Termites can be a real problem, expensive to treat and the damage they cause is even more expensive. Whether you have no signs of wood destroying insects or a full blown termite swarm, you can benefit from having your home treated. The goal of a termite treatment is to create a barrier at every possible entrance point to your home. One small gap in coverage and you could still be dealing with termites. While I recommend strongly you get a professional to treat your home for termites, know not everyone can afford it. Here we will give some general advice on how to treat your home yourself. This is not an extensive guide, but it will cover the basics of what to do if you are doing the work yourself.

Termite can enter your home by:

• tunneling up the foundation
  
• tunneling through the gap in the foundation under your bath tubs
  
• through any expansion concrete slab
  
• tunneling up columns that extend over your slab (you won't be able to see the tunnel since it is in side the column)
  

All termicides are not created equal. Some termicides guarantee five years of protection while some only guarantee two years. It is a lot of work treating your home for termites as you will come to find out so in an effort to not have to do it again sooner than later, I strongly recommend spending extra and buying the termicide with a longer residual.

When handling any pesticides, always consider both your personal safety and the safety of others your top priority. Keep this in mind not only when you are applying pesticides, but also when you are storing pesticides and when you dispose of pesticides.

Keep dirt and mulch at least six inches off the foundation of your home. 
Keep piles of leaves and old wood away from your home. 
Keep plants, including tree branches, pruned at least two inches away from your foundation.
Do not plant woody plants directly against to your home.

Termite extermination is a lot of work and a small mistake in treatment can cost you a lot in repairs. I strongly recommend hiring a professional. Call us at 225-752-2333 or request service below.

As you can see, azaleas are the most popular shrub in Louisiana as well as most of the southeast.  Anyone living in Louisiana or other gulf coast states would benefit from learning how to prune an azalea.

Only prune azaleas to keep them at their current size or shape.  Pruning an azalea to make it smaller than it currently is will not only look awful, but will damage the azalea, possibly killing it. This is regularly done when an azalea has been planted too close to a sidewalk or parking lot. You will notice it has one side lacking any leaves or flowers and looks dead. Azaleas have very few leaves past the layer you see. Azaleas also experience the majority of their growth during one short period a year. This means if you cut an Azalea too close, you will have a reminder of it the rest of the year, and maybe longer.

Historically the first time you prune an azalea each year should be in April or May. Although with the warm winters as of late, this seems to be changing.  As a general rule  you should prune your azaleas a week or two after all of their flowers have fallen off. This rule is easy to follow for traditional azaleas. Some newer varieties, such as the encore, will bloom throughout the year.  It is still best to prune them shortly after they are done with a blooming period. Continue to trim the random shoot or two of new growth if they occur later in the year.

If you have azaleas that have grown too large for the area they were planted due to poor planning and pruning, you have three options:

1. Prune the azalea back three weeks before they bloom to the desired height. Wait and see if they bloom and live. If they bloom and sprout leaves, you are in the clear.  If not, try option 2.
   
2. Replace your azalea with a dwarf variety. If it is mid winter to early spring and you didn't try option 1, you can transplant the old azaleas so they can continue to live.
   
3. Learn to love them.

Do not top or knuckle your crepe myrtle, sometimes called "crepe murder". This creates poor tree structure and a significant loss of the tree's stored energy.  This practice will lead to increased disease, a poor appearance, and, if used consistently year after year, the death of the crype myrtle.

This is the irregular growth that happens when a crepe myrtle has been topped.  It is very unhealthy for the tree and, I've gotta say, pretty ugly too.