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When to Plant Zoysia Grass and Other Lawn Care Tips

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
A backyard with newly planted zoysia grass

If you’re planning to lay new sod in your yard and you are considering zoysia for its heat-tolerant and drought-resistant qualities, you need to know when to plant zoysia grass to ensure that it will have the best possible chance to thrive. This grass is popular among homeowners in warmer climates because it can withstand a lot of abuse in the form of hot sun and minimal rainfall, but it’s still important to give zoysia its best start, to make sure your lawn will be lush, green and healthy.

It’s easy to see why zoysia is well-loved by landscapers and homeowners alike. Though it is considered a warm-season grass, zoysia also tolerates cold well, so it can easily thrive in all but the very coldest parts of the country. It loves full sun but can also take moderate amounts of shade, and because its blades grow so densely together, it is … Read Full Post »

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My Garbage Disposal Is Making Noise: How Can I Fix It?

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
A stainless steel sink with a garbage disposal

As you’re wrapping up your dish cleaning duties for the night, you flip on the garbage disposal, only to hear a strange noise. It’s not the normal grinding noise that sends food, water and any other gunk right down the drain—it’s a sound that gives you a clear indication that something has gone wrong.

If this has happened to you, you likely heard either rattling, humming or squealing coming from your garbage disposal. Depending on the noise coming from your disposal, there are different solutions to the problem. Before getting started, it’s important to note that you don’t want to keep running your disposal to see if it will fix the problem, as this can lead to further damage.

Remove Any Foreign Objects

The most common cause of a garbage disposal that is making a rattling noise is that something is stuck in the unit. Items that may have gotten accidentally washed into … Read Full Post »

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Do Mosquito Bracelets Work? How To Prevent Mosquito Bites

. Posted by in , • Houston
An orange mosquito repellent bracelet

The return of warmer weather has most people itching to head outside—only to head back indoors as a different type of itching begins. Unfortunately, in many regions, there simply isn’t much time after winter subsides to enjoy temperate weather before mosquito season starts up. These annoying insects can seem like the bane of our existence in the spring, summer and fall, whether we’re trying to do some yard work or simply enjoy the outdoors. But how can you protect yourself from these pests and their itchy bites? Do mosquito bracelets work? What about other methods to repel them or keep them at bay? Let’s take a look at various methods of mosquito control to see what works best.

Mosquito bracelets, also called mosquito wristbands, are an appealing form of pest repellent for many people since they seem safer than lots of the alternatives, as you don’t have to rub chemicals on … Read Full Post »

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Bee Hive Vs. Wasp Nest: Identification Tips

. Posted by in • Houston
A bee hive

Bee and wasp stings are painful, so it’s easy to get nervous if you see a yellow and black creature flying around your yard–especially if they show up in areas where you and your family enjoy spending time outside. While not all of these insects are dangerous, many different types of bees and wasps look alike. It’s important to know what kind of insect you’re dealing with before you try to get rid of them. The safest way to deal with stinging insects is to contact a pest control professional. However, if you want to try to identify a bee hive or wasp nest on your own, there are a few precautions you can take to increase your safety.

Before you approach the focal point of bee or wasp activity, put on light-colored protective clothing like pants, a long-sleeved shirt and closed-toe shoes. To avoid attracting these insects, avoid wearing bright … Read Full Post »

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What Smells Do Mosquitoes Hate? How to Get Relief

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a thumbnail from the video featured in this blog

Enjoying a beautiful, warm day in your yard can be spoiled by the unpleasant experience of getting covered in mosquito bites. After constant, miserable itching, you’re ready to find a solution to keep these bothersome insects away from you. So, what can you do to ward off mosquitoes? Are there any smells that mosquitoes hate that you could spray around your yard or even put directly on your skin to keep from getting bitten?

Scientists have studied the varying effectiveness of certain scents to repel mosquitoes, but insufficient research has been done to compare these to chemically-formulated repellents. Studies show that mosquitoes don’t like the smell or taste of DEET, which is one reason that repellents with that chemical compound tend to be more effective than some others. According to Alan Brown, Board Certified Entomologist and Technical Director at ABC Home & Commercial Services, DEET is the number one scent to … Read Full Post »

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Water Leaking From AC Unit: Should I Be Worried?

. Posted by in • Austin
Water leaking from an ac unit

Finding a pool of water near your air conditioner can be alarming. You may ask yourself: Why is this happening? Is this liquid water, or could it be refrigerant? While being in this situation can be alarming, you should know that it’s not uncommon to find moisture near your AC unit, and this may not actually be a bad thing. To determine whether your water leak is serious, it’s helpful to understand how air conditioning systems work.

Air conditioners use refrigerants to cool down the air that flows through your home. These systems operate thanks to a handy piece of physics: When a liquid turns into a gas, it absorbs heat. So, with a substance that changes from a liquid to a gas at a relatively low temperature, as is the case with refrigerants, you can harness that heat-absorption power to cool down a home on a hot summer day.

Air conditioners … Read Full Post »

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How Many Times Can A Mosquito Bite?

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
A mosquito biting someone

If you’ve ever spent a beautiful evening in your yard, only to later discover that you’re covered in mosquito bites, you’ve likely wondered how many times a mosquito can bite. Was it just one mosquito that’s to blame for your current situation, or was it a whole swarm that descended on your property?

Simply put, a mosquito can bite as many times as she wants or can. There is no limit. Female mosquitoes (and only females!) feed on blood until they are full. If a mosquito is interrupted before filling up, she’ll just bite again. Once her abdomen is full of blood, she rests for 2 to 3 days and then lays her eggs. Most mosquito species live up to about three weeks. During that time, a female can lay up to five clutches of at least 100 eggs at a time. Unfortunately, this means that your mosquito problems aren’t going … Read Full Post »

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Do Bed Bugs Smell? What Homeowners Need To Know

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
Decorative pillows on a gray bed

Some people wonder if bed bugs give off a particular scent that can signal their presence in the home. Others are wanting to know whether bed bugs themselves possess a sense of smell; if they do, there might be odors that bed bugs find repellent that could be used to deter them from infesting people’s homes.

Bed bugs do give off a certain, unpleasant scent when they’re disturbed, which is related to the pheromones they emit when alarmed. Some people have described it as a sweet or coriander-like scent, while others have said it’s a musty or moldy smell. This scent might not be obvious to everyone, however—some people can’t smell it at all—and it might only be detected when there are lots of bed bugs present, indicating a heavy infestation.

This means that if there are bed bugs present somewhere in your home, chances are, you won’t smell them—and if you … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs In My Couch: What Should I Do?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
bed bugs in a couch in a brown living room

If you’ve had an experience that led you to suspect the presence of bed bugs in your couch, you might wonder if that’s even possible. The name “bed bugs,” after all, suggests these pests are found in people’s sleeping areas, not their living room furniture. But anyone who’s ever dozed off on the couch while watching their favorite TV show and then later found lines of itchy red bumps on their skin knows that isn’t true.

Bed bugs definitely don’t restrict themselves to beds, although they are most often found in places where people sleep. That’s because they are safest when they feed on the blood of their victims while they are still, often when a person is fast asleep. Bed bugs have been known to infest many types of furniture and spaces where people spend lots of time, including couches, sectionals and easy chairs. So, if you suspect there are … Read Full Post »

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Do Mosquito Foggers Work? How To Get Relief

. Posted by in , • Houston
A backyard with lots of greenery that might make a homeowner wonder: do mosquito foggers work

Whether we’re attending neighborhood barbecues, hosting parties outside, playing with our kids in the backyard or all of the above, we tend to spend more time outdoors as the weather starts to warm up. Unfortunately, warmer weather doesn’t just mean we get to spend more time with family and friends in our yards—it also means that mosquitoes are back. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of multiple mosquito bites knows that it’s an unpleasant experience. And, if you’ve recently felt attacked by these biting insects while spending time in your own yard, you’re probably looking for a solution. Fortunately, there are a lot of options for mosquito control out there, but some of these methods are more effective than others. You have likely heard of a variety of different products that claim to kill these pests, such as bug zappers, citronella candles and mosquito foggers. But, how effective … Read Full Post »

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