Like most families, you’ve probably planned some sort of pool-related fun for the summer. Or maybe you’ve planned an all-out trip to the beach. Either way, we have put together a list of pro-tips for the pool that we’d love to share with our ABC family blog readers. These eight safety measures will ensure that your summer vacation isn’t disturbed by any scraped knees, sunburns, or worse.
In San Antonio, we’ve experienced an exceptionally wet spring season, with several downpours over the past few months. While we’re grateful not to be in a drought, and our lawns certainly appreciate the rain, in this case, it is possible to get too much of a good thing.
Below we’ll look at some of the ways heavy and prolonged rains can harm your lawn, and some tips you can follow to avoid most of the potential damage.
A lawn can get too dependent on rain. If water is abundant, grass and other plants don’t need to develop healthy root systems. When a wet spring is followed by a hot and dry summer (as most of our summers are) the grass won’t have the deep roots it needs to survive.
Furthermore, too much water will actually suffocate your lawn. Most plants can’t stand in water for extended periods of time because waterlogged soil doesn’t … Read Full Post »
Schools out for summer and many families are ready to head out for the busiest travel season of the year. We are all for bringing home vacation souvenirs. But there’s one thing we hope all our customers can avoid this summer: Bed bugs.
Most of us never imagine that we’ll pick up dreaded bedbugs and bring them into our homes after a trip to the beach. Prevalent in the pre-WWII era, bed bugs were nearly wiped off the map in the 1950’s due to increased use of pesticides and better hygiene.
They’ve made a comeback starting in the early 2000’s, with a widely publicized epidemic after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Authorities claim the reasons for the surge in bed bugs are varied – population increases in cities, the ease of global mobility, and pesticide resistance all bare some responsibility.
Memorial Day usually signifies the semi-official kickoff of the Summer outdoor season — it’s time to let the fun begin with picnics, backyard Bar-B-Qs and pool parties. However, nothing can derail a good time faster than a painful sting from one of the Houston area’s line up of common stinging insects.
Below are the most likely suspects, some info on where they are likely to nest and the best ways to ensure they don’t ruin your good time. It should be noted that many of the below bad bugs are very unlikely to sting you unless they perceive you as a threat to their nests or colonies.
Here we go:
Aggressiveness: Bald-faced hornets are the most aggressive wasps in Georgia. Getting within 10 feet of their nests can earn you a pretty nice multi-sting welt or worse.
Where they live: Bald-faced hornets’ football-shaped nests are built of paper and usually are suspended from … Read Full Post »
Are mosquitoes getting you down? Not only are they an itchy menace, but mosquitoes can also carry diseases.
Because of the threat to human health, scientists are searching for new ways to reduce mosquito populations. Researchers from around the country, including some at Texas A&M in Bryan-College Station, want to find alternatives to pesticides, which kill beneficial insects and pose health risks to both animals and humans. Even worse, pesticides present only a temporary solution since mosquitoes can develop resistance to their effects.
These entomologists and epidemiologies study both the mosquitoes themselves and mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile and Zika, in a quest to discover better ways we can protect ourselves from mosquitoes.
While the threat of the West Nile virus has worried doctors for a while, now Texas also needs to worry about the Zika virus. So far at least 27 cases have … Read Full Post »
Your bathtub won’t drain, and you need help fast, but choosing a plumber can be tough. How can you tell if the expert you are talking to knows what he’s doing or if he’s going leave you with more problems and headaches?
It’s tempting to call out some random neighborhood handyman to fix your plumbing woes. After all, he says he’s cheap and can get your drain working in no time. But you risk a lot by going with unpermitted plumbers in Corpus Christi. Here are just five of the many reasons you should hire a licensed plumber to resolve your next plumbing disaster or to install new fixtures.
Be careful of unlicensed contractors! In Corpus Christi, plumbers must be licensed. You should always ensure that the person you hire has a current license to work as a plumber.
A plumbing license means … Read Full Post »
Sit back. Relax. It’s summertime!
Every May, thousands of Houston families open their backyard swimming pools for the summer season. Opening a pool isn’t as simple as pulling off the cover and jumping in.
We have put together a checklist for our ABC family insiders.
Are they operable?
Are any of them making a loud noise?
Are they priming ok?
Are there any leaks?
Are the pump baskets intact?
Is it operable?
Is it making a loud noise?
Are there any leaks?
Check filter pressure. Your filter may need to be back washed or have the internal assemblies cleaned or replaced.
If your filter has a push/pull valve or multiport valve, do they operate smoothly?
Are there any leaks?
Is it operable?
Inspect tires, wheel bearings, debris bags, etc.
Are skimmer baskets and skimmer covers intact?
Are there any cracks … Read Full Post »
We look forward to the warmer times of the year since that often means time spent by the pool, backyard barbeques and longer days. Unfortunately, it is also the time when many outdoor invaders find their ways into homes. From ants on our counters to mosquitoes in the yard, insects are often a big problem in the warm spring and summer months.
It’s easy to pick up a can of bug spray and zap the pesky critters, but what do you do when you have pets around? What if you have a new puppy or suddenly start seeing roaches or rodents? Instead of reaching for the poisons or bug bombs, there are some great pet-friendly alternatives that will help keep you and your family (including the four-legged members) pest-free this summer.
Pesticides are especially hazardous to pets for a variety of reasons. Animals are more likely to be on … Read Full Post »
As summer approaches and the days get warmer, you’ll want to know that you can turn on your air conditioner for a little relief.
Before sweltering temperatures are here to stay, make sure you perform some basic summer air conditioning maintenance tasks to make your HVAC perform its best during the peak season.
The warm weather in Texas forces residents to use about three times as much energy on air conditioning when compared to the average U.S. household.
Replacing your air conditioner’s filter is one of the easiest things you can do to help save on your energy bill. Excessive dust in the house can cause a dirty filter, making it difficult for the system to blow air. The harder your air conditioner has to work, the more money you spend on electricity.
Your air conditioner uses evaporator coils to remove heat and moisture from the air. If the … Read Full Post »
As a Central Texas resident, you likely experience only a few short months during which your air conditioner is turned off. We’ve had a pretty mild year so far in 2016, so you could have just turned on your AC within the last few weeks! In any case, heading into our 100-degree days of summer, it’s vital to make sure that your AC is ready to operate at full capacity. We’ve all heard stories of people who have had their AC break down in the heat of summer, or been victims of an AC breakdown ourselves. Take some time before it gets too hot to do some DIY AC maintenance. If you run into any problem areas, you’ll still have wiggle room for an air conditioner tune-up.
Doing any air conditioner maintenance yourself can be intimidating – the thought of tampering with (and possibly breaking) your AC unit is pretty scary. … Read Full Post »