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Why Are Bees Dying?

. Posted by in • Orlando
Why Are Bees Dying

Do you consider bees an unwelcome pest? If so, you aren’t alone. Many people are afraid of this tiny, buzzing, yellow-and-black insect—or, more specifically, scared of its sting. For people allergic to bee stings, an encounter with these stinging insects is genuinely a critical (even life-and-death) event to avoid. Even for those who aren’t allergic, chances are that you’d rather stay away from bees.

While you may know that bees play an essential role in our ecosystem, you may not realize that bee populations worldwide have experienced a significant decline. If you’re among the folks who avoid these little creatures at all costs, that may not sound like such a bad thing. Let’s talk about why bees have been dying, why they’re essential to humans, and what to do if you find a beehive in or around your home.

Why Are Bees Dying?

In 2011 in Brevard County, Florida, about 12 million bees … Read Full Post »

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How To Start a Vegetable Garden From Scratch

. Posted by in • San Antonio
How to start a vegetable garden from scratch

There is nothing quite like enjoying food that you grow yourself. Whether you are just looking for some herbs to add to recipes, a way to spend quality time with your family outside or if you want to embark upon something more ambitious, homeowners should know that starting a vegetable garden from scratch is not impossible if you learn the basics.

How to Start a Vegetable Garden from Scratch

Although springtime is the most popular time to start a garden, the growing season in warmer parts of the country is virtually year-round. Whenever you decide to give Central Texas gardening a try, we have some tips to help set you up for success.

Prepare Your Garden Bed

Choose a spot in your yard that receives full sun. In hotter climates, a fence or building that shades the plot during the hottest afternoon hours can give your plants a helpful reprieve from the heat and … Read Full Post »

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What Is Pruning? A Complete Guide To Pruning Your Plants

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
What is pruning

The importance of pruning has been well-documented. Pruning or trimming has many benefits for your landscape, including maintaining plant health, restricting growth (and overgrowth), “training” plants and improving the quality of a plant’s flowers, fruit, foliage or stems.

In our complete guide to pruning, you’ll learn:

  • What is pruning?
  • How to prune trees
  • How to prune shrubs
  • How to prune fruit plants and flowers, including roses
  • What equipment you need and
  • When to prune

What is Pruning?

Pruning is the process of cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems to promote healthy plant growth. Most plants, including trees, shrubs and garden plants like roses benefit from different methods of pruning and maintenance. Pruning at the wrong time of the year does not necessarily kill your plants, but regular improper pruning may cause damaged or weakened plants.

To help you take the guesswork out of pruning, we’ll go over the common tree and plant types found in the … Read Full Post »

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How To Dispose of Household Items in Houston

. Posted by in • Houston
How to dispose of trash Houston

We seem to constantly bring things into our homes—especially those everyday items we know we will eventually need. But before we know it, our homes are filled with countless empty bottles of cleaning supplies, old batteries, and electronics we don’t use. Adding more items to our house isn’t the issue, though; it’s how to dispose of those items once we’ve used them and ensure you are disposing of them correctly. If you look into how to dispose of trash, Houston is serious about giving residents options outside of adding items to area landfills.

How To Dispose of Household Items in Houston

Some things might be easy to dispose of, like recycling plastic containers. But others, like a washing machine, are sometimes harder to remove. For lightly used items, consider donating household items, like large electronics, to Houston residents that might need them.

Read our list below to learn how to dispose of other … Read Full Post »

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How To Dispose Of Household Items In Austin

. Posted by in • Austin
how to dispose of trash Austin

Austin has been recognized as one of the greenest cities in the United States. According to Travis County, Austin residents recycled almost 900 car batteries and 300 gallons of antifreeze in 2012. Single stream recycling increased by 10% from 2013 to 2014. The city even offers a composting rebate program.

How To Dispose of Household Items in Austin

Though many Austinites are taking advantage of some of the better-known programs and incentives to dispose of waste properly, there are still a few household items that can pose a challenge to even the most informed citizen. If you are wondering about how to dispose of trash, Austin has plenty of options to get rid of common items in an environmentally responsible way. Read our list below to learn more.

What’s considered toxic or hazardous waste?

Before you begin sorting which items to recycle and deciding where to take them, it’s important to know what … Read Full Post »

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Signs You Have Termites

. Posted by in • Orlando
Signs you have termites

Signs You Have Termites

Termites cause billions of dollars of damage each year, and the average termite infestation can cost homeowners tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs. We’ll share the common signs of Eastern subterranean-type termites found in and around Orlando and help you with termite prevention.

Common Termites in Orlando

Subterranean termites nest in the soil to obtain moisture and can nest in wet wood. Essentially, they can quickly attack any timber in contact with the ground.

The subterranean termite colony members regularly seek food to feed themselves and their nestmates. They will travel hundreds of feet to find cellulose material to return to their nest. Subterranean termites are highly attracted to cellulose, the plant fiber used in wall and roof cavities to insulate, draught proof, and reduce noise in homes. During their travels, they may stumble upon the wood of your house and begin feasting. Termites in … Read Full Post »

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Snakes in Texas

. Posted by in • Houston
Snakes in Texas

Snakes.

If the very word sends shivers down your spine and makes you recoil in fear, you aren’t alone. Snakes in Texas are as ubiquitous as cowboy hats, horses and prickly pear cactuses—which is to say, you may not see them in urban areas on a daily basis but get even just a little bit rural and they’re sure to start popping up (or slithering along). While newcomers to Houston or any other Texas metropolis may not expect to deal with wildlife, snakes in Houston—and the rest of the state—are a simple fact of life. That’s why it’s so important to educate yourself about this much-maligned and often misunderstood animal.

Snakes in Texas

The two broad categories of snakes are venomous and non-venomous. Texas is home to a wide variety of species within those two groups, including many that present little or no threat to humans. Of course, plenty of snakes that are … Read Full Post »

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How to Trim a Tree

. Posted by in • San Antonio
how to trim a tree

The most valuable part of your home’s landscape is the trees. Healthy, mature shade trees significantly improve a home’s curb appeal and value, and often reduce energy costs.

How To Trim a Tree

In this article, we’ll look at how you can safely trim a tree without causing harm to the tree itself.

Why Should You Prune a Tree?

There are a number of reasons why a homeowner might want to trim trees on their property. Here are a few of the reasons why pruning a tree makes sense:

  • Removing dead limbs before they can cause damage to property, people or pets.
  • Allowing more sunlight into the yard.
  • Preventing rodents and other pests from using branches as a pathway to your roof.
  • Eliminating branches that interfere with fencing, structures or other landscaping.
  • Creating a better shape or removing erratic growth.
  • Removing suckers (new growth) at the base … Read Full Post »
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Eggshells in Garbage Disposal and Other Common Questions Answered

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
eggshells in garbage disposal

One of the kitchen appliances we often take for granted is our garbage disposal. We don’t think much about the mechanics behind the device that allows us to scrape our dinner dishes into the sink without having to worry about clogging up our drains. When’s the last time you thought about what you’re putting down your garbage disposal?

Eggshells in Garbage Disposal and Other Common Questions Answered

Below we’ll take a look at how this workhorse appliance does its job, and how to make sure it keeps working into the future.

How Do Garbage Disposals Work?

To understand the care and “feeding” of our garbage disposals, we need to have a better understanding of how they work. In most cases, the units consist of a metal canister that has rotating blades or impellers. Some have additional grinding mechanisms for additional functionality. When food enters the unit, the blades spin rapidly to crush/grind … Read Full Post »

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What You Need to Know About Mosquito Season in Florida

. Posted by in , • Orlando
mosquito season florida

While the year-round temperate weather is one of the many perks of living in Florida, any resident of the Sunshine State can tell you those perks come with a price—including a nearly year-round mosquito season. Thanks to plenty of warmth and moisture, two conditions where mosquito populations thrive, mosquito season in Florida doesn’t have a clear beginning or end point. However, Florida mosquito species are most active in the spring and summer months, when warm temperatures combined with frequent, heavy rains produce thriving mosquito populations.

What You Need To Know About Mosquito Season in Florida

In any geographic region, mosquito season depends on rainfall and temperature. In many parts of the country, the first warm days of spring signal the start of mosquito season, and winter’s first frost signals the end—except in more arid areas, where mosquito populations don’t pose a problem even in colder months.

But while January is typically Florida’s coldest … Read Full Post »

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