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What Are the Signs of a Rat Infestation?

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

A potential rat infestation is an unpleasant reality of being a homeowner. However, when you know the signs of rats, you can catch an infestation in its early stages.

For example, it’s important to know what rat droppings look like and how they differ from the droppings of other rodents. You should also know about their nests and the materials they use to form them. Understanding their habits and hiding spots will also help you identify the source of your rat infestation.

Next, it’s important to know about the diet of a rat so that you can take measures to keep them out of your kitchen and lawn. Additionally, there are simple ways to make your home inhospitable to rats that all homeowners should remember.

Finally, it’s valuable to know about the sleeping patterns of rats. Rats are hard to catch because they are active at night. This guide will tell you everything … Read Full Post »

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Heat Isn’t Working in the House: What’s Wrong?

. Posted by in
a home where the heat is not working

When the weather finally turns cool, we want our furnaces to kick on when necessary. When they don’t or when the furnace turns on but there’s no heat, we want to know why and fast. Here are several reasons the heat isn’t working as it should.

Check the Setting

It might seem silly, but not having the thermostat set to heat is often why the heater isn’t turning on. Simply set the desired temperature and turn the unit to “heat” and things should start working correctly.

Safety Switches

All furnaces built after the 1990s have safety switches. They play a crucial role in your heating system. If you have a gas-fueled heater and a switch detects that gas is being supplied to the heater but is not igniting, the switch will turn off the system. They will also turn off your heating system if it gets too hot or if they detect a carbon … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Carry Rabies?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a mouse

When you have a mouse infestation, it needs to be dealt with as efficiently as possible. Mice are incredibly fast breeders, so an infestation that’s not eliminated quickly is likely to grow out of control. These rodents can cause property damage and they contaminate anything they touch. This is partly because they carry bacteria and diseases that can make people sick. But, do mice carry rabies?

Mice are rarely infected with rabies, and they have not been known to transmit rabies to humans. Still, they pose a danger to people’s health in several ways. While they don’t carry rabies, they carry other harmful bacteria and diseases. These include salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis, typhus and plague.

When rodents crawl on your kitchen counters or chew through cereal boxes in your pantry, they are contaminating your food along with the surfaces in your home. Additionally, the pathogens in mouse urine and droppings have the potential … Read Full Post »

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Why Is My Washing Machine Leaking Water?

. Posted by in • Austin
a washing machine with clothes in it

It’s never a good thing to find water on the floor around your washing machine. Whether it’s a puddle or a rushing flood of water, you’re facing the risk of expensive water damage. Plus you know that something is broken in one of the most necessary appliances in your home.

The average American household washes up to 400 loads of laundry every year. That’s more than a load a day! With this heavy usage, it’s no surprise that the occasional mechanical problem arises. The loss of a washing machine, even for a few days, can be a huge inconvenience.

A washing machine houses an intricate system of valves, hoses and belts that allow it to fill and drain the water necessary for the washing process that cleans our clothes. When one or more parts of that system stop functioning correctly, gravity takes over. Then all that pressurized water, up to 500 gallons … Read Full Post »

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What Size Furnace Do I Need?

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi

A working furnace is a vital part of any home, even in warmer states like Texas. The last thing you want is to have a malfunctioning furnace in the dead of winter. If your furnace is reaching the end of its life, you’ll want to reach out to a heating specialist. A heating specialist knows all the calculations and factors that must be considered before making a large purchase like this one.

While some homeowners may think the bigger the better, this isn’t always the case. A furnace that is too big will also work too hard, which results in skyrocketing energy bills. On the other hand, a furnace that is too small will not heat your home completely, leaving you cold in the winter. Plus, it will have a shorter lifespan since it is working overtime to produce enough heat.

So, what do heating specialists look at when determining what size … Read Full Post »

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What Kind of Grass Do I Have?

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth
a homeowner's grass

Want to know the first step to growing that lush, perfect lawn you’ve always dreamt of? It’s knowing what kind of grass you have, and how to take care of it. With more than 12,000 species of grass grown worldwide, and dozens of regional varieties in every U.S. state, it can be more difficult than it sounds.

But it doesn’t have to be a guessing game.

Nearly all perennial grass found in U.S. lawns across the fall into one of two categories: cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses.

Cool Season Grasses

They’re called cool-season grasses because the majority of their growth happens during the cooler seasons of the year. A cool-season grass growing in a warmer climate area will likely die during the hotter months of summer and will need to be reseeded each year.

Below are some of the more common grasses found in the cool-season regions of the U.S.

  • 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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What Color Are Bed Bugs?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
two bed bugs and a bed bug egg

Do you know the typical signs of bed bugs and how to determine them from other types of household pests? The best way to catch a bed bug infestation before it goes too far is to understand the appearance of bed bugs in all parts of their life cycle.

In this article, you will learn what bed bugs look like, what color they are and how their appearance changes before and after a blood meal. You will also discover what bed bug stains look like, as well as other common signs of bed bugs. Equipped with this information, homeowners can catch an infestation even before they spot bed bugs in their home.

A bed bug infestation does not mean that your home is dirty, but it is crucial to treat the problem as soon as possible. This article will highlight how to get rid of these pests.

The Color of Bed Bugs Throughout … Read Full Post »

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My Christmas Lights Aren’t Working But the Fuses Are Good

. Posted by in • Austin
a string of christmas lights

Ah, ‘tis the season! Pretty packages, mistletoe and the aroma of cider. And, of course, the annual untangling and testing of last year’s snarl of Christmas lights.

As usual, you’re probably going to find a few burnt-out bulbs, half-lighting strands and possibly even a string or two that don’t light up at all.

What to do?

Run to the store and brave the crazed holiday crowds to buy even more lights? Learn to live with the dead spots in your otherwise perfectly decorated tree or home? Risk electrocution by trying to fix them yourself?

Every year, millions of holiday homeowners ask themselves these questions while trying to complete their Christmas decorating to-do list.

Before you decide, let’s take a look at some of the common reasons why single or multiple Christmas lights might not be working even if the fuses are good.

Why Aren’t My Christmas Lights Working?

The first step to answering the question, “Why aren’t … Read Full Post »

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I Found Mouse Droppings But No Mouse

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
mouse droppings on floor

You might not have spotted a mouse in your house, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t moved in. There are several other signs that you have a rodent problem that needs immediate attention.

Sudden Appearance of Pellets

A sure sign is droppings around food, in drawers or cupboards (especially in the kitchen) and under a sink. Not everyone is quite sure what they are seeing when they spy droppings in their home, so it’s important to know what mouse droppings look like. What you are looking for are smallish dark pellets, about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch long, with pointed ends.

It can be easy to want to believe it’s just food particles or something else, but the reality is you have unwanted guests if you are seeing these droppings. You can get a flashlight and take a peek behind cabinets and under sinks and appliances to see if … Read Full Post »

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