Service Frequently Asked Questions

We apply a targeted garlic-based spray to the areas of your property where ticks are most likely to live — lawn edges, leaf litter, garden borders, wooded perimeters, and shaded ground cover. The treatment disrupts tick behavior and dramatically reduces the population in your yard. It’s non-toxic, biodegradable, and safe for your family and pets once dry.

We recommend starting in early April, before nymph ticks become active. Nymphs — the immature stage of the blacklegged tick — are the most likely to transmit Lyme disease and are tiny enough to go unnoticed. A first treatment in April sets the foundation for protection through the peak May–June nymph season and into fall when adult ticks become active again.

For most properties we recommend every 3–4 weeks from April through October. Properties with heavy deer activity, wooded borders, or adjacent conservation land may benefit from the shorter 3-week interval, as ticks are continually reintroduced via deer. We’ll advise on the right frequency for your specific property during our first visit.

Yes. Our garlic-based formula is all-natural and non-toxic. We ask that you keep pets and children off the treated area until the spray has dried — typically 2–4 hours. Once dry, it’s completely safe. Many of our customers have young children and dogs and have been on our programs for years without any concerns.

Yes. Our tick control treatments also address fleas in the outdoor environment. Fleas thrive in shaded, humid areas of your yard — the same zones we target for tick control. If you’ve noticed flea activity on pets that spend time outdoors, regular yard treatments are an important complement to whatever your vet recommends for the animals themselves.

Our garlic-based spray coats the surfaces where mosquitoes rest — foliage, shrubs, low tree branches, and shaded areas — with a scent that mosquitoes find intensely repellent. While humans lose the smell within minutes of application, mosquitoes can detect it for weeks and avoid treated areas entirely. It’s one of the most effective natural mosquito deterrents available.

A typical treatment remains effective for 3–4 weeks under normal conditions. Heavy rain shortly after application can reduce residual time, and properties in high-humidity coastal areas may see slightly shorter windows. We generally recommend monthly treatments from May through September for consistent protection throughout mosquito season.

The smell is noticeable for a short time after application — typically 20–30 minutes — and then dissipates quickly for humans. By the time the spray has dried (2–4 hours), you won’t smell it at all. Mosquitoes, however, continue to detect it for weeks.

Yes on both counts. Our formula is food-safe and non-toxic. For pollinators like bees and butterflies, we take care around flowering plants and apply treatments in the early morning or early evening when pollinator activity is lowest. The formula itself does not harm beneficial insects.

Not much. We ask that you remove children’s toys, pet bowls, and any items you don’t want sprayed from the treatment area. If you have a pool or pond, let us know and we’ll keep the spray away from the water’s edge. We’ll handle everything else — just make sure we have access to the full yard on the day of service.

Spider mite damage typically appears as bronzing or stippling of foliage, fine webbing on the undersides of leaves, and eventually yellowing and needle drop on evergreens like arborvitae and spruce. Beetle and scale damage often shows as yellowing branches, sticky residue on leaves, sooty mold, or visible encrustations on bark and stems. Early treatment is important before the infestation spreads.

Arborvitae, hemlock, spruce, and holly are among the most commonly affected plants in Suffolk County. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions and can devastate arborvitae hedges quickly. Elongate hemlock scale is a persistent problem for hemlocks across the North Shore. Japanese beetles target a wide range of plants including roses, lindens, and ornamental cherries during summer.

Timing depends on the pest. Spider mite populations explode during hot, dry stretches in July and August. Scale insects are best addressed in late spring when crawler stages are active. Japanese beetle treatments are typically applied from late June through early August. Our dormant oil service in late winter also addresses overwintering eggs before they hatch in spring.

We use organic and low-impact treatment options wherever possible. Our approach prioritizes plant-safe, targeted solutions that address the specific pest without broad-spectrum chemical use. For sensitive landscapes — particularly near waterways or gardens with pollinators — we select the least-toxic effective option available.

It depends on the severity and duration of the infestation. Caught early, most plants recover fully once the pest is brought under control. Arborvitae and hemlock that have lost significant interior foliage can be slow to fill back in, but with proper treatment and care most will stabilize and rebound. Severely damaged plants may not fully recover — which is why early intervention is so important.

Inchworms — also known as cankerworms or spanworms — are the larvae of several moth species that hatch in early spring and feed voraciously on newly emerging leaves. A significant infestation can completely defoliate an oak, maple, or cherry tree within weeks. While healthy trees can often recover from one season of defoliation, repeated outbreaks weaken trees significantly and make them more susceptible to disease.

Inchworms typically hatch and begin feeding in April and May, coinciding with bud break on deciduous trees. The window is short but the damage can be severe. Treatment needs to happen during this active feeding period — waiting until you see heavy defoliation is often too late for that season. We monitor conditions closely and time our applications to the hatch window for maximum effectiveness.

We use a high-reach tree sprayer to apply targeted treatments directly to the canopy of affected trees during the active feeding period. The treatment is timed to when larvae are small and most vulnerable. We also offer dormant oil applications in late winter to target overwintering egg masses before they hatch in spring.

Inchworm populations can be cyclical, and properties that experienced heavy defoliation one year are often at risk again the following spring. The best approach is to treat proactively rather than wait and see. A late-winter dormant oil application combined with a spring canopy spray gives you the strongest protection.

Yes. We use targeted applications directed at the tree canopy, minimizing drift to surrounding plantings. Our products are selected for their low impact on non-target species, and we take care around flowering plants and areas with beneficial insect activity. Treatments are safe for pets and people once dry.

We apply a scent and taste-based repellent to your plantings that deer find unpleasant. The treatment creates an invisible deterrent barrier around your ornamentals, shrubs, and gardens. Once deer associate your property with an unpleasant sensory experience, they tend to move on to untreated areas. It’s humane, discreet, and highly effective when applied on a regular schedule.

We typically recommend reapplication every 4–6 weeks, or after significant rainfall. Deer pressure intensifies in fall and winter when natural food sources become scarce — during these months more frequent applications protect vulnerable plantings. As new plant growth emerges in spring, fresh applications are also important since new foliage is not yet protected.

Not at all. Our repellent treatments work entirely through scent and taste aversion — they make your plants unappealing to deer without causing any harm to the animals. Deer simply learn to avoid treated areas and redirect their browsing elsewhere. It’s a humane and ecologically responsible approach to protecting your landscape.

Deer have a particular appetite for arborvitae, rhododendrons, hostas, roses, tulips, yews, and young fruit trees — all commonly found in Long Island landscapes. If you’ve invested in ornamental plantings along your property borders or in garden beds, those are the highest priority areas for treatment.

Indirectly, yes. Deer are the primary host for adult blacklegged ticks — reducing deer visitation to your property reduces the number of ticks being deposited in your yard. Many customers combine deer repellent with our tick control program for a more comprehensive approach to protecting their property from both browsing damage and tick-borne disease risk.

Our tree and shrub program addresses the full range of insect threats to your landscape — including spider mites, scale insects, aphids, leafminers, elongate hemlock scale, Japanese beetles, and seasonal caterpillars like inchworms. We use a combination of timed spray applications and dormant oil treatments to protect your plants across the full growing season.

Preventative treatment is almost always more effective than reactive treatment. Many insect infestations — particularly scale and mite — cause significant damage before they become visually obvious. By the time you notice bronzing foliage or yellowing branches, the infestation may already be advanced. A proactive program protects your investment before damage occurs rather than trying to reverse it after the fact.

Yes. We’re equipped to treat everything from low ornamental shrubs and hedges to larger shade trees. Our high-reach tree sprayer allows us to effectively treat taller specimens including mature oaks, beeches, and maples. For very large trees requiring specialized equipment, we can advise on the best approach for your specific situation.

Most landscapes benefit from 3–5 timed applications per year: a dormant oil treatment in late winter, a spring application targeting early-season pests, a midsummer treatment for mites and beetles, and a fall application as needed. The exact program depends on the specific plants on your property and the pest pressures you’ve experienced in previous seasons.

Yes. Our treatments are applied directly to plant foliage and bark, not broadcast across lawn areas. We use targeted, low-drift application techniques and select products appropriate for use around ornamental gardens and food-producing plants. We’ll always note the location of vegetable gardens or water features before we begin.

Dormant oil is a highly refined horticultural oil applied to trees and shrubs in late winter while they’re still dormant — before buds break and new growth begins. It works by coating and smothering overwintering insect eggs, scale crawlers, and mite eggs attached to bark and branches. It’s one of the most effective and low-impact preventative treatments in horticulture.

The window on Long Island is typically late February through mid-March, depending on the season. Application needs to happen while temperatures are consistently above freezing during the day but before buds have swollen and opened. We monitor conditions closely and schedule treatments within the optimal window each year.

Fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry, crabapple), ornamental maples, hollies, hemlocks, lilacs, and roses are among the most commonly treated plants. Any tree or shrub that has experienced mite, scale, or aphid problems in previous seasons is an excellent candidate. Dormant oil essentially resets the pest pressure on vulnerable plants before the growing season begins.

Yes. Dormant oil is one of the safest pest control products available — it works mechanically by smothering rather than through chemical toxicity, so it poses virtually no risk to beneficial insects, soil health, or surrounding wildlife when applied correctly. It breaks down quickly in the environment and leaves no residue once dry.

They complement each other rather than replace each other. Dormant oil addresses overwintering pest stages in late winter before your seasonal spray program begins, reducing the starting population of mites and scale going into spring. This makes your in-season treatments more effective and may reduce the number of applications needed throughout the year.

Our party spray is a one-time mosquito and tick treatment applied to your backyard before an outdoor event — graduation parties, barbecues, weddings, birthday parties, or any gathering where you want guests comfortable outside. We treat your lawn, garden borders, shrubs, and perimeter areas with our natural garlic-based spray, dramatically reducing mosquito and tick activity for the event and the days following.

We recommend booking at least 3–5 days before your event to ensure availability, especially during peak season (May through August) when our schedule fills quickly. For large events or weekends, booking a week or more in advance is ideal. Call us at (631) 265-5252 and we’ll do our best to accommodate your timing.

We recommend treating 24–48 hours before your event. This gives the spray ample time to dry and the garlic odor to fully dissipate for humans while remaining fully effective against mosquitoes and ticks. Your guests won’t notice any smell — just a noticeably more comfortable outdoor experience.

Yes, completely. Once the spray has dried — which takes 2–4 hours — the treated area is fully safe for people and pets. If we apply 24–48 hours before your event as recommended, there’s no concern whatsoever. Our formula is all-natural, non-toxic, and used regularly by families with young children and dogs throughout Suffolk County.

Light rain after the spray has dried won’t significantly impact effectiveness. Heavy rain within a few hours of application can reduce coverage, in which case we’d advise rescheduling the treatment if time allows. If you’re concerned about weather timing, give us a call and we’ll help you plan around the forecast to make sure your event is protected.