Landscaping & Pest Control | Board Synergy Club

Good grounds care is good building care

A landscaping program should connect appearance with drainage, access, plant health, and building protection. A pest-control program should address the conditions that attract pests as well as any necessary treatment.

Start with a shared plan. Identify who maintains each area, what the contracts include, how residents report problems, and which changes require approval.

Care for the grounds. Protect the community.

Who is responsible in Century Village?

Check your association’s declaration, recorded agreements, property boundaries, and maintenance contracts. Florida §718.113 assigns common-element maintenance to the association, with exceptions for limited common elements assigned to owners by the declaration.

Area or service	What to verify
Association lawn, shrubs, and trees	Property boundaries, contract scope, pruning schedule, irrigation responsibility, and replacement costs.
Roadside or other shared community grounds	Which entity controls the area and which agreement assigns maintenance. Do not assume your landscape vendor or UCO handles every location.
Building and interior pest service	Whether treatment covers common areas, individual units, callbacks, termites, rodents, and special infestations.
Owner-added plants and pots	Association approval, placement, access, watering, upkeep, and storm arrangements.

UCO’s published resident guidance notes that associations have their own interior and exterior pest-control policies. Ask your board or manager what is included before ordering a separate service.

Sources: §718.113; UCO resident questions and answers.

Build a healthier, more manageable landscape

UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping emphasizes suitable plant selection, efficient watering, appropriate fertilizer, mulch, responsible pest management, and protection of waterways. Use these principles to guide professional advice for your site.

Match plants to the location. Consider mature size, sun, soil, and the space available around buildings and utilities.
Use water and fertilizer thoughtfully. Ask the contractor to document the schedule and check applicable local restrictions.
Protect drainage and water quality. Keep debris and treatment materials out of drains and waterways; review planting near shorelines with the responsible entity.
Plan ongoing care. Compare long-term pruning, watering, replacement, and pest needs before buying new plants.

Learn more: UF/IFAS nine Florida-Friendly principles.

Recommended board review: walk the property with the vendor and identify blocked sightlines, obstructed walkways, hidden signs, plant growth against building surfaces, and locations where maintenance equipment could damage property. Set priorities and photograph the areas needing correction.

Trees, palms, irrigation & storm readiness

Tree care

UF/IFAS recommends appropriate pruning and professional help for larger trees. An arborist can assess weak branches, root damage, decay, and site conditions. Extreme “hurricane cuts” on palms can increase vulnerability rather than improve protection.

Ask about tree-removal approvals and utility clearances before work begins. Residents should not climb ladders, cut large branches, or work near power lines.

Preparing trees for hurricanes · Pruning palms

Irrigation and drainage

Suggested inspection points: broken heads, leaks, spray onto buildings or sidewalks, ponding, damaged controllers, and uneven coverage. Ask the vendor to investigate why an area stays wet instead of simply increasing watering everywhere.

Record who operates the system and who authorizes repairs. Coordinate any work affecting drainage or underground services with qualified professionals.

Before storm season, arrange safe storage or securing of movable pots and outdoor items. Schedule tree work early and confirm debris hauling. Use the association’s hurricane plan for actual storm preparations.

Pest control starts with prevention

EPA’s integrated pest management approach combines identification, monitoring, prevention, and targeted control. Not every insect requires pesticide treatment. Correct identification helps avoid unnecessary or ineffective applications.

Inside and around buildings

Report leaks and moisture problems promptly.
Keep food and rubbish contained; clean shared spaces.
Ask a professional about entry gaps, screens, and penetrations.
Report recurring sightings with dates and locations.
Coordinate building-wide problems rather than treating each report in isolation.

Landscape pests

Ask the vendor to identify the pest and affected plant.
Review watering, soil, and plant-health conditions.
Monitor results after corrective action.
Use targeted treatments when justified.
Keep service records for recurring problems.

Source: EPA integrated pest management principles.

Routine service may not cover everything. Ask separately about termites, bed bugs, rodents, wildlife, mosquitoes, and fumigation. A termite inspection, treatment agreement, and repair warranty are different services; read the actual terms.

Ask the provider for treatment-specific preparation instructions, notice, precautions for residents and pets, and any re-entry interval. Residents should follow label and professional directions and avoid adding their own chemicals to a coordinated treatment program. Report possible exposure concerns promptly; call 911 for a medical emergency.

Hire the right vendor for the actual work

Florida FDACS regulates pest-control licensing. A mowing contract does not establish authority to perform every pesticide service. Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance certification permits specified ornamental-plant and bed applications, but not turf pesticide applications or operation of a pest-control business. Confirm the credential matches the work.

Commercial fertilizer applicators also have FDACS certification requirements. Verify the company or applicator with FDACS and obtain insurance information appropriate to the work.

Search licensed pest-control companies FDACS licensing guidance

Put expectations in writing

Areas covered, visit frequency, and excluded services.
Pruning standards, irrigation work, and debris disposal.
Pest identification, treatment methods, and callback terms.
Resident notices, unit-entry arrangements, and safety instructions.
Insurance, damage reporting, warranty limits, and termination terms.

Compare equivalent scopes rather than just monthly prices. Ask association counsel to review consequential contract terms.

A practical board maintenance checklist

Map responsibilities. Identify association, owner, and shared-community areas.
Inspect and prioritize. Note access, drainage, tree, plant-health, and pest concerns.
Verify credentials and scope. Separate ordinary landscape care from regulated treatments and specialized work.
Budget for the full program. Include replacements, irrigation repairs, tree assessments, and exceptional pest services.
Give residents clear instructions. Explain reporting, approvals, preparation, and treatment contacts.
Measure results. Review service reports, callbacks, recurring issues, and completion of corrective work.

Healthy grounds. Clear responsibilities. Better boards.

How residents can help

Report the location and a photograph of a problem when safe. Ask before planting, pruning, removing vegetation, or applying chemicals in shared areas. Keep pots and belongings out of access routes, follow pest-treatment preparation instructions, and coordinate recurring problems with the board or manager.

Hurricane protection Hurricane cleanup Back to Property & Safety

Reviewed October 17, 2026. Educational guidance; responsibilities depend on governing documents and agreements. Use qualified professionals for site-specific plant, tree, pest, and treatment decisions. Official UF/IFAS, EPA, FDACS, statutory, and UCO resources are linked above.

Board Synergy recommended practice

Review service results with a location log

Track the location, observed plant or pest issue, professional identification, recommended action, service date, resident instructions, callback, and result. Use the vendor’s diagnosis rather than assuming every sighting requires treatment.

Distinguish routine mowing from tree work, irrigation repair, fertilizer, and regulated pesticide services.
Record drainage or moisture corrections that support prevention.
Verify credentials for the actual treatment and keep service documentation.
Give crews current site limits, shoreline instructions, and protected access routes.

Follow product-label and professional directions. Coordinate changes with the responsible entity; a recurring service contract is not authority to alter another party’s grounds or shoreline.

Connected maintenance and community resources

Authority matters: Florida law establishes statutory duties; governing documents define association authority subject to law; contractual duties come from applicable agreements. UCO procedures address separate UCO functions. The added registers and workflows are Board Synergy recommended practices, not prescribed statutory forms. Historical articles provide background rather than current legal instructions.

Board Synergy Club · Important notice

Education, guidance & professional advice

Board Synergy Club provides independent educational information and practical organizational tools. These materials do not provide legal representation or determine how the law applies to an individual association, owner or dispute. Requirements depend on current law, governing documents, contracts and the facts. Obtain advice from a qualified Florida attorney before taking action affecting legal rights or remedies. Board Synergy materials are not official UCO or WPRF policies unless expressly identified and linked as such.

Landscaping &pest control