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Landscape Tree Lighting Tips and Ideas

. Posted by in , • Houston
A house with landscape tree lighting

Have you dreamed of having a beautifully curated lawn that adds to your home’s curb appeal? One of the best ways to accentuate your lawn is to use landscape tree lighting.

Highlighting your trees with in-ground spotlights creates a beautiful ornamental centerpiece on your lawn. You can also use downward lights to create unique effects and add light to dark areas of your lawn.

Besides adding visual interest at night, landscape lighting also increases your home’s security and makes it more welcoming. You can also use outdoor light to accentuate other areas of your lawn, such as your plants and flower beds, deck, pergola and pool.

Finally, small walkway lights create a beautiful effect on your lawn. They even make it safer to navigate dark pathways. Follow the tips below to create a stunning visual effect with landscape accent lighting in your yard. Then, contact a professional landscaper to create a customized outdoor … Read Full Post »

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Rodents in Florida: Identification & Control Guide

. Posted by in , • Orlando
mouse peeking from dirt hole

Florida is home to a variety of rodent species, including rats, mice, squirrels and others. It’s valuable for Florida homeowners to learn how to identify the different types of rodents they may encounter.

Some rodents in Florida, such as house mice, roof rats and Norway rats are more commonly found indoors than others. Noticing the signs of these rodents can help homeowners catch an infestation before it can get out of control.

It’s also important to know about the appearance, habits and diet of Florida rodents. Rats and mice are excellent climbers, swimmers and jumpers and can make their homes in a variety of locations in your house.

Finally, learn simple ways to deter mice and rats from entering your home. If you already have an infestation, call a pest control specialist today.

Types of Rodents in Florida

Several types of rodents call Florida home, and it isn’t limited to mice and rats. Here are … Read Full Post »

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Identifying Mouse Poop Versus Roach Poop

. Posted by in , • Houston
a cockroach near cockroach droppings

When you find strange droppings around your home, you want to know exactly what kind of pest you’re dealing with. Knowing what you’re dealing with is the best way to know how to get rid of an infestation. To identify mouse poop versus roach poop, it’s important to know what each type of poop looks like and where it’s commonly found. Fortunately, there are several key differences between mouse poop and roach poop that can give you clues as to which pest is infesting your home.

Appearance

Both mouse poop and roach poop are medium to dark brown in color. Mouse poop is about the size and shape of dried grains of rice, and poop from bigger roaches can be almost as big as mouse poop. But a key difference between them is that mouse poop is pointed and pinched off at the ends. Roach poop, on the other hand, is more … Read Full Post »

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How To Keep Rats Out of Your Garden

. Posted by in , • Houston
rat peeking out from raised garden bed

Are rats damaging your garden? These pests can spread disease, damage plant life, cause structural damage to your home and annoy your pets.

The first step to a rodent-free yard is to understand the signs of rats in your garden. Then, there are steps you can take to prevent them from taking over your yard before it happens. If a rodent infestation has already made its way onto your property, you can follow these same steps to make your garden less attractive to them. However, you’ll need to contact a pest control professional in order to get rid of them completely. 

Knowing the habits and abilities of rats is another way to understand how they operate and how to get rid of them. For example, it’s valuable to know how far they run from their nests, how high they can jump, if they can swim and more.

Finally, homeowners need to stay on … Read Full Post »

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Do Bed Bugs Have Wings?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
two bed bugs

Do bed bugs have wings? This is a question people often ask pest control professionals when they find a bug in the bed. Bed bugs do not have wings. If you find a winged insect in your bedroom, it may be a carpet beetle or something else. But, if you find a wingless bug, it may be a bed bug.

Bed bugs are a serious issue, so it’s smart to learn what these pests look like. They are notoriously hard to get rid of. If you suspect you may have an infestation, you need to have it dealt with quickly. For that to happen, you need to know how to identify these pests to determine the right way to get rid of them.

Fortunately, experienced pest control specialists know exactly how to identify bed bugs, along with any other pests that might find their way into your bedroom. It’s important to note … Read Full Post »

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Can Rats Chew Through Steel?

. Posted by in , • Houston
large rat on top of steel pipe

Rats are rodents with long, sharp front teeth that are constantly growing. Like all rodents, these pests need to gnaw on things daily to keep those front teeth filed down. This is why finding gnaw marks is a common sign of rat activity in and around your home. These pests typically chew on wooden things, like baseboards, beams and rafters. They are also known to chew through cardboard and plastic items, as well as electric wiring. But, can rats chew through steel?

Rats can easily chew through softer materials like cardboard and plastic. They can even chew through harder things like wood and PVC pipes. But rats cannot chew through steel. They can’t chew through anything stronger than iron.

Potential Risks of Rats In Your Home

Steel is a component in some electrical wires, along with copper and other types of metal. Rats have been known to chew through electrical wiring. More often, … Read Full Post »

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What To Do About Brown Patches on Lawn

. Posted by in • Houston
a dollar spot on a lawn

A beautiful, healthy lawn is a symbol of pride for many homeowners.

Few things are more disheartening to a committed homeowner than finding discolorations and brown patches on their perfect landscape. It’s especially disappointing when they seem to appear out of the blue.

The sad fact is that disease is a stealthy predator that tends to rear its ugly head overnight, attacking our lawns when we least expect it.

Summer lawn diseases can devastate the most well-cared-for green spaces like a blight.

For homeowners who put in the time and effort to achieve that perfect carpet of green, it’s important to understand what can cause brown patches. And, more importantly, what they can do to repair these problems quickly and prevent them from returning.

What Causes Brown Patches

In reality, there are a lot of things that can kill the grass on a lawn, and not all are disease-related.

The key to spotting and dealing with lawn … Read Full Post »

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Signs of a German Roach Infestation

. Posted by in • Orlando
a german cockroach

German cockroaches are one of the most common types of roaches, and you can identify the small, penny-sized insects by their elongated shape, light caramel brown color and two black stripes that run along their shell-like top covering. They have a full set of wings, but they do not fly.

This roach variety doesn’t sneak into homes and other buildings from the outside, like their American cockroach cousins. They spend most of their lives hanging out in places that keep them close to sources of food and water. They spread through multi-unit dwellings such as apartment buildings by traveling through the spaces in between the apartments or business suites, always seeking food and water. Restaurants and hotels also see their fair share of these unwanted visitors. Homeowners can accidentally bring these pests home with them from a multitude of locations. Unfortunately, just one or two German cockroaches can quickly turn into … Read Full Post »

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What Attracts Rats?

. Posted by in , • Houston
a rat in a garden

Knowing what attracts rats is a big part of keeping them away from your home and property. Rats are wild animals that naturally live outdoors, building nests under shrubbery, inside dead trees or in underground burrows. Like all animals, rats have three basic needs—food, water and shelter. When you’re dealing with a rat infestation on your property, it means they have found all three. This is why a big part of getting rid of rats is eliminating what’s attracting them.

If you’re dealing with a problem, you may notice some of the following signs of rats:

  • Scattered rat droppings
  • Shredded paper, insulation or other nesting materials
  • Squeaking or scratching sounds coming from within the walls or ceilings
  • Gnaw marks on cabinets, baseboards or other areas
  • Greasy rub marks along walls, baseboards or rafters, where these pests commonly walk along their routes between their nest and their food and water sources
  • An actual rat sighting—though this is less … Read Full Post »
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The Giant African Land Snail: What You Need To Know

. Posted by in • Orlando
a giant African land snail

Giant African Land Snails are an invasive species that can cause property damage and disrupt agriculture. While they originated in Africa, they are now found worldwide. Infestations are extremely serious.

These snails prefer warm and humid climates, which is why they are most often found in the southeastern states of America. Currently, a new Giant African Land Snail population has been discovered in Pasco County, Florida. This is the third time that the state has dealt with an infestation.

Florida residents should understand the risks of a Giant African Land Snail infestation and learn how to identify these pests. This guide will break down their appearance, habitats, mating habits, reproduction cycle and more. It will also cover the previous infestations in Florida and what the state is currently doing to eradicate these pests again.

What Do Giant African Land Snails Look Like?

As you can probably tell from their name, Giant … Read Full Post »

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