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Bryan-College Station

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Make Sure Your Gardening Choices Are Safe for Pets!

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Did you know that there are several popular plants and gardening products that can be hazardous to your pet?  By consulting with or utilizing a professional lawn care service, people can keep their pets safe while still enjoying the green thumb lifestyle and all of the benefits that come with an attractive yard.

Cocoa mulch is a very popular option for gardening because of its rich brown color and sweet smell of chocolate. Cocoa mulch contains the remnants of cocoa bean shells that have been used in the production of chocolate. Much like the finished product, cocoa bean shells can be toxic to dogs. A dog that consumes chocolate or cocoa bean shells can suffer from a wide variety of ailments, including elevated heart rate, diarrhea, muscle tremors, vomiting, seizures or even death. Fortunately, there are several other less-toxic mulch mixes that are available, including mulches with a pine or cedar … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs Win at Hide-And-Seek

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Many adults today have heard stories passed down from their grandparents about bed bugs under the sheets or crawling in the walls at night. Although these pests had been mostly eradicated from the United States in past decades, they have been returning in great numbers during the past 10 years. More and more reports are surfacing in Bryan and College Station. To solve a bed bug problem, it is important to know how to identify these sneaky pests and how to kill them.

Identifying Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are easy to identify, but they may be hard to find. When light hits them, the quickly run and hide anywhere they can. The common telltale sign of their presence is a series of bites. They are often in a row, and the bites appear as red raised bumps. The bumps may itch, but this is not always the case. When bites appear, look … Read Full Post »

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West Nile Scare in Brazos County

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Over the summer months, cases of West Nile virus were verified in Brazos County. If the virus continues spreading, local residents could find themselves feeling ill and missing work. This could be detrimental to household incomes, local businesses and even medical facilities. In rare cases, West Nile can be fatal, so taking proper precautions is important. Companies specializing in pest control and landscaping in College Station and Bryan can assist in controlling mosquito populations in the area. While this is an important step, it is also helpful to take some preventative measures of your own.

Drain all sources of standing water. Mosquitoes love pools, puddles and spas. Be sure to change the water for pets frequently. Stagnant water is the ultimate breeding ground for mosquitoes. If possible, keep water dishes for pets indoors.

Minimize risks in the yard. Have the shrubs and hedges trimmed down. Keep the lawn very short, and avoid … Read Full Post »

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When Tiny Armies Invade

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

When most people think of ants, they imagine ant beds and picnic basket invasions. Unfortunately, several different types and sizes of ants are invading homes in Texas. It is important to know how to identify and implement effective pest control in Bryan-College Station.

Identifying Ants

Ants are classified in size as tiny, medium and large. The most common types of ants in the local area include the following:

–Fire ants are medium in size, and their colors include dark red and brown. These ants are known for making hill dwellings.

-Carpenter ants are a mixture of black, brown or orange colors. These large ants are known for being nocturnal and making dwellings in uninhabited spaces.

-Medium-sized acrobat ants look similar in color to carpenter ants. Trees are their usual choices for colonization.

–Pharaoh ants are tan, tiny and almost translucent. These ants prefer sugary foods.

–Crazy ants are fast and run erratically. They are found in buildings … Read Full Post »

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Expert Advice from College Station Bed Bug Exterminators

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

Bed Bugs have made a strong comeback and are moving quickly throughout our society once again. The best way to deal with bed bugs is to seek out a bed bug exterminator, as this invasive pest can be very difficult to get rid of without proper treatments. Bed Bugs present unique challenges to the bug extermination industry because Bed Bugs are great “hitchhikers”; they can hide in luggage, purses, clothing and even a wallet. They are very small in their young stages and difficult to find.

Bed Bugs can be transferred by individuals or live on possessions in homes, hotels, college dorms, apartments, and shelters. Once bed bugs have been introduced into a structure, they find numerous areas to harbor and continue to increase in population. Typically, they hide out in cracks and crevices during the day, coming out at night in search of a meal. Bed Bugs also lay eggs … Read Full Post »

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What Are Wood Wasps?

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station

One of the more unusual insects you are likely to see is the wood wasp.  The terms wood wasp and horntail describe wood-boring insects in the families Siricidae, Xiphydriidae, Anaxyelidae, and Orussidea.  They are not wasps at all.  You are most likely to see these large insects that normally are attracted to and complete their life cycles in recently dead or dying conifer trees.  Timber, salvaged from fire damaged forests may be processed into infested lumber that can eventually lead to emergence of adult wasps in completed buildings.  These insects are nuisance invaders and are not harmful to humans.

Wood wasps are 1-inch in length, have an elongated, cylindrical body without a noticeable constricted “waist.”  They are often black or metallic in color.  They buzz while flying.  The female is large and has a long ovipositor, which is used only for egg laying and cannot be used to sting in defense.  … Read Full Post »

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Keeping Critters Out of Your Garden & Home

. Posted by in , , , • Bryan-College Station

It’s no news that animal waste causes e coli and other diseases. There are plenty of diseases associated with pest animals and their droppings. In addition to diseases, pest animals can cause nightmares for otherwise-happy property owners and gardeners.

Nature’s wild critters can be highly destructive, annoying, and cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. Furthermore, droppings are messy and give a low-class image.

  • Deer forage your foliage
  • Raccoons ravage your garbage
  • Armadillos tear up your lawn
  • Squirrels chew their way into your house, damaging electrical wires
  • Dogs and cats destroy gardens and healthy grass
  • Skunks stink up your whole yard

To prevent pest critter problems, there are several non-lethal, non-chemical, non-barrier solutions. The choices are there for homeowners to consider. Think permanence when you consider the repellent choice, as most homeowners don’t have the time or inclination to monitor the pest situation. Remember that pest animals are on your property for a reason. If they’re happy, comfortable … Read Full Post »

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