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Show Lawn services flourishing Lawn spraying services have flourished because people seem to have less time to spend on lawn care than they once did. Even if you have the time, it's difficult to acquire ac-quire the knowledge needed to identify iden-tify pest andor nutrient problems in your lawn. You may also need to own a lot of expensive equipment to keep up with your battle against bugs, weeds and brown grass. Lawn spraying services are generally gen-erally more knowledgeable than consumers about the safe use of pesticides and fertilizers, says Howard Deer, Extension tox-icologist tox-icologist at Utah State University. Deer says concern about pesticides and chemicals in general is at its peak. Consequently, you should consider not only your own safety, but the concerns of your neighbors. He says that although there is no requirement to do so, many lawn spraying services now post signs on lawns that have been freshly sprayed. If they don't post signs, you may want to consider doing so yourself or at least informing your neighbors. Generally 24 hours is enough time to keep off a sprayed area. Keeping these concerns in mind. Deer gives these suggestions on choosing a prospective lawn spraying spray-ing service. - Ask to see their license. Pesticide applicators must be licensed and registered by the State Department of Agriculture. Licensure Licen-sure requires testing at least once every three years. Applicators are tested on their general knowledge of pesticide operations, and lawn sprayers take an individual "turf and ornamental test. Professionalism and neatness is a plus if you are dealing with potentially hazardous chemicals. Clean equipment and a knowledgeable knowl-edgeable explanation of the services to be performed are good indicators of a reputable company. Reputable applicators should ask you questions about your household, for instance, whether you have pets or small children and if you have any known sensitivities to lawn chemicals. Applicators should be able to accommodate any special requests you might have. As with any transaction, you should get a written itemized receipt of all services and charges. |