Questions on Lawncare and Pest Control in Flagler Beach Area (2014, HOA fees)

[MovingOnAgain]

Hi! We just purchased a home in a subdivision where the HOA fees do not include lawncare. We are from the Northeast and this is a second home. Not so much asking for contractor names - I can find that. But more asking WHAT needs to be done. For example, does the lawn need to be mowed every week, ten days, two weeks? Does this vary by time of year? What type of lawn treatment do I need? Fertilizer and pest control?

We received a one year "termite bond" but the same contractor pitched an expensive pest control program and I am a bit lost as to what we need and don't need. Your advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Florida2014]

1. Lawn needs to be mowed 1x/week from April through October. Same w/shrubs. We pay $120/month for this service. You can move to 2x/week from November through March but most lawn care companies will charge you the same fee regardless of what time of year it is.
2. Yes you absolutely need pest control here. We get our lawn and shrubs treated monthly ($70/mo) and also have separate pest only control for the interior/exterior of the home ($33/mo). The lawn treatment will cover both fertilizer and treatment for bugs/worms/etc.
3. In addition to all of that you also need termite protection. You will get the termite bond, which is the "heavy" treatment once every 5 years (depends on the bond that was previously purchased) where they drill holes and use Termidor. This can be VERY expensive as we recently found out.....$1,000 roughly, but that is only every 5 years or so. Find out how long your last bond goes for to know how much time you have left on that. These companies will also come out annually to inspect for termites. They were here for us recently for about 20 minutes and charged us something insane like $250. It really is a racket but necessary due to the climate here.

Lots of services and associated costs we weren't fully aware of until we moved here. Good luck.

[MovingOnAgain]

Thank you Florida 2014. That is very helpful.

[Thundarr457]

The price depends on your lot size. Our is mowec 1x/week and when its cooler every other week. You get charged the same every month. On the non mowing weeks they trim bushes and do cleanup. We pay 160/month but we have .5 acres Pest control is a must have we used Naders and have been happy so far. We use the Sentricon for termites and its considerable cheaper than Termidor and they don't have to drill holes in you sidewalk or pool deck. Welcome to Florida.

[Ivan Putski]

We use Naders as well for pest (inside and out), lawn maintenance (fertilizer, insecticides etc) and ornamentals (ie. treating bushes/hedges). As Thundarr mentioned, they use Sentricon for termites and it's definitely cheaper. The termite bond renewal runs about $300 per year and they inspect annually. I think they get us for about $1,500 per year (including the termite bond) after all's said and done. No issues in the 3 years we've lived here.

I do my own lawn, bushes/hedges etc. My last cut is usually in mid to late November if I recall and don't start up again until late March.

[MovingOnAgain]

Thank you Thundarr and Ivan!

[Florida2014]

Thanks, I misspoke...it is Sentricon, not Termidor. One piece of advice I'd give you in terms of lawn care is to get several quotes and negotiate price. And never, ever settle on anyone who doesn't come with a number of positive reviews. When we first came to FL I only got 3 quotes and settled on one but didn't check any online reviews or personal references and I was extremely dissatisfied with their service. Lots of broken sprinkler heads, shoddy trimming of hedges and once they signed us up they moved us from their "prime" slot of Fridays to Tuesdays. It was a pleasure firing them. Negotiate all of that up front and be clear with what you expect.

Other services you should likely do at least annually are to have all your sprinklers checked and adjusted and to have your HVAC(s) serviced/cleaned. Your a/c will be running 24/7 for 8 months out of the year so it's important to keep them maintained. And I speak from experience with respect to sprinklers, one or two always seem to break every year and often the water pressure affects the spray radius, so I see dry spots unless I have them adjusted.

[MovingOnAgain]

Thanks again Florida 2014. Good advice on the irrigation and A/C.

[DuskTillDawn]

Originally Posted by Florida2014

Thanks, I misspoke...it is Sentricon, not Termidor. One piece of advice I'd give you in terms of lawn care is to get several quotes and negotiate price. And never, ever settle on anyone who doesn't come with a number of positive reviews. When we first came to FL I only got 3 quotes and settled on one but didn't check any online reviews or personal references and I was extremely dissatisfied with their service. Lots of broken sprinkler heads, shoddy trimming of hedges and once they signed us up they moved us from their "prime" slot of Fridays to Tuesdays. It was a pleasure firing them. Negotiate all of that up front and be clear with what you expect.

Other services you should likely do at least annually are to have all your sprinklers checked and adjusted and to have your HVAC(s) serviced/cleaned. Your a/c will be running 24/7 for 8 months out of the year so it's important to keep them maintained. And I speak from experience with respect to sprinklers, one or two always seem to break every year and often the water pressure affects the spray radius, so I see dry spots unless I have them adjusted.

Would you be so kind as to share with me what company you use for your lawn maintenence? I have not been able to find a good quality company anywhere. They all just want to mow, blow and go it seems.

Thanks..

[MovingOnAgain]

I have not yet hired anyone. The builder said they would do one or two mows. However, that is now past and I need to hire someone. But I am not there so it is hard to know whom to hire. Sorry I am not more help.