevent that from happening.

A Deer Fence Offers Security

With its incredible strength and added height, an extra bonus of the deer fence is the extra security it offers. Although it doesn’t necessarily extend additional privacy, it’s nevertheless true that a fence’s height alone can be a deterrent not only to four-legged intruders, but to two-legged intruders as well. A professional installer can create a fence that is durable and strong, and capable of providing a safe sanctuary for your family and your pets.

Any type of fence can be a beautiful addition to your yard, and adding a deer fence that’s versatile as well as beautiful is an obvious bonus. At Peter Benz Landscaping, we’re skilled at creating deer fences that blend into the landscape from only a few feet away. We can also incorporate deer grates into your driveway.

To learn more, or to speak with a member of our staff, contact us today.

Unfortunately, that’s an all-too-common occurrence for property owners in Bucks County and a number of other regions in Eastern Pennsylvania, where a devilish little pest known as the white pine weevil attacks and subsequently kills the tops of trees each year.

The white pine weevil operates by hibernating in the winter near potential host trees. Come spring, they crawl or fly onto a tree’s top “leader” branch, which is where they start feeding on inner bark tissue. Egg-laying happens soon after the feeding begins. And yet weevil activity is not normally noticed until mid-summer, when the terminal growth of the tree wilts and starts to curve, resembling the crook of a shepherd’s staff. This part of the tree then begins to dry out and turn brown, often falling off later in the season. Depending on the amount of activity, this may be the top two or three inches of the tree.

This can be a wholly preventable problem, and here’s the truly good news: It’s a problem that doesn’t need to involve the spring spraying of multiple pesticide applications, which is unfortunately still a standard treatment for white pine weevil in Pennsylvania.

Pesticide spray treatment isn’t just a potentially harmful solution, though. Where the weevil is concerned, it’s also complicated and time-intensive.

In order for the pesticide to do its job, each subsequent application needs to be sprayed during a very specific phase of the weevil’s lifecycle. And when you consider that the pest is known to attack some 20 different tree species in the eastern part of the country (it’s especially fond of eastern white pines, jack pines and Norway spruce trees), you’ll probably agree that a pesticide-spraying campaign is less than ideal.

We’ve found that a single, well-timed fall soil injection of an insecticide called Imidacloprid can give complete control. With our precise injection equipment, we can get the proper amount of chemical where it needs to be in the soil, so that it’s translocated up to the leader of the tree by the time these weevils begin their spring feeding the next year.

There are a few different reasons we’re so fond of this particular method: It’s less environmentally risky than spraying, because a less active ingredient of the chemical is used overall. It also has a significantly smaller impact on natural enemies of the weevil than spraying does. With our systemic injection method, you will also save money over the cost of multiple spring spray applications.

This is literally the perfect time of year to stop weevil infestations in their tracks before the tops of your Bucks County or Montgomery County trees turn brown.

If you’d like to learn more, contact our team today, and let us know what questions you have. We’re here to help.

A tree that has been treated for Emerald Ash Borer (right) compared to one that has not.

Unfortunately the time has come to make some tough calls about the trees on your property. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has finally arrived in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The pest has been slowly making its way across the state, finally arriving when it was first discovered in an apartment complex in Warrington in 2012. Since then the EAB has been found in other area trees and parks (although it is believed to have not yet crossed the river into New Jersey). While many Ash trees in the Southeastern Pennsylvania may not yet be infected, it is only a matter of time. Unfortunately, Ash trees make up nearly 20 percent of the local tree population in Bucks County.

Originally a pest from Asia, the EAB is believed to have arrived in wood used in shipping crates. The initial site of infestation was in Michigan. This invasive species is widely considered to be one of the most destructive forest pests ever to come to North America. In the end, the total costs to the country, particularly to states and municipalities, could total in the billions.

Protecting Your Ash Trees

If you have Ash trees on your property, it is best to assume that the insect is nearby and likely to strike at any point. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect the trees on your property. The first step is to have a Certified Arborist check the trees and make sure that they are good candidate for preservation. If your trees fit the bill, there are a few different courses of treatment available, including soil applications, bark sprays, and tree injections. The Arborist will make this determination based on the timeframe and current state of each individual tree.

When treating for the EAB, it is best to start preventive treatment as early as possible. Infestations by this pest generally do not show symptoms until the problem has progressed significantly. The EAB larvae destroy the tree by slowly damaging its ability to transport water to the leaves. This can take place over the course of years.

An Ash Tree Guarantee

Peter Benz Landscaping also offers a guarantee for Ash trees treated using the TREE-äge® product. If your Ash tree dies from an EAB infestation while under guarantee, you will be refunded your EAB treatment cost(s) for up to the previous four years.

• We will deliver treatments using research tested products using the most up to date protocols to provide for optimal effectiveness.
• We will visually inspect your protected tree(s) every 1-2 years to examine for evidence of Emerald Ash Borer infestation. This inspection may take place at the time of re- treatment. We are available to look at your tree at any time should you be concerned about its condition.
• This guarantee is fully transferable to a new property owner.

Making the Tough Call

Unfortunately not every tree can be saved or should be preserved. A consultation with your Certified Arborist can help you make the best decision about the trees on your property. The Arborist can also consult with you on a management and removal plan for trees that cannot be preserved. Additionally, they can advise you on what to do with the wood from infected trees, as there are regulations and guidelines in place to prevent the spread of this disease.

Contact Peter Benz Landscaping today to protect the valuable Ash trees on your property.

At Peter Benz Landscaping we put a strong focus on helping our clients prevent the spread of Lyme disease through a variety of tick control services in Bucks County. These services include the installation of deer fencing and Damminix Tick Tubes. If you or someone you know has already been diagnosed with the disease, here are some helpful suggestions on how to take care of yourself.

Diet

The bacteria and microbes of the disease feed on glucose for energy so you should try and cut as much as this out as you can. This means to eat less of sweets and simple carbohydrates like cakes, pastas and breads. Lyme microbes can actually produce chemicals that can make you crave sweets so that you can feed them. The more you are able to avoid giving into them, the better you will feel. Resist the urge to feed the problem!

Vitamin C

Once you cut out the glucose you will need to give the Lyme disease microbes another source of food. A raw form of vitamin C, called ascorbic acid, is very similar to glucose and tricks the microbes into eating it. The ascorbic acid actually oxidizes inside the organism and kills it. The acid can also be very harsh on your stomach, so it’s important to follow these directions:

Mix the powdered vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in a cup of six to eight ounces of water with the baking soda in a ratio of 1:1, using about ½ teaspoon of each. Try to do this at least three times per day and after a couple of weeks you may be able to increase your intake. This actually helps to kill the Lyme disease microbes so take in as much as you can handle.

Natural Salt

Ingesting Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt makes the body uncomfortable for Lyme disease microbes and forces them out of hiding. Herbs of Light (sold at Whole Foods) makes capsules that are convenient to take with meals. The recommendation is approximately one capsule for ten pounds of body weight per day (maximum of ten capsules daily).

Apple Cider Vinegar & Baking Soda

Lyme microbes thrive in acidic environments which our bodies tend to be. By consuming both apple cider vinegar and baking soda you help raise your PH levels toward to the alkaline side where Lyme microbes struggle to survive.

Since you will already be consuming baking soda, just drink one ounce of apple cider vinegar (Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered) three to four times a day, preferably between meals. You can drink it straight or mix it with water.

Flushing

After following the previous steps, you will make your body an uninviting environment for the Lyme microbes to survive, and you will need to flush them out. You can do this by drinking water, exercising and sweating. It’s recommended you drink eight ounces of water about every thirty minutes.

Exercise enough to sweat but don’t push yourself past your physical limitations. Try taking a walk or bouncing on a trampoline, a proven helpful exercise for Lyme patients.

Flushing out the dead microbes is so important because keeping them in your body can lead to feelings of queasiness and exhaustion, also called Herksheimer’s Reaction.

Probiotics

Take a probiotic (Primal Defense Ultra from Garden of Life) thirty minutes before or two hours after you eat once a day for the first few days. Then try taking two a day for a week and then increase to three a day for the next few weeks.

Please note: This protocol was created by people suffering from chronic Lyme disease searching for relief.

Remember, you can help you and your family by preventing the spread of Lyme disease through our tick control services. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.

Our native landscape designer, Beverly Auvil shared with us her suggestions on how to attract butterflies to your yard:

Butterflies are attracted to “butterfly bushes” or the Buddleia davidii, so it’s natural that people buy these plants trying to bring more butterflies onto their property. Butterflies are attracted to these plants because they feed on the nectar, but the Buddleia is an exotic invasive plant. Exotic plants are species that evolved in different ecosystems and have few native predators and diseases. According to Michael Dirr, a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia and expert on landscape trees and shrubs, both Buddleia alternifolia and Buddleia davidii are native to China.

The biggest problem with the Buddleia, or the butterfly bush, is that it is indeed invasive to Bucks County and surrounding areas. Since it is an exotic plant and has fewer predators and diseases, it can out- compete native plants, altering the balance in native habitats. It will produce seeds and the seeds will travel through birds, wind and other animals to additional locations. When an exotic, invasive plant invades our local ecosystem it takes the place of a native plant. When more and more exotic plants replace native plants on our properties and natural areas, our habitats begin to become compromised. This causes our indigenous butterflies and other wildlife to decline in population, or even become extinct.

To truly understand how to attract butterflies to your property, it’s important to also understand the life cycle of butterflies. Here is an example using the Monarch butterfly:

1. A Monarch lays her eggs on a milkweed plant, or the Asclepias
2. A Monarch caterpillar develops from the egg and feeds on the milkweed (also referred to as the larval food or the host plant)
3. The caterpillar then creates a cover for itself, called the pupal case
4. The butterfly emerges from the case when its ready

Once the butterfly is out of the case it feeds on nectar from flowers. Although they are able to get nectar from a variety of flowers they need milkweed to lay their eggs on because it is the only thing the caterpillar can feed on. If you don’t have milkweed, you won’t have any Monarchs.

Here are some alternative plants to the butterfly bush that you could plant on your property to attract butterflies:

Want to add some of these butterfly-attracting plants to your property? Contact Peter Benz Landscaping and we can provide an on-site consultation and create a landscape design accordingly.

So far it seems as though most commercial boxwoods, especially English and American, are highly susceptible to the disease, as is pachysandra, which is in the boxwood family. This disease doesn’t normally kill the host but causes significant defoliation and branch die-back. If boxwood blight is present your initial indication will be dark or light brown spots on leaves. The leaves will then turn brown or straw color and fall off. The stems of the boxwood will also develop black or dark brown lesions.

At Peter Benz Landscaping, we highly recommend that any new boxwood brought onto a property is quarantined for a least one month after leaving the nursery. Many nurseries are spraying boxwoods with preventive fungicides that can temporarily mask the symptoms of the disease. After 2 to 3 weeks the fungicides will wear off and the disease may cause a rapid decline in affected plants.

The boxwood blight spores spread through wind, rain splash, and overhead watering. It can also jump from property to property on contaminated tools, such as pruning shears. We recommend that any tools used on boxwoods be sterilized with alcohol or a 20 percent bleach solution. Any clippings should also be burned or buried instead of taken to a dumping facility or composted. Boxwood blight can survive for five years in fallen boxwood leaves.

As of right now there is no cure for this fungal disease, although research is ongoing. Fungicides can help prevent the spread of boxwood blight, but to be effective they must be applied frequently and to the entire plant including, leaves and stems. If you noticed an infected plant you should remove the whole plant and place it into a plastic bag. Contact Peter Benz Landscaping so we can inspect any boxwoods on your property that may be contaminated and treat if necessary.

Make sure you and your family are aware of the following symptoms Lyme disease may cause and contact your physician right away if you notice any sign.

Early Symptoms: These can occur within a month after being infected with Lyme disease.

• Rash: This is the most vital and obvious symptom associated with Lyme disease.  A small, red bump may appear at the site of the tick bite, although a red bump associated with a tick bite doesn’t necessarily mean it’s Lyme disease. But, if the redness increases over the next few days, forming a bulls-eye pattern it is a serious sign of a Lyme disease infection. Some people may develop this rash in several different places on their body.

• Flu-like Symptoms: You want to keep an eye out for feelings like: fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and a headache (usually associated with the bulls-eye rash).

Later Symptoms:  Several weeks to months after being infected you may notice some of these symptoms.

• Joint Problems: You may notice outbreaks of severe joint pain and swelling, especially in your knees. The pain can shift back and forth between different joints.

• Neurological Problems: Some serious issues may occur weeks, months or even years after you have been infected. These issues may be inflammation of your brain membranes (meningitis), temporary paralysis of one side of your face (Bell’s palsy), numbness or weakness of your limbs and impaired muscle movement.

Don’t let anyone in your family come in contact with any infected deer ticks. By taking advantage of tick control services, you can avoid the dangers and threats of Lyme disease. Contact Peter Benz Landscaping to have one of our experienced tick control technicians install the right tools to decrease the population and prevent the spread of Lyme disease on and around your Bucks County property.