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Handling Firewood Improperly Can Cause Pest Problems

. Posted by in , • Houston

Heating your Houston home with firewood is cozy, romantic, and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, if your wood isn’t handled and stored correctly, it can harbor unwanted pests. These insects pose no serious threat to your home in most cases, but a few species could be problematic.

A variety of insects infest wood. The list includes bark lice, millipedes, centipedes, pill bugs, sowbugs, springtails, termites, beetles, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and wasps. Termites are the biggest threat to your home’s structure, but they’re not usually a problem unless you bring firewood into a moist environment and store the logs against your home. If you find live termites in a wood pile, move the wood as far away from your home as possible.

Wood-boring beetles can be a nuisance if they create noise or wood dust. Bark beetles live inside a tree’s bark or between the bark and heartwood. If infested wood is stacked against … Read Full Post »

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Smoke Alarms 101

. Posted by in • Houston

Smoke alarms are essential for your and your family’s safety. Do you know what kind of smoke alarm you have, and are you aware of how your alarm is powered?

Types of Smoke Alarms

The U.S. Fire Administration explains that two types of smoke alarms are available.

An ion smoke alarm is a less expensive option and most beneficial in open flames. The quick reaction that an ion type of alarm has makes it ideal in the case of a kitchen fire that has been caused by cooking.

A photoelectric type of smoke alarm is more sensitive to fires that involve smolders instead of open flames.

While the two types of alarms have different reactions to fires, both are effective for helping people stay informed during a fire.

There are also different methods for powering a smoke alarm:

9-volt batteries are the most common power source for smoke alarms. These batteries should be changed at least once … Read Full Post »

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The Beneficial Ladybug

. Posted by in • Orlando
ladybug contol

A Family of Friendly Insects in Florida

Members of the Coccinellidae family, commonly known as ladybugs, are not technically bugs. Entomologists call these insects by the more accurate term—ladybird beetles. There are about 5,000 species of ladybird beetles worldwide, most beneficial to mankind. Although the ladybug is often pictured as red with black spots, these insects come in various colors and patterns.

The common ladybug is a friend to gardeners and landscapers. When aphids and scale insects threaten rose bushes and garden vegetables, the ladybug fights back with vigor. One ladybug may eat 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. The female ladybug lays her eggs on plants that aphids, mealybugs, and scales frequently. As soon as the eggs hatch, the larvae start feeding. Consider the ladybug an ally in natural pest control. These effective exterminators are even considerate enough to replace themselves regularly. One female ladybug may lay 1,000 eggs in her lifetime. … Read Full Post »

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Winter Rodent Invasions: Be Prepared!

. Posted by in • Orlando

Rodents can wreak havoc on a home at any point in the year, but these little creatures tend to invade homes during winter. Orlando is not one of the coldest places on earth, but animals will still attempt to seek shelter indoors as temperatures drop. These unwelcome guests can cause structural damage and the spread of rodent-borne pathogens. Unfortunately, rodents are difficult to remove from the home, so prevention is the best action.

Rodents are champions at chewing through wood and other materials, but even a small hole or gap is an invitation. Rats and mice are very flexible, and the hole must only be as wide as the mouse or rat’s skull. Look for holes around all the floorboards inside the house, including closets and areas behind large appliances. Holes might also form around pipes and vents. On the outside of the home, holes can occur in many places, including … Read Full Post »

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Houston is a Prime Target for Solar Power

. Posted by in • Houston

During the summer, Houston can hit triple-digit temperatures. Homeowners spend hundreds each month cranking up their air conditioners. Instead of purchasing electricity from the power company, homeowners can eliminate their utility bills by switching to solar power and upgrading their homes with energy-efficient upgrades.

Cheaper Prices and Bigger Savings

Manufacturing costs associated with solar panels are dropping fast, and homeowners are reaping the rewards. Adjusted for inflation, solar panels in 1989 cost $8.78 per watt in 2010 dollars, but the average price per solar panel in 2010 dropped to just $2.79, its lowest price ever. In that same period, photovoltaic panel shipments increased 100-fold.

Photovoltaic technologies offer a reliable and future-proof energy source compared to fossil fuels. Since 2002, coal has nearly doubled in price, while petroleum costs five times as much. If current trends continue, solar panels will cost about $1.00 per watt by the decade’s end, but coal and oil will … Read Full Post »

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How to Handle Mystery Bugs

. Posted by in , • Houston

Several mysterious insects can be found in Houston. Many unfamiliar bugs are harmless, but they can also signify the beginning of an infestation. Most people only have the expertise to identify common bugs. More than 25,000 insect species live in Texas, according to Texas A&M University. It’s essential to handle mystery bugs carefully and take steps to keep them out of your home.

If you find an unfamiliar insect outdoors, photograph it for identification. You may want to catch the bug if it is inside your home. Be cautious–wear gloves and use an implement such as long tweezers to move the insect. Store it in a glass container with a tight lid. Remember that some bugs can chew through cardboard, wood, or plastic.

Keep children and pets away from the insect. Some bugs may trigger allergies or cause serious illnesses when they bite or sting. For example, the Lone Star tick spreads … Read Full Post »

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From AC to Heat: How to Ensure a Flawless Change of Seasons

. Posted by • Houston

It’s time to tune up your furnace as summer-time humidity and temperatures drop and the excellent weather approaches. You don’t want to turn your furnace on when the first cold front blows in only to find it’s not heating correctly.

Every Houston HVAC system needs periodic maintenance to ensure all components work. Regular maintenance reduces the possibility of sudden breakdowns and costly repairs. Keeping the system working correctly also reduces energy usage and lowers utility bills. Some routine maintenance is easy for the homeowner to do. Some tasks, however, are best left to the professionals.

The homeowner can do cleaning filters, one of the most important regular maintenance tasks. Clogged filters make a unit work harder and compromise indoor air quality. Regular cleaning removes allergens, bacteria, mold, and dust. Replace filters as recommended by the manufacturer.

An improperly installed thermostat may cause a unit to run inefficiently or fail to cycle on. Ensure … Read Full Post »

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House Flies In Winter: Do Flies Hibernate in the Winter?

. Posted by in • Houston
house flies in winter

What’s that buzzing around your kitchen? What is your dog chasing around the living room? What came in when you left the back door open too long? In many cases, the answer is the same: a fly.

Have you ever noticed that house flies seem to disappear during the winter months? How do they virtually vanish in the cold weather and reappear in full force once the weather starts warming up? Read on to find out.

What Flies Do During The Winter

Adult house flies in winter spend their days in cracks and crevices, away from humans. In the spring, these flies lay eggs on decaying materials. Although this behavior can be compared to hibernation, the truth is that flies do not spend the winter months in a deep sleep like some animals, including some species of turtles, snakes, bats, hummingbirds, ladybugs, skunks, and frogs. The cluster fly and other common fly species … Read Full Post »

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West Nile Virus Still Prevalent in Harris County

. Posted by in • Houston

A mild winter combined with rain in Harris County has created a favorable climate for mosquitoes. This has led to an increase in the infected with West Nile virus— several people have died. The virus spreads primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito. In rare cases, the virus spreads through transfusions, breastfeeding, from mother to baby during pregnancy, and organ transplants.

West Nile virus symptoms appear between three and 14 days after an infected mosquito bites a person. Four out of five people (about 80%) infected with the virus do not show any symptoms. 20% will exhibit mild symptoms:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Body aches
  • Swollen lymph glands or skin rash

People over 50 and those with a weak immune system have a high risk of getting severely sick. About one in 150 cases experiences severe symptoms:

  • Muscle weakness
  • Loss of vision
  • High fever
  • Disorientation, stupor or coma
  • Numbness or paralysis
  • Headache
  • Stiff neck

There is no explicit treatment for West Nile virus. The fever … Read Full Post »

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Use your iPhone for Tracking Bed Bugs!

. Posted by in , • Houston

In recent years, bed bugs have become a widespread problem in many cities across the United States. Houston is no exception, with hotels and multi-family residential buildings such as apartments among the most brutal hit. Even if you live in a single-family home, you’re also vulnerable to bed bugs, as guests may bring them in, or the pests may stow away in your luggage when you return home from a vacation. The best prevention against bed bugs is avoiding places infested by them. If you are an iPhone user, you will find the Bed Bug Alert app convenient for preventing pests.

Designed by Apps Genius, Bed Bug Alert is an interactive, user-friendly app that allows you to perform several actions from your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad equipped with iOS 3.2 or newer. First, you may set your location to only view reports of bed bugs in Houston or an upcoming … Read Full Post »

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