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Ants Are Only Cute in Movies

. Posted by in • Orlando

In the movies, ants are cute creatures that everyone roots for; however, they can damage your home in real life. Because of this, contacting a professional pest control company is vital as soon as you notice signs of an infestation. Remember that ants nest in the crevices and cracks of your property and that they will also scavenge through your home, looking for food supplies.

The Danger of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

If you notice giant black ants in your home, you most likely have an infestation of carpenter ants. This particular ant species can cause extensive and costly damage to your home. Once their nests have been built into your home, you will likely experience issues with your structural wood, rigid foam insulation, sheathing, and subflooring. Unfortunately, carpenter ants are widespread in many areas, including Orlando. Remember that carpenter ants that nest outside don’t pose any risk to your home.

Other Ant … Read Full Post »

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Does Your Property Have a Raccoon Problem?

. Posted by in • Houston

Raccoons may look harmless, and you may consider them only a nuisance, but they can cause severe damage and injuries. A hungry raccoon might dig holes in your lawn and tear garbage bags open. It may attack pets or farm animals after it begins to feel safe on your property. Raccoons could even attempt to enter your home.

These furry mammals usually look for food at night to avoid being seen. There are many ways to detect raccoons on your property, though, even if you can actually spot them. Vegetables in the garden may go missing at night, or seeds from a bird feeder may vanish.

You can also look for a restroom. No, raccoons haven’t figured out how to use toilets. They leave excrement in large piles that are known as latrines. Rather than defecating in random locations, they prefer to select certain rocks, trees, and stumps. Unfortunately, your deck or … Read Full Post »

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Why “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Is a Bad Way to Protect Your Home from Termites

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth

We’ve all heard the old phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind.” If you apply it to some things, like dieting, it works wonders: Stash those Keebler brownies and you might find it’s easier to lose weight. On the other hand, it’s a horrible method of dealing with other problems. One such problem is termites. Just because you don’t see swarms of hungry insects eating through your home’s wood doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Termites do their work behind the walls. That said, termite colonies often leave clues if you know what to look for.

Pest Control Inspection

How many times have you taken your car in for an oil change only to have the mechanic tell you that you have some serious engine trouble looming on the horizon? One of the best things you can do to guard against a termite infestation is to invest in regular pest control inspection. Professionals … Read Full Post »

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Curb Appeal: Regional Plants That’ll Make Your Landscape Pop

. Posted by in • Austin

When you’re dreaming up the ideal landscape, why should you choose plants native to the Austin area? Simply put, regional plants sing in a glorious harmony of colors that turn your business or residential property into an eye-catching dreamscape, and they do this with a minimal amount of water and work. In our particular climate and weather conditions, regional plants thrive where non-resident plants, even with constant attention and nurturing, struggle to survive.

If you’re stymied trying to decide on the regional plants to use in beautifying your landscape, the Native Plant Society of Texas and the Texas AgriLife Extension have substantial lists of native plants. We’ve assembled a list containing a few of our favorites for you.

Mistflower

In colorful landscaping schemes, mistflower graces your property with two Bs: blooms and butterflies. Clusters of fuzzy blooms top clumps of four-foot stems with leaves of one to three inches. The blooms, in both … Read Full Post »

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When Should I Have My Lawn Aerated?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio

After mowing, watering, trimming, raking and mulching, you think you’ve met your lawn care needs, but then that pesky aeration word pops up and bursts your daydream thought bubble. Do you really need to aerate? If you want one of the lushest, greenest lawns in San Antonio, you do. Fortunately, you only need to aerate your lawn twice each year, so you don’t have to fret about it regularly.

With San Antonio’s dry climate, we recommend aerating during early spring, around March 15, and again in fall, around October 15. If your lawn receives abundant traffic, however, you might consider aerating up to five times each year. Spring aeration prepares your yard for new grass growth, and fall aeration helps your lawn recover from an activity-filled summer. Additionally, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension recognizes the holes left in the lawn behind the aeration machine as perfect little feeding tubes for water, fertilizer, … Read Full Post »

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Keeping Shrubs Healthy and Happy

. Posted by in • Houston

Shrubs are attractive, versatile assets to any lawn. You can use them to decorate, enhance privacy, and add artistic flair. Maintaining shrubs requires care and attention throughout the year to ensure the foliage looks its best. Follow these tips to keep your shrubs healthy, happy, and beautiful.

Choose Appropriate Sizes

Cramming any plant too close to its neighbor leads to bigger messes and hassles. Before adding shrubs to your yard, decide on the style you want. Are you aiming for a dense privacy hedge, or would you prefer to line the front walk with stout accent bushes? Choose the shrubs that look best with the layout of your lawn for an eye-catching landscape design.

Water and Moisture Maintenance

Like all plants used in landscaping, your shrubs need optimal water to thrive. During the first couple of years after planting, give everything a good drink once a week, soaking the soil without leaving a puddle. … Read Full Post »

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Staying Warm and Cost-Efficient with Home Automation

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth

When the cold weather sets in, homeowners can experience common and persistent problems with their heating system. For example, one part of the house feels excessively warm, while another is freezing. Or this one: You aren’t home very often, but turning your heat off is out of the question—no one enjoys the idea of coming back to a frigid home at the end of the day. Installing a state-of-the-art home automation system can be the perfect answer for all your heating woes, one that can save you a lot of aggravation, money and effort.

Control Your Indoor Climate

With the help of programmable thermostats, you will be able to set temperatures for various times of the day. For instance, you can choose to increase the temperature of your home just in time for when your family returns back from school and work. With multiple zoning systems, you can choose to heat up … Read Full Post »

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Your Expensive Lawn Is No More

. Posted by in • Orlando

Moles are strange creatures that can cause devastating damage to your pristine lawn, especially when they are allowed to burrow out of control. The animals tend to feed on worms and other subsurface creatures. You’ll be left with dimples, holes, dirt mounds, and torn-up grass if they’re not stopped. With effective pest control methods, however, you can eradicate the critters and keep your yard looking great. Perhaps even more importantly, you can continue to impress your irritable in-laws when they next pay a holiday visit.

Appearance

True moles are generally distinguished by their prominent snouts. While many species are dark brown, others can range from black to white to pink. They typically have webbed feet and sharp claws, which they use to dig tunnels through the surrounding dirt. Their claws enable them to make their way through even hard soil. Thus, they can pose significant problems for homeowners. While they are certainly … Read Full Post »

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My Dog Has Fleas. Now What?

. Posted by in • Houston

Have you noticed your dog scratching and biting at itself intensely? If so, you may want to check your pet for fleas. Since fleas love warm, humid climates, they can be a year-round problem in Houston. To make the situation worse, for every flea you see on your pet, there are likely hundreds more living on your carpet and furniture.

The Many Dangers of Fleas

Fleas can pose many dangers to your pet. First, fleas survive off your dog’s blood and can consume more than 12 times their body weight. This, in turn, can cause your pet to become anemic over time. In severe cases, parasitic anemia can even be life-threatening for your dog.

If your pet is susceptible to flea bites, just one bite from a flea can cause a severe reaction known as flea bite allergy. Pets with flea bite allergies experience intense itching, hair loss, inflamed skin, hot spots, and … Read Full Post »

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Is Your Sprinkler System Driving Your Water Bill Up?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

There’s only one way to keep your lawn green during the summer. Without sprinkler systems, every lawn in the San Antonio region would turn brown, and there would be nothing but weeds and dust to mow. Your irrigation system uses water from the San Antonio Water System, and at current rates, you pay up to 0.6 cents per gallon.

That might not sound like a lot, but your sprinkler system uses about 12 gallons of water per minute, which works out to 2,160 gallons or $13 over three hours. A leak in the system will spike your water bill even higher.

Check Your Meter

To check for a leak, locate your water meter box outside—it’s most likely located near your road or sidewalk. Simply pop open the metal lid, and brush off any dirt or sand with a broom. Turn off all indoor and outdoor water faucets on your property, and take another … Read Full Post »

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