It's that time of year to grab your rakes and leaf blowers and start clearing out your lawn. Otherwise, the longer you wait, the more risks you could face later on.
"In the Fall, a lot of leaves will fall on the lawn, which will cause mold, help hide rodents and pests that might be getting into your house," said Scott Gist, owner of Scott's Lawn Care.
Gist says you shouldn't leave pine needles in your lawn too long either. He tells us they're very acidic and can kill your grass. Any debris left across your property can also become a fire hazard, in addition to becoming a bit of an eyesore, according to neighbors.
Jacob Helfrich, a Reno resident, says, "In this neighborhood, you get a lot of people growing weeds in their front yard, which is a fire hazard and it's just unsightly."
Gist says if, for whatever reason, you do need to keep your leaves, make sure to keep them in piles away from your house.
"You can also mulch them and turn them into green waste," he said. "There's a whole bunch of local dumps that will take green waste."
Gist says it's also important not to forget to check your roofs and gutters as well.
He says it's a lot cheaper to clean them than it is to fix them. "When you leave leaves and other things on top of your roof, it lets water sit up there longer, and when your freezes come, it will expand and break your tile or shingles or whatever you have up there."
Helfrich says neighbors should want to maintain a clean environment and even treat their lawns like a competition.
"It is about pride," he said. "It's got to look good. Can't have your neighbor's looking better than yours. Jerry's a clown, wouldn't want it looking worse than that guy."
Gist adds, "You should definitely always keep your area clean. It prevents fires, maintains good curb appeal, and keeps your neighbors happy."
