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The Ultimate Guide To Christmas Lights In Houston In 2019

. Posted by in • Houston
Christmas Lights Houston 2019

The holiday season is a magical time of year here in Houston. The city becomes transformed—even before Thanksgiving—and the excitement in the air is almost palpable. Many residents and their loved ones visiting from other places enjoy attending seasonal events and looking at all of the Christmas lights in Houston and the surrounding communities, and 2019 has more options than ever to choose from.

It can be a challenge to keep track of everything going on—especially when you’re trying to find time to decorate your own home and attend to a long list of to-dos. With the help of this guide, you can plan your holiday season so that you can enjoy beloved local traditions and create new opportunities to make special memories.

Best Christmas Lights Events To Ring In The Season

Part of the fun of the holidays is seeing the sparkling lights all over town, and we’re lucky to have so … Read Full Post »

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Florida Centipedes: How To Control And Prevent An Infestation

. Posted by in • Orlando
Florida centipedes

If you had to make a list of the creepiest of creepy-crawlies you’d rather not have in your home, Florida centipedes would probably be near the top. Who wants a pest with all those legs showing up inside?

Centipedes do more than freak Floridians out in the middle of the night. These creatures bite, which can be pretty painful, due to the toxins they release. You won’t get sick from a centipede bite, and they are certainly not fatal, but victims will tell you a close encounter is still quite unpleasant.

To make matters worse, these arthropods lay dozens of eggs at a time, which can easily turn into a horrifying centipede infestation in your home. To add insult to injury, a pest control expert will tell you that when centipedes show up inside your house, it’s likely that other pests are also present.

Why is that?

Centipedes are situated right in the middle … Read Full Post »

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Are Palmetto Bugs Florida’s Most Hated Pest?

. Posted by in • Orlando
palmetto bug

What’s dark brown, winged and lives in even the cleanest of homes in Florida? If you said a palmetto bug, you are correct! If you didn’t (or even if you did), you can learn more about Florida’s most hated pest below.

Difference Between Palmetto Bugs and Cockroaches?

Quite simply, a palmetto bug is another name for the American cockroach. This species is the largest of the domestic cockroaches, averaging around four centimeters long. While German roaches are the most common roaches found across the country, American roaches are the second most prevalent. You can find palmetto bugs indoors in Florida, especially in commercial settings. In the northern states, palmetto bugs are found more often in steam heat tunnels or inside of large buildings.

Believe it or not, the American cockroach arrived in this country in 1625 from Africa. As with many other pests, cockroaches have mostly been spread through commerce. Although you are more likely … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Eat Roaches? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in , • Houston
Do mice eat roaches

After checking your sticky traps for roaches, you may have noticed an odd phenomenon—roach legs are stuck on the trap, but the body is nowhere to be found. You don’t have any pets who could’ve eaten the pest, so maybe you have another creature in your home. This begs the question: Do mice eat roaches?

If you have ever wondered this, you aren’t alone, as homeowners who either experience this same phenomenon or those who spot these uninvited critters around their homes, garages or other areas of their property have asked themselves the same thing. After all, if mice feed on roaches, having mice around might not be all that bad.

The simple answer to the question of whether mice eat roaches is yes. A typical mouse diet can include cockroaches, both German and American varieties. Rats also happily dine on various species of cockroach, both large and small. Mice have even … Read Full Post »

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St. Augustine Grass Problems: Identification And Treatment

. Posted by in • Houston
St. Augustine Grass Problems

Due to its ability to withstand high temperatures and droughts, many homeowners choose St. Augustine grass for their yard. However, there are still quite a few St. Augustine grass problems that homeowners can find themselves confronted with. Fungi, chinch bugs and weeds are a few of the most common issues that can result in brown patches, uneven grass and dead spots that are unsightly and may require the assistance of a lawn professional to resolve.

Let’s examine each of these lawn conditions in a bit more depth.

Fungi

The main types of fungus that affect St. Augustine grass are:

  • Take-all root rot (Gaeumannomyces graminis)
  • Brown patch, also known as large patch (Rhizoctonia solani)
  • Anthracnose (Colletotrichum graminicolais)
  • Nigrospora stolon rot (Nigrospora sphaerica)

While drought and other factors can cause take-all root rot any time of the year, homeowners should look out for symptoms in the fall and spring months. The tops of the grass impacted by this fungus turn … Read Full Post »

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Most Common Florida Spiders In Homes And Yards

. Posted by in • Orlando
Florida Spiders

Arachnophobia is widespread among people all over the world, including in Florida. As a matter of fact, some of the most common Florida spiders seem to be extra terrifying. Despite their sometimes frightening appearance, many of these arachnids are not dangerous—at least not to homeowners. However, the ability to identify those which can hurt you and those which can’t will give you peace of mind and help avoid any medical emergencies.

Here’s a list of the most common species found throughout the Sunshine State. Thankfully, these varieties aren’t dangerous to humans:

Crab Spiders

Don’t confuse this arachnid with the spiny-backed orb weaver, which is shaped like a crab. This type of spider gets its name from the way it holds its front two pairs of legs to the side, like crab pincers.

Crab spiders also tend to scuttle sideways and backward, similar to the beach-dwelling crustaceans. This arachnid does not spin webs. Instead, a … Read Full Post »

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How To Keep Raccoons Off Your Roof And Property

. Posted by in , • Houston
How to keep raccoons off your roof

Wondering about how to keep raccoons off your roof? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. Even if these nuisance animals didn’t carry disease or cause significant property damage, raccoons would still cause homeowners considerable trouble and annoyance, thanks to their ability to break into garbage bins and scatter trash everywhere in search of a meal. Thanks to the mess they make, the extensive damage they are capable of and their potential for spreading disease, raccoons are an unwelcome presence for almost any homeowner.

While hiring a pest control professional is the most effective and time-efficient method of keeping these critters off your roof, there are a few do-it-yourself tricks you can try before calling in the big guns:

  • Trim the trees around your home so the raccoons don’t have an easy pathway from your surrounding trees to your roof.
  • Keep vines and other plants that are growing up your home’s exterior short so … Read Full Post »
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Carpenter Ant Bite: The Dangers These Ants Pose

. Posted by in , • Houston
Carpenter Ant Bite

Carpenter ant bites can be a big pain—quite literally. A bite on human skin looks like a pea-sized blemish, and the aftermath may feel like a strong pinch or even a quick burn on the skin. This is because when carpenter ants bite, these insects spray formic acid onto their victim. Formic acid isn’t necessarily dangerous to humans, but it does increase the intensity of the pain you feel. You can reduce the pain associated with a carpenter ant bite by washing the impacted area with soap and water right away. Doing so will flush away the formic acid that causes pain to the area, which should cause the discomfort to recede. If not, a cold compress or ice should help to soothe the bite site.

Don’t be surprised if a carpenter ant bite draws blood. These insects are equipped with really strong jaws to chew through wood to make nests. … Read Full Post »

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Are Mosquitoes Attracted To Perfume?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
Are mosquitoes attracted to perfume

Spending time outside during certain times of the year can put you in closer contact with a number of insects. You’ve noticed those days you’re outdoors and wearing perfume, you’re getting bitten by mosquitoes more often. Is it all in your head, or are the rumors true? Are mosquitoes attracted to perfume?

Unfortunately, these insects are more likely to sense your presence if they can smell you. Mosquitoes feed on nectar when they aren’t producing eggs, so when we put on that fragrance, it sends off even more signals for them to come to find us. However, it’s not just a flowery perfume that could be attracting them—mosquitoes can smell deodorant, cologne, scented lotions and even fragranced body wash with the olfactory receptors in their antennae. By switching to unscented products, you could provide yourself with some degree of protection from itchy mosquito bumps.

There are many other rumors that get spread … Read Full Post »

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How To Keep A Lawn Green In The Summer Heat

. Posted by in , • Houston
How to keep lawn green in summer heat

In the heat of a Texas summer, it can feel like keeping your grass green is a full-time job—which makes sense when you learn that even warm season species prefer temperatures in the 70s. It may seem like after you miss one day of watering, all of a sudden there are brown spots everywhere. Looking at what appears to be a dying lawn, you may realize you’re not completely sure how to keep your lawn green in the summer heat.

As you might suspect, the most important thing you can do for your lawn during the hottest times of the year is to water. In most Texas lawns, watering between a half-inch to a full inch of water each week can keep grass species that are suited for our climate healthy even in high temperatures. Bermuda grass and buffalo grass can handle just a half-inch of water, as well as other … Read Full Post »

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