Case Story: The Oaks at Boca Raton POA Boca Raton, Florida

October 5, 2018Case Studies

Situation

The Oaks at Boca Raton POA was suffering from a community-wide problem: its ficus hedges were infested and badly damaged by whitefly. Resident complaints had also prompted a violation letter from Palm Beach County that addressed the sorry state of the hedges used as a privacy buffer from the main thoroughfares alongside the community. The county asked The Oaks to rip out all 8,500 feet of ficus hedges and replace them with a whitefly-tolerant plant—a costly and labor-intensive proposition.

Solution

All Florida Pest Control experts studied the situation and recommended that treating the infestation—rather than replacing the hedges—was the proper course of action. All Florida Pest Control’s treatment plan included a rigorous, multi-point approach to combatting the pest, which included a combination of pruning away dead branches, spraying the ficus and drenching the roots with an insecticide/nutritional mix, dry fertilization (with mulch and leaves removed from root areas), and thinning out the community’s oak trees to remove excess shade. The Oaks presented this plan to the county and was granted a 90-day extension that reserved the right to demand replacement of the hedges if they did not show a 90% post-treatment rejuvenation rate.

Results

The Oaks of Boca Raton’s ficus hedges returned to their original condition within the 90-day time frame, exceeding Palm Beach County’s expectations and prompting it to lift the violation. The ficus hedges are healthier and lusher than before the infestation, and the All Florida Pest Control treatment saved The Oaks $175,000 to replace its damaged foliage.