As if 2020 weren’t exciting enough, Halloween falls on a Saturday this year AND we will have a full moon! For the North Texas area as well as the nation, Halloween traditions may look a little different because of the COV?ID-19 pandemic, but there are still lots of ways families for families to have fun. Whether you and your family are trick-or-treating or quarantining, we have some fa-boo-lous ideas for a safe and spooky holiday!

Trick-or-Treaters

Keep these social distancing best practices in mind to keep everyone safe.

• Stay home if you are sick
• Trick-or-treat with people you live with
• Remain 6 feet apart from people not in your household
• Wear a face mask covering BOTH your mouth and nose (even under/over your Halloween mask)
• Use hand sanitizer frequently while out and about, as well as before eating or after coughing/sneezing
• Wash your hands as soon as you return home

Dos and Don’ts of Giving Out Treats This Halloween

• Don’t hand out candy if you are sick
• Do wear a face mask covering your mouth and nose
• Do use glow-in-the-dark duct tape to mark 6-foot lines in front of your home and leading to your driveway/front door
• Don’t get closer than necessary to trick-or-treaters, no matter how cute they are!
• Do put a disinfected table between yourself and trick-or-treaters for distributing candy
• Wash or sanitize your hands frequently

Helpful Hints for Parents

• Anyone who is sick should stay home
• Talk with your children about maintaining safety and social distancing expectations
• Carry a flashlight after dark
• Make sure your children are wearing reflective clothing so drivers can see them at night
• Wear a face mask covering your mouth and nose
• Everyone should wash their hands as soon as you return home
• Always inspect the candy

Trick-or-Treating Alternatives

Virtual costume parties & parades

Use video chats for an online Costume party! Invite friends and family to show off costumes and play games. Outdoor costume parades are another option if everyone stays at least 6 feet apart. Masks over the mouth and nose are a must!

Spooky movie night

Celebrate with a Halloween-themed movie night as a family. Another option is to allow your child to watch a movie with their friends virtually, with everyone starting the movie at the same time.

Decorating pumpkins

Carve pumpkins as a family – just be careful to avoid pumpkin carving injuries! After carving, insert a battery-operated light rather than an open-flame candle to avoid burns. Or draw/decorate pumpkins with markers, paint, or other items.

Halloween-themed treats

There are loads of fun Halloween-theme treat ideas on Pinterest – healthy and not-so-healthy! Make sure the treats are not choking hazards if you have children under age 3.

Halloween scavenger hunt

A Halloween scavenger hunt across your neighborhood will get everyone out of the house and searching for all sorts of fun and spooky Halloween decorations! Have prizes for the winners – a little competition gets the family invested! This is an ideal way to get some exercise and still have some Halloween fun!

Grand Opening of Our Frisco Location

Frisco pool owners have experienced delays in getting pool supplies through Amazon as well as gaps in pool cleaning services due to the Covid-19 shutdown, but local supplies and support are available! The 1 Stop Pool and Spa store’s beautiful new space inside of the Robertson Pool building is now open! 1 Stop is happy to offer even lower prices on over 1,500 items. Prices are competitive with online sellers, plus you get the help and guidance you need to take care of your pool.

To protect the safety of customers, the following measures are being taken:

Cleaning: Our team members have increased their attention to our cleaning practices and continue to remain diligent in these areas. This includes but is not limited to more frequent and scheduled cleaning of high-touch areas throughout our stores, such as counters, door handles, credit card terminals, pens, restrooms, etc.

Health and Hygiene: We are taking hand-washing and personal hygiene to the next level, making every effort to keep our stores as safe as possible during this time. We are also strictly enforcing our policy that employees stay home and seek medical attention if they fall ill.

Social Distancing: We are complying with the recommendation of maintaining a distance of 6 feet from other people. We are refraining from shaking hands, so please do not take it personally.

High Risk: For our higher at-risk customers, or if it just makes you just feel more comfortable, we offer curb side pick-up service. Just give us a call at 972-527-7665: we will process your order and payment over the phone and have it ready for pick-up. Call us again when you arrive and we will bring it out to your vehicle and load it with no contact - just pop the trunk! 

We are excited to welcome new and existing customers in to the Frisco store and are looking forward to meeting your needs. The safety of our customers, employees, and our communities remains at the top of our operating priorities. Proper sanitizing of pools will keep bodies of water safe for our community. As families across the country are spending increased time at home and limiting travel, providing the means for properly sanitized home pool environments is critical to helping maintain community health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), COVID-19 cannot survive in properly treated pool and hot tub water. In addition, untreated water can promote many other types of bacteria (Pseudomonas, Cryptosporidium, E. Coli, Shigella etc.). The World Health Organization (WHO) states that controlling water quality is necessary to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. All of our locations offer free water testing.

If you have invested in a pool for your Frisco family, you want to enjoy it and your family time as much as possible. Stop by our beautiful new 1 Stop Pool Supply Store to check out all the options we have for making the most of your family’s backyard oasis. We are making every effort to keep our locations stocked up with everything from sanitation supplies and equipment to pool toys and games. We are ready to serve you with everything you need during this time. We value your business, and we wish health and happiness for you and your families.     

Jamie Spence | Content Manager

Seota Digital Marketing 972.737.2830

Electronic waste or e-waste is electronics that are nearing the end of their use and are discarded, donated, or recycled. While donating and recycling electronic devices is better for the environment, the data in these devices can still be easily accessed and retrieved even after deletion. This information could be financial data such as account numbers or tax returns, or personal information like email messages or photos. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, more people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex are working from home than ever before, which means a higher rate of electronics turnover. How can you protect your confidential information when discarding a device?

Risks of disposing e-waste

Personal computers have a lot of sensitive information on them which can be accessed and used for criminal activity.  According to Get Safe Online, any passwords stored in the computer could give access to secure websites holding the personal and financial information of the device's owner. Likewise, any browsing history and emails stored in the computer can be accessed.

Backing up data

Before disposing of the computer, one should think about what information to save and how much storage space is needed to save that information.  Data deemed important can either be transferred to a new computer, in another device, in a USB flash drive/external hard drive, or on the cloud storage. This way, the data can be recovered even if the information is accidentally erased.

Sign out accounts and disconnect devices

After saving all of the important information,it’s important to sign out of all online accounts. Also, un-pair your devices from Bluetooth devices like a mouse, keyboard, or wireless display.  Make sure that any CDs or DVDs that contain personal data are removed from the computer.

Deleting data and erasing the computer's hard drive

When deleting files, it is not  enough to rely solely on the routinely used deletion method such as moving a file to the trash or recycle bin or selecting "delete" from the menu. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) shared that although the files may appear to have been removed, data remains on the media even after a delete or format command is executed.

Remove data from the computer through a disk software designed to permanently remove data stored on a computer hard drive to prevent the possibility of recovery. Select a program that runs the secure erase command set, which will erase the data by overwriting all areas of the hard drive; or use disk wiping to erase sensitive information on hard drives and securely wipes flash drives and secure digital cards.

Overwriting

Delete sensitive information and write new binary data over it, the CISA suggested. Using random data instead of easily identifiable patterns makes it harder for attackers to discover the original information underneath.  One method of overwriting is to zero-fill a hard disk and select programs that use all zeros in the last layer. The owner of the data may use the Cipher.exe, a built-in command-line tool in Microsoft Windows operating systems that can be used to encrypt or decrypt data on New Technology File System drives.

This tool can also securely delete data by overwriting it. Clearing can also be used to prevent the information from being retrieved by data, disk, or file recovery utilities. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) notes that devices must be resistant to keystroke recovery attempts from standard input devices, such as keyboard or mouse, and from data scavenging tools.

Destroying

Another method to prevent other people from retrieving information is to destroy the device. There are specialized services available that will securely destroy the computer drive and other devices. Each drive can be made inoperable using powerful, patented equipment tested and approved by National Security Agency and Department of Defense. Reverse polarity technology permanently removes all data from drive.

If a person does not want to use any of the services, hard drives can be destroyed manually, according to CISA. However, care should be taken to ensure that the remaining physical pieces are small enough that the information cannot be reconstructed from them. Hardware devices can also be used to erase CDs and DVDs. It can be through magnetic media degaussers, wherein devices are exposed to strong magnetic fields that remove the data; solid-state destruction, the destruction of all data storage chip memory by crushing, shredding or disintegration; and using office or home paper shredders to shred CDs and DVDs.

Safe Disposal

Computers that are at the end of their life or are not intended for selling or giving away should be taken to a proper disposal facility. The facility will ensure that the computers are dismantled and the components recycled correctly and responsibly. Most computers contain hazardous materials such as heavy metals that can contaminate the environment. The Federal Trade Commission suggests looking for computer manufacturers, electronic stores, and other organizations that have computer recycling or donation programs.

Jamie Spence | Content Manager

Seota Digital Marketing 972.737.2830

“You can prune a tree or shrub at any time of year.” This popular misconception is frequently shared with homeowners new to managing their landscaping. However, the truth is that when you prune a tree is large dependent on WHY you are pruning the tree.

Why Should You Prune?

The first reason you would prune a tree or shrub is to remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches. Pruning a diseased tree strengthens its health by preventing the spread of disease and encourages the tree to direct its energy towards growing its healthy branches.

How can you tell the difference between a dead tree and a diseased tree?

Signs Your Tree May Be Dead:

• Dead wood: Dead wood looks dry and lifeless. Unlike a healthy branch that can bend in response to wind, it is brittle and breaks easily.
• Decay: Trees usually decay from the inside out; exterior symptoms may be hard to see. Soft wood, wood that crumbles, or mold or fungi such as mushrooms, are all indicators of inner decay.
• Cracks: Cracks are deep splits through the bark.
• Cankers: Cankers are holes where the bark is missing and they increase the chance of a stem breaking near the canker.
• Low quality tree architecture: An uneven growth pattern is an indication of poor tree architecture. This means the tree may look lopsided or lean sideways.

Symptoms of a Diseased Tree

• Thinning canopy: Thinning of a tree’s canopy indicates a tree’s health is in decline. A thinning canopy will leave a tree off-balance and more susceptible to wind and winter storm damage. The stress on the tree will also make it more vulnerable to parasites and insect pests.
• Leaf problems: Discoloration, damage, or wilting of leaves is a clear indication a tree is under stress. Shedding of leaves prior to the fall can demonstrate an early dormancy so that the tree can stop directing all its energy to new growth and conserve its strength over the winter.
• Branch problems: branches that don’t have any leaves or bark on them are a symptom of a tree in distress; as are branches that have fallen off of a tree for no apparent reason.
• Soft or rotting roots: rotting roots are usually the result of overwatered soil or soil with poor drainage. Soggy conditions prevent a tree’s roots from absorbing the oxygen needed to live. As the oxygen-starved roots die and decay, their rot can spread to healthier roots even when the wet soil conditions have been corrected.

If a tree is already dead, it needs to be removed. Not only will it draw pests, spread disease to other trees in your yard, and be unattractive, but it could fall, resulting in costly emergency tree removal service. Sometimes, the chance to prune a tree has passed and it will be too diseased or badly damaged to save. It’s important to use a licensed tree service company with trained and expert staff. Thousands of accidents – some deadly – occur each year in the US when home owners attempt their own large tree pruning or removal. “Dangerous tree removals” or “tight-spot removals” involving power lines, businesses, homes, or other structures close by increase the importance of using an insured, experienced tree removal company.

A tree should be pruned to improve its appearance and function. Pruning not only manages its overall size, but encourages flowering, fruiting, and growth. Dead branches should be pruned in order to prevent them from falling off. Removing suckers and water sprouts that don’t contribute to a healthy canopy of foliage is also a good idea. Suckers are vegetative, unplanned growth coming from the root system of a tree and water sprouts are vegetative, vertical growth stemming from a tree's trunk or branches.

When to Prune

Now that we’ve discussed why to prune, let’s examine why pruning at certain times of year is best for your tree’s health.

Late Winter – Early Spring

Pruning in the late winter months of February to early April is considered the best time to prune for green growth in deciduous and evergreen trees alike. Pruning during this time period gives a tree time to heal the cuts before warm spring temperatures usher in the growth seen in the primary growing season. Pruning before the green growth of the late spring will encourage flowering trees to bloom in the summer and also allows you to see bark and wood problems that the foliage would have hidden.

Late Spring - Early Summer

Pruning to manage a tree’s shape and appearance is performed at the beginning of the summer months. The strong spring growth has occurred and you’re able to see how much leaf surface the tree has and where it needs to be reduced. Pruning to remove branches that are too weak to support the canopy’s weight can also be done at this time of year. For trees that flower in the spring, pruning in the early summer months is recommended. Pruning after the tree’s flowers have dropped allows it time to set new buds for the next season.

Take a pass on late summer to early fall pruning. Pruning in the later summer encourages new growth immediately prior to falling temperatures which are likely to kill it. Also, pruning of any kind stresses a tree and creates an open wound. These wounds can be more easily infected by fungi in the fall months. They also create an opportunity for bacteria or insects to invade the tree. Most insects and diseases are not active in cold, winter weather, so pruning prior to late summer and early fall allows a tree to heal from the cuts without the stress of fending off threats. Only branches that are a danger to a tree’s health or to safety should be pruned during the late summer or early fall months.

How to Prune a Tree

How Should You Prune a Tree?

Obviously, we strongly recommend retaining the services of an established and reputable tree service company. Parker Tree Service was established in 1937. The company employs certified and insured arborists and each undergoes continuous training. We make it a priority to regularly update and upgrade our equipment and we provide fast and dependable tree removal and maintenance service to thousands of residential and commercial customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Some companies use old or substandard equipment and shortcut a job, risking a tree’s health and future by removing viable branches. Our staff knows that fine-pruning trees in your landscape is as much of an art as a science. It requires experience and knowledge to do the job correctly.

However, if you would like to attempt pruning your trees on your own, we can provide the following general tips. While working with sharp tools and dropping heavy objects from a height, it’s very important to take safety precautions.

• Be sure to wear proper safety gear, such as thick gloves, safety glasses, and a hard hat.
• Care for your tools meticulously. Your tools should be cleaned alcohol between one tree and another, after removal of any branch showing signs of disease, and at the end of a pruning.
• Never prune near power lines.
• Non-professionals should use pruning shears, hand saws, and pole saws for tree trimming.
• DO NOT climb a tree or a ladder to prune, or prune next to power lines. Any task involving these dangers should be left to professionals who are certified, licensed, and insured.

Pruning Method

Heading cuts are cuts that remove the growth buds at the ends of branches (also known as terminal buds). Heading cuts are appropriate for limbs that are less than a year old. To make a heading cut, you will trim a branch back to about 1/4" in front of one of its lateral buds (the buds found all along the sides of the branch). These cuts are used to reduce the total length of each branch and determine the overall shape of the tree’s canopy.

Thinning cuts are applied to mature trees to address particular issues. Removing heavy branches or water sprouts typically involves thinning cuts, as do removing branches that rub against other branches. Another reason to use a thinning cut is to remove a branch that connects to other branches or the trunk at too great or too narrow an angle. A thinning cut is cutting a branch all the way back to the point where it attaches to a larger branch or the trunk of the tree.

It’s important to identify the type of branch collar the tree has and the branch bark ridge before pruning. The branch collar is the mass of tissue at the base of the branch where it attaches to the tree. The branch bark ridge is a raised section of bark at the point of attachment. You will want to make a thinning cut against the branch collar and the branch ridge while leaving the branch collar intact. This will promote healing in the cut.

For pruning branches that are larger than 3” in diameter, we recommend contacting a reputable tree service company for assistance.

Wise pruning of your lawn’s trees can preserve their health and beauty for many years. If you have concerns about maintaining your trees, call Parker Tree Service. We’re always happy to help answer questions regarding the maintenance or removal of your trees.

Jamie Spence | Content Manager

Seota Digital Marketing 972.737.2830