ABC Blog

Early Signs of Termites

Early signs of termites

Termite damage to your home can be a costly—not to mention stressful—problem to resolve. That’s why preventing termite infestation before it begins is the best way to avoid the extensive damage that can be caused by these invasive pests.

Early Signs of Termites

Fortunately, there are many ways to spot early signs of termites, so you can treat the problem before it spreads. Read on to learn more about warning signs that might indicate termites are nearby, and what to do if you suspect there is termite activity in or around your home.

Types of Termites

North America is home to two main varieties of termites: subterranean and drywood

Subterranean termites need plenty of moisture to survive, so they make their nests in soil. Their nests are connected to food sources such as fence posts, trees or houses, by way of mud tubes. Subterranean termites eat along the grain of soft wood. The distinctive honeycomb … Read Full Post »

How To Dispose Of Household Items In Austin

how to dispose of trash Austin

Austin has been recognized as one of the greenest cities in the United States. According to Travis County, Austin residents recycled almost 900 car batteries and 300 gallons of antifreeze in 2012. Single stream recycling increased by 10% from 2013 to 2014. The city even offers a composting rebate program.

How To Dispose of Household Items in Austin

Though many Austinites are taking advantage of some of the better-known programs and incentives to dispose of waste properly, there are still a few household items that can pose a challenge to even the most informed citizen. If you are wondering about how to dispose of trash, Austin has plenty of options to get rid of common items in an environmentally responsible way. Read our list below to learn more.

What’s considered toxic or hazardous waste?

Before you begin sorting which items to recycle and deciding where to take them, it’s important to know what … Read Full Post »

How To Dispose of Household Items in San Antonio

How to dispose of trash San Antonio

Just because we can throw an item in the trash can doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. You probably already know that there’s a list of household items that don’t belong in the trash—just as you know there are things you can’t put in your sink’s garbage disposal. But what should you do with other common items around your home, such as light bulbs, appliances, electronics and everyday cleaning products?

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Where To Donate Household Items In San Antonio

Where to donate household items San Antonio

Wondering where to donate household items in the San Antonio area? Maybe you’ve cleared out a closet or two—or an entire attic or garage—and now you have boxes on your hands full of things you know shouldn’t end up in the landfill, but shouldn’t hang around your living space any longer, either.

Clearing your home of clutter is a process with many benefits, including emotional ones for you and life-changing ones for others, if you choose to donate your unwanted items to a charitable organization that works to help people in need. All you need to do is find out where to donate unwanted items, including San Antonio clothing donation dropoff locations, and you can get started on improving your own life along with someone else’s.

Where to Donate Household Items in San Antonio

The San Antonio area has many options for donating your used clothing, furniture, household goods and other items. … Read Full Post »

Where To Donate Household Items In Austin

Where to donate household items Austin

When it comes to decluttering and organizing your living space, there’s no time like the present! January might be Get Organized Month, and “spring cleaning” may be traditionally saved for springtime, but the truth is, any time of year is right for simplifying your life by purging unused and unwanted items from your home. Best of all, your unwanted things could help someone else complete their wardrobe or home furnishings, or even get back on their feet. That’s right—when you donate your used goods to a charitable organization, you’re helping people in need in your community.

So, what’s stopping you? Find out where to donate unwanted items today, and get started on refreshing your living space along with your outlook on life!

Where to Donate Household Items in Austin

Austin has a myriad of places to donated unwanted goods, including Austin clothing donation dropoff spots. All you have to decide is which … Read Full Post »

ABC Assumes Management of Austin Kite Festival

Austin Kite Festival

Austin is one of the top cities in the country for families. With our temperate weather, extensive park and trail system and a wide variety of kid-friendly events, our town is a great place to raise children.

The Austin Kite Festival has become the city’s favorite annual family-friendly festival. The event is not only the way many Austinites commemorate the arrival of Spring, but also it is an excuse for all of us to connect with our inner child and experience the simple thrill of getting a kite flying high in the sky.

ABC Home & Commercial Services has been serving the Austin community for over 60 years. For the last three years, ABC has sponsored the Kite Festival, which has been produced by the Exchange Club of Austin.

In 2017, ABC Owner Bobby Jenkins announced that the company will assume management of the festival, which is now called the ABC … Read Full Post »

Where To Donate Household Items In Bryan-College Station

Where to donate household items Bryan College Station

Spring is the traditional time to go through your home, top to bottom, and give it a good deep cleaning and removing unwanted or unneeded items. But the truth is, it’s always a time for some “spring cleaning,” no matter what season it might be. January is officially Get Organized Month—excellent post-holiday timing, to be sure, when you may have new items to incorporate into your living space.

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Where To Donate Household Items In Corpus Christi

Where to donate household items Corpus Christi

Everyone has heard of spring cleaning, but purging junk and getting organized doesn’t have to be confined to springtime. January, for example, is Get Organized Month, and this midwinter month is definitely a very good time of year to clean out closets and clear away clutter in order to make space for anything new you and your family acquired over the holidays.

But the truth is, you can do deep cleaning and organizing of your living space any time of year. And whether your unneeded items include old toys, clothing, tools, kitchen items, bicycles or automotive gear, your unwanted items don’t need to go straight to the garbage bin. One man’s trash, after all, is another man’s treasure.

It’s easy for your donations pile to grow and grow if you don’t know which organizations accept which types of household items. Read on for a list of local nonprofits which are … Read Full Post »

Strange But True: Our Craziest Pest Control Calls

strange but true

As a company that’s been helping Austinites take care of pests for over 60 years, ABC Home & Commercial Services has made thousands of house calls. In most cases, our skilled and knowledgeable technicians quickly put homeowners’ minds at ease with a thorough inspection and a suggested course of action to get rid of pests. In a few cases, however, our pest control experts have run across some bothersome critters which necessitate a more creative approach. Over the years, we have collected a number of strange but true pest stories.

Strange But True: Our Craziest Pest Control Calls

As Texas’ largest independently owned pest control company, we’ve had our share of memorable pest control calls. We’d like to share a few of these strange but true stories with you.

Jake The Racoon Causes Trouble

One of our most memorable experiences in the pest control business involved a wily raccoon our technicians affectionately called Jake. … Read Full Post »

What You Need To Know About Crazy Ants

Paratrechina longicornis

A new ant species has been discovered in the southern parts of the United States: the crazy ant. What’s important to know about these ants, which are also referred to by their scientific names, Nylanderia fulva (Rasberry crazy ant) and Paratrechina longicornis (the Longhorn crazy ant)? For starters, both of these ant species are not native to the United States, and both are considered pests.

Read on to learn what crazy ants are, how they got their name, what attracts them, and what impact they are having on humans.

What Are Crazy Ants?

Crazy ants were first discovered in 2002 in an industrial park outside of Houston. Exterminator Tom Rasberry noticed ants which were moving erratically and which caused significant damage to electrical equipment. “When you see fast-moving ants that are not following a path, they are probably crazy ants,” explained Randy McCarty, ABC’s Director of Training and resident entomologist, who has … Read Full Post »