Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act (§ 55-510.3 )- Notice of Pesticide Application

Blade Runners Approach: Posting Agronomic Signs

While this requirement for Associations (§ 55-510.3 )may produce added expense for the association it really is a good idea.  This effective communication to your residents, communicates service dates, the QR Code provides and takes residents instantly to the Blade Runners Resource Book. This has all the support documentation of pesticide products to be applied, along with MSDS sheets, product labels, product toxicity info (if any), mixture rates and contact information should they have further concerns. 

Blade Runners has long provided this pesticide sign posting service option for our Homeowner Associations, Condominium Associations and Commercial Sites.  This not just littering the community with pesticide application flags vaguely communicating the ‘something’ was applied. 

Blade Runners Agro Sign

We provide highly visible, solid real estate-style signs placed at specific areas of the property. It contains the dates of application along with the QR Code Link to our resource book and a way to contact Blade Runners with questions. 

Proper implementation for both pesticide notice posting and the agronomic applications takes planning.  Adequate inventories of signs are needed to replace weathered and/or stolen signs.  Coordination planning is necessary in order to time the application after a turf mowing for maximum control along with the required 48 hour advance posting visit to place the signs. In the event of poor weather, an additional visit might be needed to alter the date.  Signs are removed from the site after the application.

As with many things there is more to this than meets the eye. Associations should be careful that there solution is a comprehensive one that adds value.    Turn this annoyance into a positive thing for your community!

See our Famous Blade Runners Resource Book Here–>   Click Here-Blade Runners Resource Book Here!

 

Blade Runners QR Code Link to Resource Book on Sign contains:

  • Product label and MSDS sheets for all products we use.
  • Phone numbers for state and government agencies should the client want addition information.
  • Questions and answers regarding the service & Our methods of production and the manner in which we deliver the service.
  • Blade Runners Agronomic Program Details – with Product Names, Timeline, Mixture Rates.
  • Blade Runners Philosophy “SAFE” Program.
  • S- Safety 
  • A- Accreditation 
  • F- Facts
  • E- Education 

Read all about Virginia Property Owners’ Association Act requirements for new notice of pesticide application 

Virginia HOA Boards, and Property Managers, and landscape contractors were blindsided by a Virginia Statute (§ 55-510.3 ) requiring 48 hours of posting notice for all agronomic applications.

Read the actual statue § 55-510.3. Common areas; notice of pesticide application.  The association shall post notice of all pesticide applications in or upon the common areas. Such notice shall consist of conspicuous signs placed in or upon the common areas where the pesticide will be applied at least 48 hours prior to the application

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Resident Comments on Work & We can help you as well!

**Did you know that Blade Runners offers work to your individual home when you live within a Community we maintain?  We sure do! 

Do you live in a Blade Runners Maintained Community?

   Start here and review the services we offer to our Residents  – https://blade-runners.com/services-store/ 

Hi – A team came today to take care of all of my weeds in the front/back of my house. They did an AMAZING job. I wanted to thank them for all of their work. Best – Andrea 

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Blade Runners is here to help! – Fall Leaf FAQ’s

Blade Runners Proactive Leaf Removal Information!

Leaf season is coming!!

Here are some quick tips to help you understand your Blade Runners Leaf Service.

Fall Mowing Service:

Mowing Service vs Fall Cleanup:  It is important that you differentiate a fall mowing service (A1 service listed in your contract) from a fall clean-up service (B3 service listed on your contract). Your fall cleanup is dependent on the number of leaf removal services in your agreement. We often hear concerns about leaf removal quality when we are performing a mowing service.  For example, during the non-leaf season, Blade Runners blows the outer curb of debris at each mowing visit. We suspend blowing these areas after the leaves accumulate in the outer curb because it moves the leaves around and isn’t picked up with this service.  These areas will be cleaned with your leaf service.

As part of the fall mowing services, we use Mulching Blades: During the early fall mowing visits we use specialized mulching blades to grind and reduce leaves in the turf. We do not pile and remove leaves on these visits.  This is a cost saver for you and is good for your soil.

Fall Leaf Removal Visits.

To help keep your property safe and reduce the possibility of damage, we do not blow or remove leaves obstructed by parked cars as it aggravates residents and creates damage claims.  The thought process is that over several visits these areas will be cleaned. If there are residual concerns at the end of December, we can schedule a specific day in January to have cars moved and these areas cleaned.

Please review our leaf video for details of the removal service

https://www.blade-runners.com/leaf/

Leaf Removal Schedule:

The leaf removal schedule (B3 service in your contract) is dependent on the number of clean-ups in your agreement. Please see the schedule below

The clean-ups timeline depends on the number of visits you have in your contract and would follow this schedule:

1x Leaf Management = 12/1-12/31

2x Leaf Management = 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31

3x Leaf Management = 10/15-10/31, 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31

4x Leaf Management = 10/15-10/31, 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31, 1/1-1/25

5x Leaf Management = 10/1-10/15, 10/15-10/31, 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31, 1/1-1/25

6x Leaf Management =1 0/1-10/15, 10/15-10/31, 11/1-11/10, 11/10-11/30, 12/1/12/31, 1/1-1/25

 

At any point we are happy to enhance any service that is currently in your agreement to give you the service you desire.

We look forward to our continued relationship!

 

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Spring Turf Service Success? Reston Client Thinks So….

Don’t think Spring Turf Services can help your property?  Blade Runners has an approach and this Reston Client Agrees.   Many times clients in heavily shaded / treed areas suffer from heavy leaf drop, and that make the typical Fall Seeding less successful.  Take a different approach, look at spring and look at Hydro Seeding process offered by Blade Runners.  

To see more about the Blade Runners approach Click here—->   Blade Runners Hydro Seeding

See what this client has to say:

Hi Terry,

Hope you’re doing well. Wanted to tell you that the turf work that the Blade Runners crew did last month is paying off – the grass looks great! I’ve had several homeowners tell me that this is the beta the grass has looked in years (it’s certainly the best it’s looked since I moved here in five years ago).

Thanks for all your work on Coleson Cluster and please tell the grounds crew that we really appreciate their efforts. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

Kate                                                                                                       

 

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Side by Side – Why Ice B’Gone Magic is Better


See picture of side by side properties, one uses messy sand.  Less effective and then you have to pay to clean it up. 

Not all Ice Control are equal.   Ice B’Gone Magic is some of the coldest work ice control on the market.  It actually lowers the freezing temperature of water to (-35) degrees.   What does that mean to you?   This means a better product that does not have as many freeze/ thaw cycles.  Because it works so cold, you need less applications.  So that saves you money!  

We are the only one in the area that has Ice B’Gone Magic.  This is the coldest working ice control product on the market and Blade Runners is the only contractor in NOVA to have this product. Using Ice B’Gone Magic – the only ice control certified by the EPA and is the coldest working product out there.  It lowers the freezing temperature of water, so you use less product and have less applications so that is better for all aspects (lowering the freezing temperature of water, and works to (-35 degrees) . We use this on the walks and the roadways and pre and post treatments

 https://www.blade-runners.com/ice-bgone-magic-information/

Check out our snow central page
https://www.blade-runners.com/snow-3/

Check out this link to the FAQs and learn about Ice B’Gone Magic and see how snow services work.

We also have a very exciting new box plow, check out this video.
https://www.blade-runners.com/box-plow-video/

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Blade Runners Snow Improvement


Blade Runners has taken the following steps to improve our ability to meet the demands of extreme events.

Purchase of additional heavy equipment:

By far our biggest challenge was the amount and availability of heavy equipment.  Blade Runners has since purchased 8 additional loaders

Loader Line up

In addition we have invested in 15 “Kage” Box/plow attachments. Please see the video below for further details.

Introduction of staging service:

We now offer a service that stages the new Box/Plow loader on the site for moderate events. This will insure immediate attention in heavy events for the future. Our clients have asked what can be done to insure faster service and this is the answer.

Reduction in the snow work load:

We found the largest jobs created the most scheduling havoc.  The quantity of snow created an exponential challenge. We have eliminated poorly located work of this type, and will be very careful to get a high service commitment from these properties in the future.

It is our feeling that these improvements will significantly improve our snow removal performance.

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Blade Runners is here to help! – Fall Leaf FAQ’s


Blade Runners Proactive Leaf Removal Information!

Leaf season is coming!!   Here are some quick tips to help you understand your Blade Runners Leaf Service.

Fall Mowing Service:

Mowing Service vs Fall Cleanup:  It is important that you differentiate a fall mowing service (A1 service listed in your contract) from a fall clean-up service (B3 service listed on your contract). Your fall cleanup is dependent on the number of leaf removal services in your agreement. We often hear concerns about leaf removal quality when we are performing a mowing service.  For example, during the non-leaf season, Blade Runners blows the outer curb of debris at each mowing visit. We suspend blowing these areas after the leaves accumulate in the outer curb because it moves the leaves around and isn’t picked up with this service.  These areas will be cleaned with your leaf service.

As part of the fall mowing services, we use Mulching Blades: During the early fall mowing visits we use specialized mulching blades to grind and reduce leaves in the turf. We do not pile and remove leaves on these visits.  This is a cost saver for you and is good for your soil.

Fall Leaf Removal Visits.

To help keep your property safe and reduce the possibility of damage, we do not blow or remove leaves obstructed by parked cars as it aggravates residents and creates damage claims.  The thought process is that over several visits these areas will be cleaned. If there are residual concerns at the end of December, we can schedule a specific day in January to have cars moved and these areas cleaned.

Please review our leaf video for details of the removal service

https://www.blade-runners.com/leaf/

Leaf Removal Schedule:

The leaf removal schedule (B3 service in your contract) is dependent on the number of clean-ups in your agreement. Please see the schedule below

The clean-ups timeline depends on the number of visits you have in your contract and would follow this schedule:

1x Leaf Management = 12/1-12/31

2x Leaf Management = 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31

3x Leaf Management = 10/15-10/31, 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31

4x Leaf Management = 10/15-10/31, 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31, 1/1-1/25

5x Leaf Management = 10/1-10/15, 10/15-10/31, 11/10-11/30, 12/1-12/31, 1/1-1/25

6x Leaf Management =1 0/1-10/15, 10/15-10/31, 11/1-11/10, 11/10-11/30, 12/1/12/31, 1/1-1/25

 

At any point we are happy to enhance any service that is currently in your agreement to give you the service you desire.

 

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Improve Property Values, Safety & Visual Appeal of your Community!

Do you have areas of your community that are overgrown, full of brush, collecting trash?

Blade Runners Can help!

 

  These areas are unsightly, reduce the value & visual appeal of your community and could pose a safety issue!

When areas are left unkempt some residents will start to dump debris adding to the issue.

Reclaim this area of your property by clearing and adding wood-chips can turn a negative into a positive!

 

Read more about the benefits of natural woods chips by visiting –  www.blade-runners.com/woodchips/ 

Place Wood chips along fences & other areas on the property to reduce under-story growth and  help with drainage & erosion.

 

See these Before & After Pictures of Blade Runners Clients.

Your Account Manager can help, lets work together to turn these overgrown areas into a positive for your community!

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The 17 year Cicadas will emerge this spring!


The 17 year Cicadas will emerge this spring!   Here is some additional information provided by West Virginia University https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/pests/cicada  

Read more
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Tree Department Wood Chips, Improving your Property… Naturally.


Did you know that Blade Runners has a Full Service Tree Department?  As apart of that service we use our commercial tree chipper and generate Natural Tree Chips, and these can be a GREAT Benefit to your property!  

Do you have areas on your property that are a challenge and don’t know how to address, we can help. 

These areas could be:

  • Wood-line, under story or Natural wooded Areas
  • Areas under trees that can not grow grass and have erosion or eroded areas
  • Areas where you want to protect tree roots

Before and After Fence Line Area

     Before Tree Chip Install     After Tree Chip Install

Blade Runners can use the natural wood tree chips from our Tree Department and help improve these areas naturally.  Applying a layer of natural wood chips can help reduce runoff, protect tree roots, reduce undergrowth.  Turn a negative into a positive on your property!! 

Before and After Under Canopy & Tree Root Protection

Before Tree Chip Install      After Tree Chip Install

Wooded areas on your property that are covered in ivy or other aggressive ground cover, can promote poison ivy growth and can even give an area for snakes and rats to live and hide.  These areas can look over grown and decrease property values. Applying a layer of natural wood chips can clean up the area and give it a more finished but natural look. 

Before and After Wood Line  Improvement

Before Tree Chip Install   After Tree Chip Install

Before and After Under story Improvement

Before Tree Chip Install  After Tree Chip Install

Not only does the reuse of the tree chips on site help in these areas improve the site but it is a smart environmental move and is a benefit and adds protection and natural nutrients to your property.

Are you thinking about having tree work done?  Why not combine the work and add creating tree chip beds to the scope of work.   

Check out the Crawler in our Tree Department, removing and pruning trees while protecting your property.

Check out this Link – www.Blade-Runners Crawler – Smarter Approach for Tree Work,and a Smarter Approach for Protecting your property!

Call your Account Manager we can help.  

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About

Blade Runners was founded in 1984 by Eric Storck, a landscape gardener with a passion to deliver quality service in a courteous fashion.

Blade Runners strives to be different and better than our competitors. We believe the devil is in the details when it comes to comparing companies.

What sets us apart? Blade Runners has a commitment to a trained team of excellent employees. We only work in Northern Virginia, with locations in Sterling and Fairfax and we have a large number of clients located in close proximity to one another. We employee a wide range of progressive environmentally safe products. Our attention to technology is ahead of pack, and we have invested in different smart equipment to save time and money for our clients. Blade Runners has developed dozens of videos and articles to save our clients time making decisions and understanding the landscape maintenance process.

But don’t just believe us, visit our testimonials page or view our Google reviews.

Contact Details

Toll-Free: (888) 773-7494

Toll-Free: (703) 865-4017

Blade Runners, Inc.
3150 Spring Street
Fairfax, VA 22031

Blade Runners, Inc.
45763 Elm Wood Ct.
Sterling, VA 20163

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