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Questions and Answers (Last updated: 05/15/2008 at 11:00 AM, MST)
Q1: How much do you charge for your weed removal service? A1: Pricing depends on many factors including the number of *labor hours needed to complete the weed removal service, number of gallons of pesticides / herbicides used (if applicable), property size, soil condition (extremely dry soil or clay present in soil increases *labor hours), and the number, size, and type of weeds being removed as well as their root system (tap roots or fibrous roots), thickness, and depth, and project materials required (i.e., 45 gallon bags, etc.). We charge a rate of $15.00 per *labor hour. The minimum charge for a weed removal / yard maintenance project is $60.00. For example, a weed removal project requiring up to four labor hours with no pesticides used would cost $60.00. If pesticide / herbicide application is requested, we charge $15.00 per gallon of Roundup Extended Control, which includes a pesticide handling / application fee of $5.00 per gallon. Weed / yard waste material removal and disposal is included with every project. We exclusively use Roundup Extended Control Weed & Grass Killer Plus Weed Preventer. See Q6 / A6 for more information on this post-emergent and pre-emergent herbicide). Each gallon of Roundup Extended Control treats approximately 300 square feet. *Labor hour is defined as one hour worked on a property per field technician. For example, if only one field technician had worked for one hour on a weed removal project, then he or she worked one labor hour. However, if two field technicians worked simultaneously for one hour on the same weed removal project, then you will be billed for two labor hours.
Q2: Do you offer yard maintenance also? A2: Yes, we do light yard maintenance such as tree trimming and prunning (branches growing out of trunk base or light branch / twig overhang), bush / shrub trimming, gravel raking, vine trimming, seed / pod pickup from tree droppings, and general landscape plant trimming. We evaulate any jobs involving yard maintenance on a case-by-case basis. Due to our limited tools and manpower (hand tools and a battery-powered cordless grass / weed trimmer), we sometimes turn down large yard maintenance jobs, especially those involving cactus removal or small tree and bush / shrub removals.
Q3: Is there an advance deposit requirement for your weed removal service? A3: First-time customers: We require a minimum 50% deposit for weed removal or other yard maintenance projects based on the estimate. For repeat customers, no advance deposits are required unless customers conduct busines by phone,mail, or e-mail, not "face-to-face." Customers not conducting business "face-to-face" are always required to deposit 100% of the project amount requested in advance. Pesticide / herbicide application: We require a 100% deposit to cover chemical costs of Roundup Extended Control based on the number of gallons needed for the weed removal service at the property on every project where pesticide / herbicide application is requested.
Q4: How does your service work? Does anyone have to be present? A4: Our intial visit consists of a property inspection and free estimate (printed or e-mailed estimate). The following visits consists of manual weed removal, weed / yard waste material disposal, and Roundup Extended Control pesticide application at the property site (if applicable). As long as we receive thorough instructions, no one needs to be present for the estimate or weed removal service. However, payment is immediately due upon completion of weed removal service and an advance deposit will be required to begin the job (see Q3 / A3).
Q5: What types of materials and tools do you use? A5: The typical tools and materials we use include rubber-palmed gardening gloves, industrial chemical-resistant gloves for pesticide application, 45 gallon trash bags, shovels, rakes, pruners, shears, two types of hoes including a garden hoe and a two-prong hoe, grass whip tool, a 24 volt battery-powered cordless grass / weed trimmer, two machetes for whacking large weeds such as thistle or tumble weeds, fork hand weeder tools,"hula" hoe, 30 ft. tape measure for estimates, Roundup Extended Control concentrate applied with a backpack sprayer and two premium pesticide tank sprayers, a bucket to carry our hand tools in, and lots of soap (hand soap, liquid dish soap, and laundary detergeant) to remove all of the pesticide and weed residues from our tools and pesticide sprayer after pesticide / herbicide applications.
Q6: What type of pesticides / herbicides do you use? A6: We currently use Monsanto Company products. We excusively use Roundup® Extended Control Weed & Grass Killer Plus Weed Preventer. This formulation contains the three active ingredients: glyphosate and diquat dibromide for immediate weed kill plus the preemergence active ingredient imazapic. Imazapic is a non-selective weed growth inhibitor / pesticide additive that prevents new weed growth for up to four months. However, since it stays active in the soil, it will also prevent growth of new vegetation or plants for up to four months (average half-life: 120 days). From our experience using this product since May 2007, it works as advertised. For a professional evaulation of this product published by Cornell University from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation - Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials, click on the following link (Adobe Acrobat PDF File, 387.77 KB, 13 pages): http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/herb-growthreg/fatty-alcohol-monuron/imazapic-ammonium/imazapic_regis_906.pdf. Half-life is defined as the amount of time required for half the quanitity of a chemical to be metabolized or eliminated by various processes. The remaining chemicals detected after the first half-life of any pesticides that we use will have virtually no impact on biological activities in the pesticide-treated soil. In other words, you can grow anything that you desire without any harmful effects to humans or animals as long as you wait at least four months after the pesticide application with imazapic in the solution before planting anything in the treated soil.
Q7: Why use pesticides? How long should we wait before entering any treated areas? Is there anything else that I should know about the pesticides? Is there a safer alternative to prevent weed growth on my property? A7: We use pesticides / herbicides for two main reasons: 1) Monsanto Company Roundup® Products kill the entire roots. If the weed root system is networked (fibrous) with more than one weed or extensively deep (more than 12 inches), a small fragment of the root can break off during weed extraction and many types of weeds can grow from root fragments and 2) Pesticide-treated areas tend to show less weed recurrence in treated areas due to the active ingredients in the pesticides which remain active in the soil for up to four weeks (up to 16 weeks for imazapic included in Roundup Extended Control Weed & Grass Killer Plus Weed Preventer). Glyphosate, one of the active ingredients in the Roundup® formula, is a non-selective systemic herbicide which is absorbed by weed forliage and distributed throughout the weeds, including the roots. It kills just about every type of weed imaginable by interfering with the weeds ability to produce food by photosynthesis after a period of one to two weeks (caution: it also kills desirable plants, so watch out for overspray). Glyphosate immediately break downs in bio-friendly, non-toxic residues in the soil through microbial and fungal breakdown as well as atmospheric oxidation of the chemicals in the soil. The other active ingredient, diquat dibromide, is a desiccant that kills broadleaf weed leaves on contact or very quickly (usually less than 24 hours). This action kills the weed's food source which is produced in the leaves. It is used in such a small percentage of the formula that the residual amount breaks down rapidly and is virtually untraceable. It is not harmful to humans or animals if used correctly in herbicide applications. For more information on the herbicide imazapic, the preemergent ingredient used in Roundup® Extended Control Weed & Grass Killer Plus Weed Preventer Concentrate, see Q6 / A6. For a detailed synopis published by UC Davis, California, click the following link (Adobe Acrobat PDF File, 39.9 KB, 7 pages): http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/products/handbook/16.Imazapic.pdf.
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