When I walked outside today I noticed something…my lawn and landscape are STILL yellow! You may have noticed something similar, too. If you’re anything like me, you may be wondering “Why does my lawn still look like this?” and “Will it come back to life?” Luckily, I can walk down the hallway and ask our resident Plant Doctor these questions. In case you don’t work down the hall from a Plant Doctor – here’s what he said:

Unfortunately – this questions don’t have just one answer. There are many types of ornamental plants, trees and grass that all have their own tolerances for heat, drought, temperature, moisture, etc. With respect to cold temperatures, they also have different reactions – some grass types go into a hibernation phase, called dormancy, and some just don’t deal well with cold weather and may end up dying.

With the return of warmer temperatures this week in most of Florida – and hopefully coming soon to our friends in Atlanta and Baton Rouge – lawns, trees and shrubs will begin to come out of their hibernation phase. Now is the time when it’s important to evaluate your landscape, determine what is growing back and what’s not, and then make plans to renovate your landscape.

So it looks like this St. Patrick’s day (one of my favorite holidays), finding a leprechaun may be easier than finding a green lawn – but be patient and keep an eye on your landscape!

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Ed Dougherty to Executive Vice President of Consumer Services for Massey Services. In this role, Ed will oversee all residential Service Center operations.

Ed has been a pest management professional for approximately 26 years, and he has worked for Massey Services for approximately 18 years. Prior to assuming his new position, Ed has served as the Vice President and Division Manager for Massey Services’ GreenUP Division as well as Vice President and Regional Manager of the Central Florida and Georgia regions.

“Ed has consistently demonstrated his commitment to service excellence and the growth of our company,” said Tony Massey. “His contributions within Massey Services span all aspects of our company, from residential pest prevention to commercial service to lawn care and irrigation.”

Ed began his career in the pest management industry after he received his B.B.A. in Marketing from Eastern Michigan University in 1984. He completed the Harvard Business School OPM Key Executives Program in 2004. He remains involved in the Central Florida community through commitment to Junior Achievement, Leadership Orlando and Florida Citrus Sports.

Some Team Members having Heart Healthy Fun on GO RED day!

As you may know, Massey truly believes in giving back to the communities in which we do business. That’s why this past Friday, we joined the American Heart Association’s fight against heart disease and held WEAR RED day. Team Members donated $5 to the American Heart Association and in turn were able to wear jeans and something red to work on Friday. I just had to post this because I am SO PROUD of our Team Members – we ended up raising over $300 in just ONE DAY! Now that’s a lot of green for a WEAR RED day!!!

Part of Bob's Collection of Geometrid Moths

Over time the collection has exceeded the space limits of his custom built lab at his home.  It also became too valuable to keep at home due to the rarity of many of the moths. So in December 2009, Bob donated his ENTIRE moth collection to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity in Gainesville, FL. Their Lepidoptera collection is the second largest in the world and will soon be the largest! The McGuire collection is kept in a very protected and climate-controlled environment utilizing the most modern methods of collection maintenance.

These two geometrids are new to science! They remain undescribed.

According to Dr. Tom Emmel, Director of the Center, Bob’s “…donation of 13,909 pinned and labeled geometrid moths was a valuable…and important contribution to our collection.” Bob said he plans to continue his hobby of studying moths and insects in his home lab and years from now, when he decides to retire, he hopes to continue studying geometridae at the McGuire Center.

Freeze Damaged St. Augustinegrass

As I drive around town, it looks, well, BROWN!  Lawns are brown, shrubs are dead, trees are looking bare…WHAT HAPPENED? Now I know you’re saying I work for a pest prevention and lawn care company, but I’m a Marketing Manager by trade and no technical expert on this subject (even though I get calls from friends all the time asking “What’s this bug?”).

So I had to refer to the lawn and landscape technical experts here in our company to understand what this means to homeowners and landscapes. Unfortunately – it can mean thousands of dollars in permanent damage to landscapes. We have had freezing temperatures for a long period of time and that means devastation to many of our native lawns and shrubs.

What should you do to help this? Right now, NOTHING! Last year we had a freeze spell in the first week of February (Not as severe as the one we just had, but still freezing). So if you prune plants now or begin to mow your lawn to short – you could be setting your lawn and plants up for more damage if freezing temperatures return.

I didn’t cover all the specific information on what to do with your lawn and plants because it’s too much to post in this blog. So we’ve prepared a web page just for you that contains tips and information on freeze damage.

At least for the next few days the local weather team is predicting “normal” Florida weather. Now I can thaw out!

• First, enjoy the cold! Think about temperatures in May, June, July, August, September…I think you get the idea.
• Then, BEFORE freezing temps hit, run your sprinklers for 15 minutes per zone (rotor heads) or 5 minutes per zone (spray heads). Repeat this the following day  if temperatures warm up above freezing.
• Cover your cold-sensitive shrubs and ornamentals with old sheets or blankets (NOT PLASTIC!).
• If you see frost on your lawn – don’t mow or walk across it.

Just so you know, the weatherman IS predicting freezing temperatures tonight – so grab your ski cap, head outside and turn on those sprinklers!

Tom Jarzynka – Bed Bug Aficionado

Tom Jarzynka, affectionately known as “TJ” by everyone here at Massey Services is the Technical and Training Director for our Commercial Services Division. TJ joined Massey Services in 2000, but his expertise dates back to childhood. When TJ was just 6 years old, his dad started a pest management company and thereby launched TJ’s fascination with Arthropods.

His industry experience is primarily with commercial properties but he is often called upon to work on many challenging or “out-of-the-ordinary” pest issues. TJ has played a key role in developing several innovative procedures since arriving at Massey, including commercial bioremediation for grease traps and fly control, residential bioremediation for septic systems and most recently, the 48 hour Bud Bug Solution Program.

Not only is TJ active here at Massey Services, he is also very active in the Community! He coaches high school football and is involved with an annually nationally recognized high school wrestling tournament at Oviedo High School. The related scholarship fund has awarded over $33,000.00 in scholarships over the past 8 years.

We’re glad TJ is a part of our Massey Family! Keep an eye out for entries from him!

From our family to yours…wishing you all the gifts of the Holiday Season – peace, joy and lasting happiness. May your days be filled with love and laughter that lasts the whole New Year through.

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year!

“We are very pleased to welcome our new team members and new customers to the Massey Services organization,” said Harvey Massey. “The joining of our companies creates a stronger organization better prepared for future opportunities and growth. Like Massey, Middleton is a Florida-grown company that has established a strong customer base as a result of their commitment to quality service.”

Last year, both organizations ranked within the top 13 companies of Pest Control Technology (PCT) Magazine’s Top 100 and also in the top 20 of Landscape Management’s Top 100 list. Following the acquisition, Massey Services will have combined revenues of approximately $125 million and will become the 5th largest pest management company in the nation and the largest family owned company in the industry.

Harvey L. Massey, a leading industry voice and 46-year veteran of the pest management and landscape services industry, has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Board of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and pioneered the concept of pest prevention in the 1990s.

With sincere gratitude, we wish you and your family a Very Happy Thanksgiving!

In case you need one more recipe for your table this year, here is a great one for Sweet Potato Pie. Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

Boil sweet potatoes in skin for 40 – 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over them and remove skin. Break apart sweet potatoes in a bowl, add butter and blend well with a mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, then sink as it cools.