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Keeping Crawlies off Indoor Plants

. Posted by in • Houston

Having houseplants is a great way to improve your home’s aesthetic appeal and air quality, but you might be afraid that your indoor plants will attract insects. Although different types of bugs love plants, following these tips will help you keep critters away from them.

Choose the Right Plants

Choosing the right plants for your home’s environment and lighting conditions is an essential first step. Before investing in house plants, research to ensure they will do well inside your house.

Use Clean Soil

Although digging up a bit of dirt from your backyard might be tempting, this should usually be avoided. Outdoor dirt can contain insects and larvae, and you don’t want to bring these pests into your home. Instead, opt for high-quality potting soil that can be purchased at your local retail store or garden center. The soil will be clean and free of bugs and might also have more nutrients for your … Read Full Post »

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Ants Are Only Cute in Movies

. Posted by in • Orlando

In the movies, ants are cute creatures that everyone roots for; however, they can damage your home in real life. Because of this, contacting a professional pest control company is vital as soon as you notice signs of an infestation. Remember that ants nest in the crevices and cracks of your property and that they will also scavenge through your home, looking for food supplies.

The Danger of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

If you notice giant black ants in your home, you most likely have an infestation of carpenter ants. This particular ant species can cause extensive and costly damage to your home. Once their nests have been built into your home, you will likely experience issues with your structural wood, rigid foam insulation, sheathing, and subflooring. Unfortunately, carpenter ants are widespread in many areas, including Orlando. Remember that carpenter ants that nest outside don’t pose any risk to your home.

Other Ant … Read Full Post »

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Does Your Property Have a Raccoon Problem?

. Posted by in • Houston

Raccoons may look harmless, and you may consider them only a nuisance, but they can cause severe damage and injuries. A hungry raccoon might dig holes in your lawn and tear garbage bags open. It may attack pets or farm animals after it begins to feel safe on your property. Raccoons could even attempt to enter your home.

These furry mammals usually look for food at night to avoid being seen. There are many ways to detect raccoons on your property, though, even if you can actually spot them. Vegetables in the garden may go missing at night, or seeds from a bird feeder may vanish.

You can also look for a restroom. No, raccoons haven’t figured out how to use toilets. They leave excrement in large piles that are known as latrines. Rather than defecating in random locations, they prefer to select certain rocks, trees, and stumps. Unfortunately, your deck or … Read Full Post »

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Keeping Shrubs Healthy and Happy

. Posted by in • Houston

Shrubs are attractive, versatile assets to any lawn. You can use them to decorate, enhance privacy, and add artistic flair. Maintaining shrubs requires care and attention throughout the year to ensure the foliage looks its best. Follow these tips to keep your shrubs healthy, happy, and beautiful.

Choose Appropriate Sizes

Cramming any plant too close to its neighbor leads to bigger messes and hassles. Before adding shrubs to your yard, decide on the style you want. Are you aiming for a dense privacy hedge, or would you prefer to line the front walk with stout accent bushes? Choose the shrubs that look best with the layout of your lawn for an eye-catching landscape design.

Water and Moisture Maintenance

Like all plants used in landscaping, your shrubs need optimal water to thrive. During the first couple of years after planting, give everything a good drink once a week, soaking the soil without leaving a puddle. … Read Full Post »

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Your Expensive Lawn Is No More

. Posted by in • Orlando

Moles are strange creatures that can cause devastating damage to your pristine lawn, especially when they are allowed to burrow out of control. The animals tend to feed on worms and other subsurface creatures. You’ll be left with dimples, holes, dirt mounds, and torn-up grass if they’re not stopped. With effective pest control methods, however, you can eradicate the critters and keep your yard looking great. Perhaps even more importantly, you can continue to impress your irritable in-laws when they next pay a holiday visit.

Appearance

True moles are generally distinguished by their prominent snouts. While many species are dark brown, others can range from black to white to pink. They typically have webbed feet and sharp claws, which they use to dig tunnels through the surrounding dirt. Their claws enable them to make their way through even hard soil. Thus, they can pose significant problems for homeowners. While they are certainly … Read Full Post »

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My Dog Has Fleas. Now What?

. Posted by in • Houston

Have you noticed your dog scratching and biting at itself intensely? If so, you may want to check your pet for fleas. Since fleas love warm, humid climates, they can be a year-round problem in Houston. To make the situation worse, for every flea you see on your pet, there are likely hundreds more living on your carpet and furniture.

The Many Dangers of Fleas

Fleas can pose many dangers to your pet. First, fleas survive off your dog’s blood and can consume more than 12 times their body weight. This, in turn, can cause your pet to become anemic over time. In severe cases, parasitic anemia can even be life-threatening for your dog.

If your pet is susceptible to flea bites, just one bite from a flea can cause a severe reaction known as flea bite allergy. Pets with flea bite allergies experience intense itching, hair loss, inflamed skin, hot spots, and … Read Full Post »

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It’s Only a Swimming Pool. What Could Go Wrong?

. Posted by in • Houston

Summer’s over, and for many Houston homeowners, that means one thing: It’s time to close down the old swimming hole. Off-season pool maintenance is an annual chore; doing it right can be trickier than you think. Don’t make these common mistakes with your pool.

Failing to Clean It One Last Time

We know, we know: Those summer cleanings were terrible enough. What would it hurt to leave a few sticks and dirt clods over the winter?

You’d be surprised. Organic matter can quickly decay and foul the water. Worse, any algae remaining behind on warmer winter days will multiply exponentially. It’s up to you to prevent this, so get outside and:

• Turn on the filtration system
• Scoop out the bugs and fallen leaves
• Vacuum the bottom and brush down the sides to remove stubborn algae. Stop often to clean out the skimmer basket
• Backwash the filter to get rid of any acceptable debris … Read Full Post »

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Tips to Prevent Pests from Entering Your Home

. Posted by in • Orlando

An infestation can be prevented with a bit of elbow grease.

Is your home or office becoming a welcome haven for pests such as roaches, ants, bed bugs, spiders, termites, or mice? While the sight of little ants crawling or spiders weaving webs can be fascinating, these insects certainly do not belong inside your home. Mice scurrying around the house and roaches raiding your pantry for food might not paint a pretty picture either. So, how do you keep your home free of these unwanted intruders? What are the most effective pest control methods that work?

Keep Your Food Supplies Sealed

Most pests eat almost anything that they can find. Free food is an excellent reason for roaches, rodents, and ants to find your home attractive. Seal your snack and cereal bags, pack away food items, and never leave dirty dishes in the sink. Ensure your trashcan has a tight lid, and immediately … Read Full Post »

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How to Avoid Common Landscaping Mistakes

. Posted by in • Houston

A beautiful landscape invites people to linger, enjoy the sights and savor the fragrances for a few moments. The only problem is that creating this kind of landscape isn’t as simple as it appears. After all, if it were easy, everyone would have one. Add to this the intense Houston climate, and a pretty landscape can seem like an impossible dream. Yet it doesn’t have to be.

All you need for a fabulous landscape is a bit of knowledge. To help you get started, websites like HGTV are an excellent resource for landscaping ideas and suggestions. Then, to ensure that you don’t make the most common landscaping mistakes, here are five tips on what to avoid:

Planting Without a Plan

Creating an attractive look requires some thought. A garden is no exception. If you’ve ever seen a landscape with plants of every color and size virtually thrown together, you have a fair idea … Read Full Post »

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Flower or Fungus: How Can You Tell?

. Posted by in , • Houston

You might have trouble remembering critical differences between plants and fungi unless you’re a botanist. Don’t let this get you down. While their cell structures and metabolic processes are very different, many types of plants and fungi appear to grow and reproduce in similar ways. Consult this handy guide if you see a strange organism popping up through your lawn’s grass.

Are All Fungi Bad?

First, it’s important to note that not all fungi harm your lawn. Many species break down organic matter that can harbor grass-eating pests or give rise to weeds that choke the life out of your lawn. Indeed, many homeowners use fungi in walled-off areas to break down organic waste like sawdust, wood chips, mulch, tree droppings, and food byproducts.

Critical Types of Flower-Mimicking Fungi

Here’s some helpful science: Mushrooms are the “fruiting bodies” of the underground fungal structure known as mycelium. In other words, they’re the “flowers” of the … Read Full Post »

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