Bugs! Print

Rosie gives an update from his weekly travels to Colorado and to Northern Arizona.

• Updates from the Arizona Preservation Society Conference this week.
• How long ago did they find evidence of communities in the Salt River Valley and the Santa Cruz Valley from over 13,000 years ago!

*It's "Restaurant Week" in Phoenix and "National Barbeque Week" this week. (Phoenix has over 144 restaurants participating) 

Click this link for more information.

*Some favorites of ours are the  Tonto Bar & Grill at Rancho Manana in Carefree or El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano in Sedona.

Arizona's housing market is booming and it's officially a seller's market!

• Home sales jumped 39 percent in one month, from February to March while overall listings are down.
• 1st time home buyer's and "boomerang buyer's"(lost homes in the crash and they're back in the market) are driving sales.
• Interest rates are creeping up and we'll follow up with Harold Perkins with Galaxy Lending Group soon for more on what that could mean to you.   
• Experts are predicting an increase of 5 percent increase in home values in 2015
• KTAR Engineer, Breanne Bullis joins the show to talk about her experiences trying to purchase a new home.  
• Getting Pre-Approval financing is key with so many buyers out there!
• Know what your looking for, so you can jump on the home that fits your needs.

Arizona Happenings:

• Carnival Illusion
• The Brelby Theatre Company is performing "Little Women, The Musical"  
• Take a scenic drive to Prescott and stop in at the Phippen Art Museum. 
• Rosie talks about one of his favorite artists, Robert "Shoofly" Shufelt.
• For the adventurer, the Salt River Whitewater Rafting season is open! If you're interested in taking a trip, find information at the Arizona River Outfitter's Association website.
• Phoenix had a "Super Slip N' Slide"
• Food & Drink Tours by Edible Baja Arizona
• Taste local spirits during Tucson's "Whiskey & Beer Tour" in June
• "Cochise Wine Tour" Find info on wineries here. 
• Rosie talks about a presentation he loved put on by Kimber Lanning with Local First Arizona. 
• In Tucson, event at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. 
• Visit Colossal Cave.....it's open 365 days a year and is always the right temperature.

NASCAR is re-naming the Brickyard 400 race after an American War Hero. You can vote for one of the hero's here!

Caller:

• Leslie - She calls in to talk about "Shoofly" art with Rosie. She has several of his paintings!  They discuss a painting called "The Contract."

Rosie talks about some corrections on pronouncing certain towns & tricky SW words.

Out in the yard with Jay from Harper's Nurseries & Landscaping Company!!!

Rosie remembers the barbeque joint from last hour...Joe's Barbeque and we cover some more favorites for National Barbeque Week:

• Honey Bear's BBQ who's motto is "you don't need not teeth to eat our meat"
• Cooper's Bar-B-Que
• Jay loves the Hammered Hog
• Stacy's Smoke House BBQ
• Little Miss BBQ

*We all love Sierra Bonita Grill because of the great food and western art, plus quiet conference rooms.

Tip Of The Week: Some bugs are good and some bugs are bad.....

• Assess the damage and make sure it's worth the work if they don't create major issues, consider leaving it alone.
• Research the critters and eliminate the pests who are a true threat. 
• Take a picture or catch a few of the pests and take them to a nursery to find out what the next step should be.
• Beware of the "whitefly"

Get rid of weeds with the flames! Use the Red Dragon Torch Kits.

Callers:

• Blair - He has two Shamel Ash trees that is too thick and killing the grass below it. Is it too late to trim it?

Recommendation - Yes! It's too late and with the thin bark, he'll kill the tree if he trims it this time of year.

• Mike - He's buying a home and plans on only being in the home for a few years. Is it a better investment to put in a lawn or keep it as a zero-scape landscape for resale purposes?

Recommendation - Neither is better than other. The real key is that it's done well. It's about the lifestyle. Is grass wanted for the kids to play on......do you want weekend work?  (Good landscape increases home value and selling time)

• Larry - The bark is coming off one of the sides of his grapefruit tree....should he paint it or leave it?

Recommendation - Jay would pull off the loose bark and repaint it with tree paint to ensure it's protected for the summer.

Find Bonide Products at Summer Winds Nursery in Mesa, Civano's Nursery in Tucson & Christopher's Garden Nursery in The White Mountains.

**The cooler temps are complicating the lawns transitioning to the summer rye grass and we talk about proper care this time of year. It's time to feed the lawn, aerate, de-thatching, etc.

Caller:

• George - How do you control midge fly's in his yard?

Recommendation - Verify they're not mosquito's and Jay would call an extermination company like Blue Sky Pest Control. 

• Daryl - His saguaro cactus is blooming and he wants to know if he can take a bloom down to remove seeds for planting. He's been told that the seeds need to be dry. Can he dry it out and use it?

Recommendation - The flower has to produce fruit and then dry out, die and drop on the ground. He'll need to wait until July when the natural process runs it's course.

*We discuss what you can plant in your garden before the summer heat. 

• Pam - Her geranium has caterpillars on them and she doesn't know what they are and what she should do?

Recommendation - She can treat it with Dipel Dust, B.T. or Bonide's "Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew."

• Patrice - Something is eating her Kale and what she can do?

Recommendation - It's most likely a caterpillar and she can use the depel dust just like Pam.

• More about controlling pests in your yard.....it's not always a "bad bug" 

• Weed control will cut down on unwanted critters in you yard.

• It's almost time for fertilizer for fruit and shade trees.

• Misconceptions on "deep watering"

• Introducing preying mantis into your garden to kill unwanted bugs.

If you have questions for Jay, stop in at Harper's Nursery & Landscaping Company!

Rosie talks about the solar industry and some events happening at Harmon Solar.

**Dave Dickson, VP of Engineering for Skyiew Networks, joins us to talk about the "miracle of radio" and how the signal gets from our studio to your car or home all across Arizona.

(signal speeds, power used, distance from earth, size and lifespan of satellites in orbit)

Stan from Rosie On The House Remodeling joins the show to talk about what types of bathroom remodeling projects you can get at certain price points.

*Recapping the engineering of radio and satellite technology.

*Teasing our show next week up in Prescott for the Phippen Art Walk and some construction projects Rosie is excited about!

We start our conversation on pricing for different levels of bathroom remodeling projects.  If you're looking for advice or a quality re-modeler, we've got em!

• Tucson: Eren Design & Remodel 
• Flagstaff: JKC Inc.
• Phoenix:  TWD, Kirk Development, BC Renovations

Pick up Bonide Products at Summer Winds Nursery in the Phoenix area, Treeland Nurseries in Mesa or Mesquite Valley Growers in Tucson.

Bathroom Remodeling Tips:

• When considering any type of remodel, hiring the right contractor is the most important step.  Click on Rosie's Consumer Guides to find a step by step process you can follow.
• Don't buy just because it's the cheapest bid. That could cost you more $$$ in the long run. 
• Red Flags: They're late for appointments, their truck is disorganized.
• When choosing a company, ask yourself:  "the day something goes wrong, and it will, which one of the companies do you have the highest level of confidence in to fix it?"
• Manage the project yourself to save $$$!
• If you're moving out, don't invest a bunch of money into something the new homeowner might rip right out.

Thanks to our sponsors, the Red Feather Lodge and Coyote Oatie Cookies for making the trip comfortable and sweet!

We break down what you can expect in bathroom remodeling for different pricing points.  ($20,000 vs. $50,000 vs. $100,000)

• Will the overall footprint stay the same?
• Lighting
• Price vs. Value of the home. 
• How may trades are involved? Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tile setters, cabinets, etc.
• Custom liners go in all the "wet cabinets" like under the sink, washers etc.

If you'd like to talk to Stan at Rosie On The House Remodeling call 480-998-6961!

The guys from Blue Sky Pest Control stop by to take your questions on getting rid of pests in your yard.

We Discuss Bed Bugs: 

• Where they live and how they travel.
• The numbers have actually increased in the last couple of years, but the news isn't making it a big deal like a few years ago.
• Complete removal is a must or it's a pointless treatment.
• Using "heat chambers" to kill the bugs and the eggs completely.
• How bugs effect all of us differently. (Only 30% of people react to bed bugs)
• Curtis shares a crazy story about a man who had over 1,000 bites without knowing it.
• Bad habits that make it worse....don't move to the couch with all your blankets. You're just bring them out to another part of the house and exposing guests as hosts back to their home. 
• Nate talks about good habits that help reduce your chances of getting them.
• The headboard on your bed is the top place you'll find bed bugs in hotels. Sheets are changed frequently, so they'll show up behind headboards.

Caller:

• Joey - He's been treating his dogs thoroughly for ticks and even treated their whole home to get rid of them, but they're still fighting them. Where do they live and what can they do to get control of it.

Recommendation - Ticks are common in Arizona and live in bushes and low trees usually. Avoid shorter plants and physically check them after walks or hikes.  If they're in your yard, it will require a professional treating the area.

(Pet beds need to be cleaned thoroughly and if they're worn out and ripped, consider getting a new bed)

• More info for Joey and the correct treatment for ticks. All chemicals need to be applied correctly. Following directions exactly as described, after all, it is a poison!

• How the rainy winter and spring will effect the bug population.

• We go into specifics about treating bees..."Killer Bees" and knowing the difference between the different bee species.  When they attack and what to do to avoid stings and creating environments they thrive in.

• If they attack....RUN!!!  The number of stings are what's dangerous, so get away. They can travel up to a half of a mile and running in a zig-zag pattern will help too. If you can, jump in your car or use a sleeping bag to protect yourself. One or two won't kill you, so don't panic and if you have to take a couple of stings to get away from a swarm, do it. 

• Large swarms of bees don't usually attack because they're traveling to find a new home.  When you get close to an existing hive, they are more likely to attack and when that happens a signal is given and the rest of the hive jumps in the fight. 

• Getting rid of scorpions.  Number One...Clean up leaves and debris around your yard. This eliminates places they call home.

Just a reminder with the wet weather and potential damage at your home, don't trust a fly by night guy. Call the professionals at ServPro Fire & Water - Clean Up and Restoration! They'll deal with hazardous materials safely and it'll be "like it never happened"

Callers:

• Mark - He planted an orchard with a variety of trees and he's finding a beetle on most of the varieties of fruit trees. Is there anything he can do to eliminate them?

Recommendation - If they're coming from the ground, he should be able to find the right treatment. If it's coming from the trees, he'll need an agricultural product. He can reach out to the Arizona Agricultural Extension Office or call Shelby at 5 Star Termite and Pest Control.

Controlling Scorpions:

• Reasons they end up in your yard.
• Reducing the likelihood they can get in your home.
• Nate shares a multistage process for controlling pests. 

If you need help controlling bugs and critters around your home, call Nate and Curtis at Blue Sky Pest Control!

Join Rosie On The House Every Saturday Morning!!!