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5 Reasons Your Lawn Benefits From The Best Organic Fertilizer

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
best organic fertilizer

When homeowners are trying to approve their curb appeal, an obvious place to start is with your property’s lawn.

Here in Texas, however, plants face an uphill battle to get established and to stay healthy. Although soil types and quality vary across the state, our warm climate and lack of rainfall present many challenges for homeowners who want to keep their lawns looking green.

One way to provide the nutrients plants need to survive and thrive is to apply fertilizer.

ABC Home & Commercial Services, our lawn care experts know a lot about lawn care. We also care about the impact of our products on the environment. That’s why we only use the best natural and organic lawn fertilizers currently on the market.

In this article, we would like to educate homeowners about the best types of organic fertilizer by exploring the following topics:

  • The importance of fertilizer
  • Read Full Post »
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How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard

. Posted by in , • Austin
how to keep mosquitoes out of your yard

Mosquitoes thrive in warm weather.  When it cools down in Austin, we all get excited at the prospect of going outside without getting bitten. Unfortunately, the temperature hasn’t dropped enough to completely get rid of mosquitoes, but we still want to enjoy the cooler weather.  What’s a homeowner to do to keep mosquitoes out of his or her yard?

How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard

Your most important first step to is to recognize mosquito breeding grounds in your yard and get rid of them as quickly as possible.  Mosquitoes breed in standing water.  Make your yard as inhospitable as possible by getting rid of standing water.  Remember that even tiny amounts of water – like a thimbleful – can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.  Scan your yard on a daily basis for standing water sources and dump any that you find. If you see mosquito larvae in the process, … Read Full Post »

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Do Rats Eat Acorns? How To Get Rid Of Rats In Your House

. Posted by in • Austin
do rats eat acorns

There are many reasons that Americans are increasingly moving to the southern states. Our warm sunny days, green spaces, majestic trees and outdoor patio restaurants offer many ways for residents to enjoy spending time exploring these cities.

Guess what? All of the things that make these urban areas so appealing to people also make it an ideal habitat for local rat populations. In this post, we’ll answer the common question: Do rats eat acorns?, as well as discuss what rats we are most likely to see and how to keep these creatures away from your home.

The Ideal Rat Habitat

Rats love greenbelt areas with access to water, lush vegetation, seeds and other food sources. They eat nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit, worms, lizards and various bugs, including spiders and roaches. When desperate, they’ll eat green plants, paper or even candle wax. Rats frequent areas with lots of pecan trees and they also find … Read Full Post »

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HVAC Inspection Checklist: Preparing Your Home For Fall

. Posted by in • San Antonio
HVAC inspection checklist

By the time the scorching San Antonio summer gives way to a slightly-less-scorching autumn, you’re probably ready for a break from the heat. But is your home prepared?

If you’re like most Texans, your air conditioning unit worked hard in the summer months. As you look forward to the coming cold weather, your entire HVAC system may need servicing to ensure that it continues to work perfectly. Here’s a quick HVAC inspection checklist of things to do to help you get started.

Clean Up Your Unit

Just as your home needs a deep cleaning a few times per year, you need to occasionally clean your HVAC system to keep it running optimally.

Outdoors

Clear leaves and debris away from your outdoor HVAC unit. This prevents any blockages from happening, as well as any reductions in the unit’s ability to provide heat.

Not all of the debris is located inside of the unit, however. Trim any other … Read Full Post »

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How Often To Change The Air Filter In A House

. Posted by in • San Antonio
how often to change air filter in house

If you own an air conditioning unit, you know that changing the air filter is a common air conditioner maintenance task that must be performed so your heating and cooling system can run clean and pure air throughout your home.

Have you ever really thought about why is it so important to change your AC’s air filter? Or how often should you clean it? Keep reading to learn more tips about keeping your air conditioner running efficiently.

Five Reasons To Change Your AC Air Filter Frequently

There are quite a few benefits of changing your filter frequently.

Improved Performance

Imagine trying to drink water through a clogged straw. That’s a lot like how your air conditioning unit feels when it’s trying to draw air through a clogged filter. By switching out your air filter on a regular basis, you make it easier for your system to pull air in and keep things cool. This, in turn, … Read Full Post »

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Your Guide to Preventing and Eliminating Flea Infestation at Home

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
household flea treatment

Contrary to popular belief, fleas are attracted to more animals than just your furry pet. They’re known to bite humans, too. Similar to mosquitos, fleas feed off their host’s blood, and while they’re traditionally known to target animals – especially dogs and cats – flea bites for humans are more common than you think.

Fleas might be small in size, but a bite from this wingless insect can cause major irritation, and sometimes lead to a serious reaction. The best way to avoid potential problems is to adopt and carry out preventative measures before they make their way into your home and onto your body.

Here are a few ways to prevent fleas from biting you and your loved ones at home.

Inspect Your Furry Friends

The most common way fleas enter your home is via your pet. And once inside, they reproduce at rapid speeds; in their life cycle, females can lay up … Read Full Post »

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What do Bats have to do with Bed Bugs?

. Posted by in , • Austin
Where do bed bugs come from?

 

What would you say if we told you bed bugs come from bats? Seems crazy; shocking even! We know. But as unbelievable as it sounds—it’s true. The bloodsucking bed bug’s origins do in fact, trace back to bats.

Our team at ABC Home & Commercial may know a thing or two about bed bugs, but we realize that many of our neighbors here in Austin aren’t so in tune with this headache-causing pest.

Whether you’ve dealt with a bed bug infestation in the past, or have yet to encounter the creepy crawlers in your home, understanding where the pests come from and why they’re in your home is your best bet for keeping your home safe.

Let’s take a look together at how and why such tiny creatures can create such a big problem.

Historical Figures

According to a study conducted at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, scientist found that bats were the first ancestral … Read Full Post »

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Sneaky Ways to Prevent Mosquito Attacks

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
ways to prevent mosquito bites

Every summer in San Antonio, two things seem to be constant: our oppressive heat and swarms of mosquitoes that follow us everywhere we go. While there’s not much we can do about the heat; mosquitoes are another matter.

Find out why these annoying insects are such a problem and discover some ways you can outsmart mosquitoes before they can ruin your summer fun.

Why are mosquitoes such a problem?

In recent years doctors and scientists have grown increasingly concerned about mosquito-borne diseases. In particular, officials are worried about the Zika virus, which first appeared in the United States this year. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, as of August 12, 2016, there have been 106 cases of Zika virus disease in the state of Texas.

For those who contract Zika, it usually is a mild illness with common flu-like symptoms, and generally, lasts about a week. More troubling is the potential … Read Full Post »

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Don’t Let Mosquitoes Ruin Your Baseball Fun

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi

When you visit Whataburger Field, you’re looking forward to a great day enjoying the Corpus Christi Hooks. You might also try a dip in the swimming pool or hot tub, check out the rock climbing wall or hang out at the kid’s playground.

Not included in this day of fun at the ballpark is fighting swarms of mosquitoes!

Let’s take a look at ways you can keep mosquitoes away while having a blast rooting for the Hooks.

Why worry about mosquitoes?

Sure mosquito bites are annoying, but you can handle a few itchy bites, right?

Not so fast.

With the rise of mosquito-borne disease, especially West Nile and Zika viruses, it’s important to take precautions. Even Yellow Fever, also carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, has made a recent comeback in Africa.

In particular, you’d be smart to protect yourself and your family against the Zika virus, an illness that first appeared in the United States this … Read Full Post »

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AC Leaking Water? Why This Happens And What To Do

. Posted by in • San Antonio
AC Leaking

In San Antonio, air conditioners are a necessity. With harsh summers bringing scorching temperatures to the region, a problem in your air conditioner could lead to a day of repair while your family waits patiently near a fan.

One common problem that causes homeowners anxiety is a leaking AC unit. While a leaky cooling system is usually an easy-to-repair problem, you could be faced with a more serious issue down the line that causes your AC to break, including flooding that could cause some serious damage your home.

By knowing air conditioner parts and functions, it can be easier to properly identify the source of a leaking AC. Learn more below about why your AC is leaking water and what you can do to fix the problem.

A Leaking AC Is No Time To Test Your DIY Skills

Even if you are a formidable handyman, it is best to let an HVAC professional troubleshoot and … Read Full Post »

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