How do you know that things are warming up? Do you look outside and see the snow is melted? Or maybe you just look at the thermometer. For me I just keep track of how many phone calls that I get asking about insects and things that are going on outside. A lot of times people have the same questions.

One that I’ve heard lately is, “is it time to put down the crabgrass preventer?” In our part of the state, pretty much any time in April is the time put down crabgrass preventer. Soil temperature is one of the main things that makes a difference as to when the crabgrass will germinate. But since not everyone has a soil thermometer, there are other things we can observe that help us determine when to put on crabgrass preventer.

According to phenology (the study of plant and animal life cycles, not phrenology-the study of bumps on your head), pre-emergent herbicide applications should be made about two weeks before forsythia or daffodil blooms start to wither. What that tells me is that when they start to bloom or while they are in early bloom is the time to get the crabgrass preventer on. If you are considering putting on an herbicide, just make sure that you really need it. If you have not had problems with crabgrass in the past, or you have a nice, thick lawn that will inhibit weed growth, you may not need to do anything.

I’ve also had numerous phone calls on moles. People are still wondering ”if they get rid of the grubs, will that take care of their mole problem?” And the answer is no. Because the insecticides that we now use can be very specific towards what they will kill, we have found out that it is not the grubs, but rather the earthworms that were killed off as well with old insecticides, that make up the major part of the mole’s diet. And since we don’t want to kill off the earthworms, the best control method for controlling moles is either using traps or the artificial worms that are laced with a toxin.

There are also a few unique phone calls I’ve received, one being the presence of Box Elder bugs on the outside of the house. The chances are that these bugs spent the winter inside the structure and are now going outside due to the warm weather. Although they may be a nuisance, patience is probably the best control method right now, giving them time to migrate away from the house to the box elder, maple and ash trees they will spend the summer in.

And of course, people are getting the itch and wondering what they can plant now. Cool season crops including radishes, beets, lettuce, chard, kale, parsnips, peas, potatoes and onions are all vegetables that can be put out as long as soil conditions are not too wet.