Scoop Doggie Dog's Sirius Pile

Returning Soon! Scoop Doggie Dog v2.0!

scoopdoggied — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:50:01 +0000

On Monday 4/6 afternoon, my home burned down. A single picture is available on Columbian.com and in the newspaper. I will resume service as soon as we get the recovery “ball” rolling (in a couple days, not weeks).

I ask that you simply stay with me and in a few weeks, tell EVERYBODY you know that I’ll do a “bang up” job keeping their yard clean.

As I stated in the statements a couple days ago, our daughter is still due to be born April 22nd.

I will have other updates here and on Facebook (Scoop Doggie Dog) in the coming days and weeks.

Thank you for your Support
Mark Walker

Schedule changes for April 7-10.

scoopdoggied — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:04:15 +0000

I am switching the Tuesday and Wednesday service days.

(Tuesday’s on Wednesday and Wed’s on Tuesday.)

Additionally, I’m switching Thursday and Friday.

Of Crane Fly Larvae and Cold

scoopdoggied — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:23:05 +0000

Last fall, we saw a huge explosion in the numbers of crane flies. In some yards, there were so many that one could not dare to breathe through the mouth out of fear of sucking some down.

Adult Crane flies are harmless, in and of themselves. The problems crane flies cause are during the larvae stage - in early April. The larvae feed on the roots and blades of lawn grass. They are responsible for small to large areas of grass dying off as well as being a target for the ubiquitous mole.

With the crane fly problem in mind, I did a little bit of investigating.
I discovered that one condition that destroys many crane fly larvae is cold temperatures. Unfortunately - according to Dr. Charles Brun, a Clark County Extension Agent - the cold weather would not have killed the flies. Darn.

That would leave it up to the birds to come and peck at enough of them to keep their population down. Has your yard been full of birds a few times this spring? Missed again.

That leaves the pesticide approach. The WSU Extension in Pullman states on their website:

If you choose to use a pesticide, some examples of products that are legal in Washington are listed below.

Always read and follow all label directions.

Bayer Advanced Garden Power Force Multi-Insect Killer R-T-S
Ortho BugBGon Max Insect Killer for Lawns
This list may not include all products registered for this use.

The products and their active ingredients are listed below.

Bayer Advanced Garden Power Force Multi-Insect Killer R-T-S, cyfluthrin.
Ortho BugBGon Max Insect Killer for Lawns, bifenthrin.

The time to kill the larvae is within the next two weeks. It might save your lawn and make it a much more enjoyable place this fall.

Monday, March 30th schedule change

scoopdoggied — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:19:13 +0000

This week, I am switching my Monday and Tuesday routes. That is: Monday route will be done on Tuesday and Tuesday route on Monday.

* Notice of schedule change *

scoopdoggied — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:01:26 +0000

Today is Monday, March 9th. All weekly yard cleanings will be delayed a couple of days due to an injury. This will be my third and fourth sick days in nine years.

Thank you for your understanding and check back on Wednesday for any updates.

Sincerely,

One Sore Puppy!

Mark

A backyard hazard?

scoopdoggied — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 04:24:03 +0000

There are many warnings flying around the internet that aren’t worth your worry, but if your dog seems to get an upset stomach for no apparent reason, check what’s in your garden. It might be Cocoa Mulch.
Claim: Theobromine, a chemical found in cocoa mulch, can be harmful to pets.

Visit Snopes at http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

Spring is on its way!

scoopdoggied — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:59:44 +0000

I saw some crocuses pushing up through the recently thawed (again) soil and, while it is still February, can finally see an end to this winter. One side benefit of the deep freezes we had this winter is that the cold *might* have killed most of the crane fly larvae. Last fall, the crane flies were so thick in places that I couldn’t help but to breathe them in while scooping in backyards.

I will check in at the Cooperative Extension and give you a more definitive answer on whether the cold killed the crane flies.

Welcome to my new blog

scoopdoggied — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:14:34 +0000

Welcome to Scoop Doggie Dog’s blog.

Here you will find notes about current events, interesting bits of information, schedule changes and pooper scooper musings.

Visit here often to see what tidbit of thought is posted, or better yet, subscribe via the RSS button at the bottom.

Thanks for visiting Vancouver and Portland’s premier pooper scooper.