Now is the absolute best time to prevent yellow jacket wasps from ruining your summer BBQ’s. In late March through April, the only yellow jackets that are active are the females. They will soon be building nests and laying hundreds of eggs this summer. If you catch the females now, you can reduce future summer annoyances by her offspring. Put out non chemical traps that allow them to fly in but not get out. You can use the hormone bait that comes with it, but I would augment it with a bit of hamburger or other meat that will rot a bit in the sun. They need the protein and will be attracted to the smell. It sounds gross, I know, but it works. We can go ahead and raise our mowing height to 3.5” or so. This longer cut will help with water retention and will shade out weeds. Another water saving tip is to mulch your planter beds if you haven’t done so already. The mulch will keep the soil moist and as an added benefit will reduce weeds. For you home vegetable gardeners, plant away. Now is the time to plant your tomatoes, squash, peppers, corn, and other summer crops. All your planter beds will benefit from a balanced fertilizer such as 15-15-15 application now. We can now increase our turf watering to 4-5 days a week, but are still only watering 7 minutes per day. Again inspect the system for breaks and nozzle clogs. Bonus tip: Watch out for powdery mildew and aphids right now. They both love the cool damp weather and soft new shoots. Treat if necessary.
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