Temperatures are rising and ticks, mosquitoes and earwigs will soon be making the scene here in New England. Warm temperatures combined with steady rain showers and fast melting snow creates the perfect breeding grounds for these unwanted pests. Although we Had a brief cold snap in the beginning of winter, a longer duration of extreme cold is needed to influence and limit reproduction. Early spring temperatures are causing ticks and mosquitoes to be active now and get a head start in breeding, causing a boom of development in the months to come.
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Although we have no cure-all solution for the control and reproduction of these pests, we can limit the presence and reproduction in our own landscapes.

    Deicing Salt has been commonly used worldwide since the 1960's. Although salt does a great job of melting snow and ice, it can wreak havoc on your landscape. Salt can cause damage to the environment, and your pets. Common damages include corrosion to concrete and metals, lawn and plant damage, and cracking of the pads to your pet’s paws.
   Anti-Icing products commonly used today are Sodium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Acetate, and Calcium Magnesium Acetate. Common rock salt used on your roads today is Sodium Chloride based and highly corrosive.
   At Exquisite Properties Lawn Care & Maintenance, we have changed all of our deicing products from rock salt to a more eco-friendly option of deicing material. Eco-Salt Deicer, is a treated ocean salt base found off our ocean floors. These salts are then coated in a non-chloride "green" organic salt accelerator that is derived from sugar beet production. This coating is a geo melt technology that contains a corrosion inhibitor and reduces application rates by 20-30% compared to common rock salts.