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Your Guide to Carpenter Ants in Texas

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
two carpenter ants in a texas home

Carpenter ants are a common pest throughout the southern United States, including Texas. Typically, they make their first appearances as the weather begins to turn in late winter. As early spring brings warmer weather, they begin their mating cycle and establish new colonies.

Identification

Carpenter ants, which are pictured above, are one of the larger of the 18 species of ants found in Texas. On average, they are one-quarter to three-eights of an inch in length. Their head is rusty, reddish-brown and their thorax leads to a black body and tail. The flying version of the species is often all black, and can easily be mistaken for termites. To make matters more confusing, they often swarm at the same time. On the other hand, the average worker ants can range in appearance from brownish-yellow to black. Swarmers are most prolific between February and June in Southern areas of the United States. An … Read Full Post »

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How To Get Rid of Mosquitoes

. Posted by in , • Austin
a thumbnail from the video featured in this blog

Getting bitten by mosquitoes over and over again makes enjoying your yard in the spring and summer almost impossible. No matter how many times you spray repellents, you keep being bitten by these invisible intruders.

Mosquito bites can be annoying, painful and can even make you seriously sick. Mosquitoes can spread diseases to you, your family and your pets. Dangerous diseases like the Zika and the West Nile Virus make the presence of mosquitoes an issue that needs addressing right away.

However, having too many mosquitoes in your yard is a very common problem. Homeowners across the United States, particularly in warmer, southern states like Texas and Florida, deal with these pests all the time.

But, how can homeowners get rid of mosquitoes? According to Alan Brown, Board Certified Entomologist and Technical Director at ABC Home & Commercial Services, you can prevent mosquitoes on your property and prevent mosquito bites by:

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How To Identify Formosan Termite Swarmers

. Posted by in , • Austin
termites in dirt

Subterranean termites may be responsible for the most damage to U.S. homes each year, but Formosan termites come in at a close second. In fact, Formosan termites are sometimes called “super termites” because they destroy wood faster than their subterranean cousins. If you spot Formosan termite swarmers in or near your home, it’s a sign of an infestation. That means it’s time to take action before they destroy your property any further.

One thing to understand about Formosan termites is that they are actually a type of subterranean termite. Subterranean means underground, and that’s where these termites build their colonies. Just like the termites we more commonly call subterranean, Formosans also build mud tubes along foundations, walls or support beams. They use these tubes to connect their colonies to their food source—wood.

The problem that all types of termites pose in our homes is that they chew through wood for its cellulose. … Read Full Post »

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I Found a Roach in My House: Should I Be Worried?

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
a cockroach in a house

“I found a roach in my house. Should I be worried?” This is a common question that customers often ask pest control professionals. If you find a single cockroach in your home, does it mean there are more? Could you have a cockroach infestation? And whether it’s just one roach or a whole nest of them, what should you do about it?

The simple answer is, if you find a roach in your house, there is definitely reason to worry there might be other roaches hidden nearby. It’s possible there is even a full-blown infestation. It largely depends on what type of roach you’ve found.

Certain kinds of cockroaches, like American cockroaches, can make their way inside people’s homes almost by accident. American cockroaches are the big ones—well over an inch long, a half-inch wide, and medium reddish-brown in color. These roaches normally live outside. They sneak in through gaps around doors, … Read Full Post »

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How To Identify Termite Damage Versus Wood Rot

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
termites in dirt

No one wants to see something odd going on with the wood in their homes. Whether it’s a door or window, any kind of damage can send a homeowner into a panic. What if the wood has rotted? Or what if termites have invaded and moved into the home? First, it’s important to know how to tell each type of damage apart from one another.

How to Tell If It Might Be Termites

There are a few tell-tale signs of termites. First, you might see termite swarmers lying dead on a window sill, around a door or flying around. Or you might see mud tubes going up from the ground to your foundation or along a wall in a crawl space. These are shelter tubes that do what they sound like they do. They shelter termites while they march into your home for a wood feast. The third obvious sign is wood … Read Full Post »

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What Do Flea Bites Look Like?

. Posted by in , • Austin
flea bites on a man's arm

Fleas can cause lots of problems for both humans and animals. It’s no fun to deal with red, itchy bites on your own skin, and it’s no better to see your beloved pet scratching and suffering. Sometimes it’s hard to know whether you’re dealing with fleas or some other pest. What do flea bites look like? How can you tell if you have a problem with fleas, mosquitoes, bed bugs or something else? Here are some ways to tell what you’re dealing with, so you can get rid of them as soon as possible.

Flea bites look like small red dots on the skin, about a quarter-inch in diameter. There might be a tiny bump in the center of the bite, or it might be flat. Depending on your body’s reaction to the bites, they could also develop into larger, raised welts. Whatever size they are, flea bites are usually itchy.

Flea … Read Full Post »

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Do Roaches Come Back After Extermination?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
the thumbnail from the YouTube video featured in this blog

If you’ve ever successfully treated a roach problem, you’ve probably wondered to yourself, do roaches come back after extermination? It’s a valid question if you are starting to see these nasty pests again after having your house treated. According to Alan Brown, Board Certified Entomologist and Technical Manager at ABC Home & Commercial Services, yes, roaches can come back after extermination. However, how they come back depends on the species you’re dealing with. If you go somewhere with a German cockroach infestation and accidentally bring these pests home with you, you can reintroduce an infestation. 

On the other hand, smoky brown and American cockroaches live outdoors and can sneak into your home through cracks and crevices. Ongoing preventative treatments and maintaining your home are the key to keeping these pests away. 

A proficient pest control plan should include treating thoroughly for roaches, but it should also cover preventative measures like blocking roach … Read Full Post »

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Are There Squirrels or Rats in My House?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a squirrel on a wooden fence

Squirrels may be cute to some, but they can also cause as much damage as many other pests. Like rats, squirrels are also rodents. Both animals are clever and enjoy chewing on a variety of items. This also means both creatures can leave quite a mess if they get into your home. Nonetheless, there are some differences you can look out for to help determine whether you have a squirrel problem versus a rat problem.

Appearance

While they are both small, furry, brownish or grey-colored animals that have small ears, there are a few differences. Squirrels are generally a bit larger than rats, and their eyes are usually a bit bigger. Squirrels also usually have a more distinct division between their heads and bodies than rats do.

The types of squirrels that are most often found in neighborhoods can grow to around 18 inches to over 2 feet long, on average. Meanwhile, most … Read Full Post »

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What Does Rat Poop Look Like?

. Posted by in , • Austin
rat poop

What does rat poop look like? This is a question that pest control specialists answer a lot. Unfortunately, it’s common to find something in your home or garage that looks like rat poop. Rats are hardy animals with lots of tricks for getting into people’s homes, attics and garages. When you find what looks like rat poop, you might wonder what type of rat it came from. Is it from a Norwegian rat or a roof rat? Could it actually be from some other pest, like a mouse?

Finding rat poop on your property can indicate a nearby infestation, so it’s important to know how to identify it. Fortunately, there are several characteristics that can tell you if what you’ve found is likely to be rat poop or something else. That way, you’ll know when it’s time to call in a pest control professional.

The two main types of rats that commonly … Read Full Post »

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Can Cats Smell Mice?

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
a cat that has sniffed out a mouse in a garden

We have all seen the popular cartoons about a cat trying to chase down a mouse and going nuts as the mouse plays all sorts of tricks on it, but how much of this is true in real life? It has been said that animals have an ability to sense that something is different or wrong in their environment long before humans have any idea that something is going on. When it comes to cats and mice, this is definitely true.

Cats have many of the same kinds of heightened senses that some of the world’s top predators use to track down their prey. This gives cats an increased ability to smell mice, but cats are not the only pets with this type of talent. Like their feline friends, dogs can smell mice too.

On average, both cats and dogs have a better sense of smell than humans. That is one reason … Read Full Post »

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