Tag Archives: fall

Just as we like to cozy up in the fall when the temperatures drop so do the critters outside. Protecting your home from becoming a winter vacation property to rodents like mice and squirrels and chipmunks, not to mention raccoons, is very important. Having a chimney full of raccoons is no fun for the homeowner. Let’s face it, most of us don’t really even think of this until it happens to us!

Damage to beams, walls, and wires are a real hazard that needs to be addressed. Rodents in search of food can find their way in and create havoc in your home. Keep in mind, mice only need a quarter of an inch to get in and squirrels only need about two and a half inches. The most common entry points for smaller critters are around windows and doors. Raccoons love the cozy chimney! Add weather stripping, check door sweeps and your screens for holes, add a chimney cap. With a few preventative measures you can ensure that your home will be safe.

According to the Insurance Hotline website these tips should help:

Don’t leave food out.
Secure your trash.
Cover up any cracks or holes inside and outside your home.
Install a chimney cap.
Invest in a dehumidifier.
Clear away wood, mulch or plant material from the base of the home.

Many people don’t realize that if they have a major infestation and damage to their home, their insurance may not cover them. Just another reason to keep your home and yard clean, tidy and shrubs and bushes well trimmed away from the house.

October 25, 2016

Heidi McLaren

I can’t believe it is almost Halloween again! Where do the months go? It seems like we are just gearing up for summer and poof! it is Halloween.

I was writing an email to our property managers with some tips for keeping their properties safe on Halloween night and decide that the tips were good ones, that every homeowner could use. So here it is:

Lighting

Dark a spooky sounds like the perfect environment for Halloween, but not it you manage an apartment building or multi unit complex. To keep things safe for the little ones, it is recommended that you keep your property well lit. Stairwells and hallways are particularly vulnerable to accidents so ensure all lighting in these areas are functioning properly. This is going to make your tenants more comfortable as well as making it that much less attractive to the pranksters out there.

Fire Safety

Who doesn’t love a brightly lit jack-o-lantern on Halloween night? But these can be dangerous and prone to burning. A battery operated candle is a great alternative. Pumpkins If the pumpkin is bumped or knocked over there is no worry of any fire starting. This can also be a good time to remind your tenants about candle safety and to check the smoke alarms on your property.

Clear the Way

Half the fun of Halloween is the decorating! Remind tenants to keep their decorations off the paths and from blocking any cut through areas that kids might use. As a property manager this would be a good time to take care of any loose bricks, boards or big holes in the lawn areas of the property. No one wants to trip or step in a hole and twist an ankle. Any area that is deemed dangerous should be marked with safety cones or cordoned off. Better safe than sorry. A bit of time spent checking over the property will be well worth it.

Take the opportunity to send a newsletter to your tenants. It will be appreciated that you are taking their safety seriously.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

September 5, 2016

Heidi McLaren

Gardening No Comments

Beautiful tulips, the result of planting fall bulbs!

Living in the Ottawa area we are treated every spring to an amazing show of tulips all over the capital region showcased during the Tulip Festival. For the home owner planting fall bulbs is an easy way to enjoy beautiful colour on your own property.

Lindsay Landscape plants bulbs for some clients every year. Planting should be done anytime from late September in to late November or even December if the ground is not yet frozen solid. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and crocus are spring flowering and considered hardy. They need to have the dormant rest during the winter. Once the snow begins to melt in the spring the bulbs are watered with the melting snow and they begin to grow.

Plant in well drained soil, adding bonemeal to the planting bed may help keep squirrels from stealing the bulbs. We would recommend mulching to help prevent weeds, retain moisture and if there is a severe winter, some mulch will help protect them from damage. Planting in clumps is an attractive option, giving the best hit of colour in the spring when the bulbs flower.

Once blooming has finished let the leaves die back, then carefully remove. You can leave the bulbs in the ground but many gardeners suggest after 3 years, removing and splitting them. Some well thought out planning in your garden will ensure that there are other plants growing up to disguise the dying leaves of your finished tulips or whichever flower you planted.

Whether you choose to plant bulbs yourself or want some help from Lindsay Landscape, planting bulbs is a great way to plan ahead for an early and colourful start to your gardening season.