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How To Spot Signs of Termites in Your House

. Posted by in , • Austin
winged termites which are a sign of termites in the house

The thought of having termites on your property is alarming. After all, these pests are extremely destructive. So, what are the signs of termites, and how can you catch these earlier, rather than later?

It starts with knowing the different kinds of termites you may find on your property. In the United States, there are three main varieties of termites: the subterranean termite, the drywood termite and the dampwood termite. It’s unlikely you’ll find dampwood termites on your property, as this species prefers wet, decaying wood and must maintain close contact with water. Typically, dampwood termites are found in subtropical woodlands or mangrove forests—probably not the environment homeowners in the United States have in their backyard.

If there are termites on your property, they are most likely either drywood termites or subterranean termites. The names of these termites give you some information about where you might find them. Drywood termites prefer to … Read Full Post »

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How To Identify a Rat’s Nest

. Posted by in , • Austin
Three dark-colored immature rats sleeping in a nest made of torn paper and other materials

Spotting a rat’s nest might be the first sign of an infestation in your home. But how do you know if what you’re seeing is the home of one of these hard-to-spot rodents, particularly if you don’t observe the rat itself? Rodents tend to nest in more protected areas that homeowners don’t usually frequent. In addition, different species of rats build nests that typically vary in appearance and can be found in different spots on your property. Generally speaking, a rat’s nest looks like a ball that is 4 to 6 inches in diameter that is loosely woven.

Norway rats, also called sewer rats or brown rats, are stocky rodents that often dig burrows in moist areas, such as under woodpiles or trash, along home foundations, fields or in gardens. They line these nests with fibrous materials, such as cloth or shredded paper. If these rats come into a building, they … Read Full Post »

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How Do Mice Get in My Attic? Rodent Proofing 101

. Posted by in , • Austin
A mouse scurrying around in an attic

If you’ve noticed signs of mice in your attic—such as droppings, piles of shredded paper or insulation, scratching or squeaking noises coming from within the walls or actual mouse sightings—you’re probably wondering how the mice got there.

Mice, rats and other rodent pests normally get into attics, garages and homes through gaps in exterior walls that lead to interior spaces. Even a seemingly tiny gap around a dryer or bathroom vent, for example, can be a good entry point for a mouse, since mice can squeeze through holes as small as the size of a dime. Yes, you read that right! These creatures are incredibly well-adapted to contort their bodies to fit through extremely small holes.

The reason why mice infiltrate people’s homes is the same as that of any animal trying to get inside: They are seeking warm, dry shelter; food and water and a good place to build a nest … Read Full Post »

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What Do Mouse Droppings Look Like?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
Mouse droppings in a bathroom cabinet

If you spot small, dark-brown pellets in a corner of your garage or in the back of a kitchen cabinet, you may wonder if you’ve found evidence of a rodent infestation. As your blood pressure starts to rise, a series of questions may begin to cycle through your head, including: What do mouse droppings look like? How are they different from rat droppings? How similar are they to cockroach feces? And, perhaps most importantly: What should I do next if I determine that I have mice living in and around my home?

Rats and mice look similar to each other, and so it stands to reason that there are similarities between their droppings as well. But there are also marked differences between these two rodents and the waste materials they leave behind. If you do find signs of either rats or mice—or both—you’ll want to take action, as you do not … Read Full Post »

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There’s a Raccoon in My Attic: What Can I Do?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
A raccoon sitting on a homeowner's roof

Are you hearing something going thump in the night? If so, this might mean a raccoon family is living rent-free in your attic or crawl space. Some of the first signs that you might have raccoons in your home include the sounds of an animal moving around in the attic or chimney.

Other ways homeowners often find out these animals have moved in include visible indications, such as pawprints or damage to their house’s shingles, electrical wiring or insulation. They might also notice an accumulation of nesting materials inside the house, a destroyed garden or debris around their property, such as dead birds, feces or scattered trash.

If you spot possible signs of a problem, some ways to check whether you have raccoons on your property instead of another pest include looking at the pawprints and scat the animal left behind. Raccoons leave hand-like prints with their five-fingered paws, and their droppings … Read Full Post »

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Do Mosquitoes Bite Dogs? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in , • Austin
A dog that is getting bitten by a mosquito while playing in a yard

While notorious for attacking us humans, mosquitoes actually aren’t that picky—they’re more than willing to bite any mammal they can land on. If you’ve ever asked yourself the question: “Do mosquitoes bite dogs?”, you should know that these pests will prey on our precious pups. When mosquitoes are looking for a blood meal, they’re searching for a warm, active mammal. Dogs can get bitten, and other companion animals are also at risk, including cats, horses and livestock. If a mosquito can find a way to get to their skin, any of these animals can become a mosquito’s next victim.

Unfortunately, just like humans can get malaria from mosquito bites, animals can contract a number of illnesses, some that are quite serious. Heartworms are a big problem when it comes to animal mosquito bites. These parasites affect dogs, cats and ferrets, and these worms can spread their eggs through mosquito bites. Dogs … Read Full Post »

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What Smells Do Mosquitoes Hate? How to Get Relief

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
Vials of essential oils that have a smell that mosquitoes hate

Enjoying a beautiful, warm day in your yard can be spoiled by the unpleasant experience of getting covered in mosquito bites. After constant, miserable itching, you’re ready to find a solution to keep these bothersome insects away from you. So, what can you do to ward off mosquitoes? Are there any smells that mosquitoes hate that you could spray around your yard or even put directly on your skin to keep from getting bitten?

Scientists have studied the varying effectiveness of certain scents to repel mosquitoes, but insufficient research has been done to compare these to chemically-formulated repellents. Studies show that mosquitoes don’t like the smell or taste of DEET, which is one reason that repellents with that chemical compound tend to be more effective than some others. Other substances that are considered alternatives to traditional sprays and lotions that do have a particular odor include:

  • Citronella
  • Neem
  • Thyme oil
  • Geraniol oil
  • Peppermint oil
  • Cedar oil
  • Patchouli oil
  • Clove oil
  • Garlic

Many … Read Full Post »

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How Many Times Can A Mosquito Bite?

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
A mosquito biting someone

If you’ve ever spent a beautiful evening in your yard, only to later discover that you’re covered in mosquito bites, you’ve likely wondered how many times a mosquito can bite. Was it just one mosquito that’s to blame for your current situation, or was it a whole swarm that descended on your property?

Simply put, a mosquito can bite as many times as she wants or can. There is no limit. Female mosquitoes (and only females!) feed on blood until they are full. If a mosquito is interrupted before filling up, she’ll just bite again. Once her abdomen is full of blood, she rests for 2 to 3 days and then lays her eggs. Most mosquito species live up to about three weeks. During that time, a female can lay up to five clutches of at least 100 eggs at a time. Unfortunately, this means that your mosquito problems aren’t going … Read Full Post »

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Can Bed Bugs Live In Carpet? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in , • Austin
A bed bug crawling on someone

If you’re currently dealing with a bed bug infestation, or wonder if what you have seen in your home are bed bugs, you probably are wondering where these pests can be hiding. Since we typically can’t feel a bed bug bite, it can be difficult to know when we are getting bitten, even if we understandably assume it’s in our beds. To make matters even more complicated, some people don’t have an allergic reaction to a bed bug bite until as long as two weeks after it happens. With that in mind, how can you find these tiny pests? Can bed bugs hide in your carpet? Where else do they tend to spend time?

Yes, bed bugs can live in carpet, as well as in and around just about every upholstered surface in your home. A bed bug’s narrow body lets it hide easily in the smallest cracks and crevices, including … Read Full Post »

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Do Mosquitoes Nest? Controlling These Pests

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
A backyard with lots of greenery that could contain a mosquito nest

Some people aren’t bothered by mosquitoes, but most of us can’t stand them. Their itchy bites, that annoying whine in the ear, even the tiny tickle on the skin when they’re hovering around—for many of us, mosquitoes are seriously annoying! Summertime is prime mosquito season, but if you live in a warmer, wetter part of the country, you might have to deal with them for the better part of the year. And if you have a mosquito problem at your home, you might find yourself wondering whether or not mosquitoes make and live in nests.

This is a great question, and the answer involves an issue of semantics. Mosquitoes do not technically nest or build nests for living and breeding the way that ants, termites, bees, wasps and other insects do. Since mosquitoes aren’t social the way these other insects are, they have no need for a nest. While mosquitoes don’t … Read Full Post »

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