Preparing for your Holiday

These are 6 things you should do before you go away on holiday to the beach, or even if you intend to stay at home over the holiday period.

Prep you can do indoors

1 Make sure fleas are not lying in wait for you when you return

Fleas that bite humans are usually associated with pets or visiting animals. What people don't realise is that fleas do not live on the animals; they hop on to feed on blood and then drop off where the animals rest. The eggs and larvae of fleas are also in these places in and around the home. Flea larvae feed on the dust that collects around the edges of rooms and where pets rest, so this is where the eggs, larvae and pupae will be.

Particularly for those of you who have pets, when the home is left empty while you and your pets are on holiday, the fleas left behind will be getting hungry. The larvae will have pupated and will be lying in wait for your return. As soon as you and your pets enter the house the fleas sense your presence by detecting body heat and vibrations. The first they do is hop on you and your pets for a blood feed.

Treat your home with the Kiwicare 1-2-3 Flea Control Programme before you leave for your holiday. First, spray with NO Fleas Total Protection around the edges of carpets, other places dust collects and even outside where pets rest. Second use NO Fleas Bug Bombs to kill existing fleas and larvae and to treat places you may not have been able to spray. Third, after* treatment vacuum thoroughly to remove dust, dead fleas and eggs.

*If you wish to set off the NO Fleas Bug Bombs as you leave for your holiday you can carry out the vacuuming as the first part.
Then when you and your pets return home there should not be fleas waiting to ambush you as you open the door.

2 Beat the borer and other bugs

Summer is the middle of the borer flight season when the beetles emerge from wood. This is the time to use NO Bugs Super (Borafume) Fumigator fumigators to kill the beetles on the wing before they can mate and lay eggs back on your wood.

NO Bugs Borafume also kills other insects and spiders in the fumigated space. As you are leaving home for your holiday away is an ideal time to use the fumigators; set them off and close the doors behind you. This will give the fumigant vapour the longest time to penetrate and control borer and other bugs.

Tip: For best results also spray with long-lasting NO Bugs Super both inside and outside.

3 Prepare your houseplants for your holiday

See more on how to look after your houseplants when you go on holiday.

Garden prep

4 Protect your plants

Roses and other susceptible plants are more at risk from pests and disease in warm conditions and when watering is inconsistent. Your routine preventative application of fungicide and insecticide may be interrupted by your holiday, leaving the plants to fend for themselves.
Carry out a preventative treatment with Kiwicare’s PLANThealth and Organic range to control aphids, scale, mealy bugs, fungal diseases etc. before you leave and give your plant carer advice on what to do while you are away. 

5 Stop weeds from taking over your lawn

You have probably considered mowing your lawn before you leave on holiday so that it is not too long on your return, but have you considered controlling the weeds before you leave?

This is the perfect time to spray the weeds with selective lawn herbicides such as LawnPro All-in-1, Turfclean or LawnPro Prickle and Hydrocotyle. These herbicides take 1-2 weeks to show significant effects on the weeds so the weeds may be on their way out or dead by the time you return.

These herbicides also slow grass growth, without harming the grass, so you will have less mowing on your return.

6 Deadhead

Before you leave on holiday, deadhead your roses and other flowering plants. Removing blooms that are past their best encourages new blooms and removes a site of infection for diseases such as mildew, moulds and blight.

Why isn't watering on the list?

We haven't listed 'watering your garden' as a tip because it's that's something most people know. But just in case you need a refresher: Before you leave give your garden a good deep watering so that your plants can draw on it as needed (aim to leave the sprinkler in the same spot for about 20 minutes before moving it to another section of your garden). If you're heading away for a while then make sure you've got a sprinkler set up on an automatic timer or a friend or family member who can come by and give your garden a good soaking for you.

Have a great holiday and come back to a welcoming home and garden.