One flash of ultrabright light, supercharged electricity in the air, the smell of burning ozone and an earthshaking boom you can feel in your bones - that perfectly describes your encounter with a close lightning strike during the summer in Florida. The truth of the matter is that lightning never strikes the same place twice because a place is never the same after lightning strikes it.
The trees in your yard can be a prime example. Trees protrude from the earth’s surface, and when several million volts of electricity charge through the air in the form of lightning, they follow the path of least resistance to the ground, often through the bark of a tree. When lightning strikes, the sap in the bark of the tree is subject to extreme temperatures many times hotter than the surface of the sun due to electrical resistance. This electrical resistance causes the sap to be heated into steam, which can make it explode. That is why some trees violently explode when struck by lightning.
Usually, the lightning current runs just underneath the bark, down to ground, and the tree is scarred by a strip of blown-away bark. It usually survives such a strike. However it is also possible that the jolting current may run down near the center of the trunk, and then there may be little left of the tree afterwards. Other trees seemingly have no damage at all, and then die a few weeks or months later, probably because the unseen damage was in the root zone.
A tree struck by lightning has been severely stressed. Stressed trees are also targets for insect and disease problems. That is a lot for a tree to handle, and it is no wonder that many lightning-struck trees die. Providing water and fertilizer can help increase a damaged tree's stress tolerance. Aside from providing proper professional care to your lightning-struck tree, you should also have lightning-damaged branches pruned.
You may protect your trees by having Zimmerman Tree Service install lightning protection systems. The best lightning protection for your trees is having lightning rods installed in the trees that are most susceptible to lightning strikes. Lightning rods are made of conducting metal and installed in your trees. The lightning rod goes down to the ground and a distance from the trees. The lightning rods provide better conducting material than trees. Electricity seeks the most efficient path to the ground, which is through the lightning rod, bypassing your trees and keeping your trees safe.
Not all your trees need lightning rods. Zimmerman Tree Service will make a professional assessment of your trees, based on species, height, proximity to structures and other pertinent factors to help you determine in which trees to install lightning protection.
The winds of change may be blowing soon. Once again hurricane season is upon us. What can we expect this year? The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be more active than historical averages regarding the number of named storms and hurricanes, according to a forecast released Thursday by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA's forecast calls for a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms (including April's Tropical Storm Arlene). 5 to 9 of those could become hurricanes. Further, 2 to 4 of those might become major hurricanes. The 30-year historical average (1981-2010) for the Atlantic basin is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. A major hurricane is one that is Category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
“The outlook reflects our expectation of a weak or non-existent El Nino, near- or above-average sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and average or weaker-than-average vertical wind shear in that same region,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.
Strong El Ninos and wind shear typically suppress development of Atlantic hurricanes, so the prediction for weak conditions points to more hurricane activity this year. Also, warmer sea surface temperatures tend to fuel hurricanes as they move across the ocean. However, the climate models are showing considerable uncertainty, which is reflected in the comparable probabilities for an above-normal and near-normal season.
As usual, all coastal Florida residents are urged to make the same hurricane preparations every year regardless of their prediction. Inspect your property thoroughly. Hire a Certified Arborist to evaluate your trees and provide pruning recommendations to prepare them for hurricane season. Make a comprehensive list of essential items you may need to survive and start now to accumulate them. Locate the nearest hurricane shelter in your area in the event an evacuation order is given. Most importantly, have a plan and be prepared. It only takes one hurricane to make landfall near you and disrupt normal daily activities.
Spring is always a time of new growth. Everything gets more active, and bigger. Unfortunately that includes those freeloaders that like to munch on your greenery. Yes, they are back despite popular demand (that they begone!).Lawn pests can take away your lawn’s beautiful color and overall health if not controlled and treated.Any signs of munched-on leaves, plants, or fruit could be a sign that the annual bug invasion has begun in your garden. Grass that is turning yellow or reddish-brown in color could be suffering from a chinch bug problem. You might not see them at first. These tiny critters are difficult to spot in the grass during the day.
Some crickets will eat most anything. Mole crickets are one of the most devastating lawn pests all through the Southeast. These insects tunnel through soil and will devour insects and decaying plant matter, along with grass roots and shoots. A lawn infested with mole crickets feels spongy when you walk on it and has irregularly-shaped brown patches.
All this spring growth will surely get your attention. Spring is the time when homeowners will start to see increasing insect activity outdoors and in. Warmer spring temperatures cause an influx of insects to emerge. Now would be a great time to have a professional come out and treat your trees, shrubs, plants and lawn to prevent any infestations from happening or damage to your greenery.
Florida is notorious for lawn destroying bugs and keeping them from destroying your yard and plants can seem overwhelming. Your yard should be for you to enjoy, not something you have to fight to keep. When bugs make you want to bug out it is time to call in the pros. At Zimmerman Tree Service we can get rid of them and offer lawn treatments that keep them from coming back.
It is getting hotter in Florida and summer is coming. The heat is back, the tourists are back and the insects are back. In Florida with our mild winters it sometimes seems the pests never really go away. At least, not for long. And of all the critters which bug us, the most dreaded just might be those little bloodsuckers the South Florida mosquitoes.
There are 3,500 named species of mosquito, of which only a couple of hundred bite or bother humans. They live on almost every continent and habitat. More than 150 species of mosquito may call your North American backyard home and all are true flies, spending most of their time feeding on plant nectar. Only the females supplement this diet with the blood of animals or birds, which provides the protein necessary for egg maturation.
Adult females lay eggs on the surface of stagnant water and 4 to 14 days later, the eggs hatch into wriggling larvae that begin to feed on water-dwelling microorganisms including fungi, bacteria, and algae. It is when they grow to adulthood that they begin to feed on us...the females, anyway.
Those female bites can be bad news. When a female mosquito pierces the skin with her proboscis (mouth parts), she injects a small amount of saliva into the wound before drawing blood. Her saliva makes penetration easier and prevents the blood from clotting in the narrow channel of her food canal. The itchy welts that appear after the mosquito leaves is not a reaction to the wound, but an allergic reaction to the saliva injected to prevent clotting. In most cases, the itching sensation and swellings subside within several hours. Some people are highly sensitive and symptoms persist for several days.
The Palm Beach Daily News recently reported that "State and federal officials said in December that Zika no longer was being actively transmitted in Florida. But public health officials say Zika is likely to return with summer rains." And with another very hot summer almost upon us it is prime time for those feeding and breeding mosquitoes. The Sun-Sentinel eairler this month noted that U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch was quoted "It’s only a matter of time before Florida hits the warm, wet months that will reinvigorate Zika-carrying mosquito populations and put our communities at greater risk.”
Tired of being a snack? A variety of specially-formulated insect repellents are available for sale at camping or sporting goods stores. Apply insect repellent to uncovered skin surfaces when outdoors, especially during the day. When using sunscreen, apply it before insect repellent. As for ridding yourself of mosquitoes, better call in the pros.
Zimmerman Tree Service provides a yard misting mosquito control and treatment designed to reduce the mosquito population around the homeowner’s yard through a two phase attack. The first being an insecticide providing immediate and residual control of mosquitoes and the second is an insect growth regulator which interrupts the reproduction cycle of mosquitoes.
