Overseeding Weedy Lawn: Homeowners Take Back Their Yards

January 22, 2018. Posted by J Zambo in Lawn • San Antonio

When you look out over your yard, does the sight you see bring you a sense of pleasure and pride, or do you cringe with embarrassment? If you’re in the latter camp due to unsightly weeds and patchy, lifeless grass, don’t despair—and don’t give up! Your yard doesn’t have to be the neighborhood eyesore, and you don’t have to declare your neglected lawn a total loss.

Depending on the severity of your situation, it’s possible that you’ll need to re-sod the entire area, but a far easier fix might work just as well. The simple yet highly effective key lies in overseeding weedy lawns to reclaim the lush, green, beautiful grass that all homeowners desire.

Let’s find out how just a bit of time, care and know-how will help you resuscitate your ailing lawn into a thing of emerald, weed-free beauty.

Overseed: Definition And Benefits

The term “overseed” may sound technical and even … Read Full Post »

Air Conditioner Parts And Functions You Should Know

January 19, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

As every homeowner knows, an air conditioner is a device which is used to cool the air inside your house. Having a basic understanding of the air conditioner parts and functions will help know what you should look for when buying a new AC unit and having your system installed. To make a wise purchasing decision and help prevent future air conditioner problems, start with the basics. There are three major parts of an air conditioner: the condenser, the compressor and the evaporator coil. While the first two are located on the exterior to the air conditioning unit, the evaporator coil is inside the machine.

Essential Parts Of An Air Conditioning Unit

As we’ve already mentioned, the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator coil are the three main parts of an air conditioner. Besides these, an air conditioner also has a hot coil and a cool coil on the outside and inside, respectively. Each unit also has two fans and a control circuit to modify … Read Full Post »

Signs of Termite Infestation

Did you know that termites are responsible for 5 billion dollars in damage per year in just the United States alone? By the time most homeowners start to notice termite damage, the termites have been munching away for quite some time. Here in North Texas, homes are especially susceptible to termite damage. Termites thrive in the humid weather of the summer months and eat away at your home’s wood structures year round. As a homeowner, it’s important to take preventative measures to keep termites from literally eating you out of house and home.

But, if you think you may be too late, look for these signs of termite infestation to know when to call in the professionals at ABC Home & Commercial Services.

Mud tubes near the home’s foundation.

Mud tubes are small, irregularly patterned lines made of dried mud that often outline the outside of your home’s foundation, usually created at the … Read Full Post »

Purple Texas Wildflowers: How To Add Color To Your Landscape

January 17, 2018. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Landscaping, Lawn • Houston

A rite of passage here in Texas is taking the family for the annual Bluebonnet photo. Did you know these plants are just the tip of the iceberg for wildflowers in Texas? And you can grow these flowers in your back (or front) yard?

Whether you’re tired of the usual suspects in your home garden or considering wildflowers as another way to use native plants in your landscaping, wildflowers are a gorgeous option that can add a nice splash of color to any property.

Below, we will suggest different types of purple Texas wildflowers you might consider incorporating in your lawn and answer common questions homeowners have about adding these plants to your outdoor spaces.

Different Types of Purple Wildflowers You Can Find in Texas

Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes get the lion’s share of attention when it comes to Texas wildflowers, but they’ve got nothing on the many varieties of purple wildflowers that thrive … Read Full Post »

Scorpions In Florida: What Homeowners Should Know

January 15, 2018. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Orlando

There are things you worry about when buying your home in Florida. For example, you knew you’d have to protect against hurricane and flood damage. Maybe you had a passing thought about crossing paths with an alligator.

No one told you about the scorpions, though. You also never got the memo about how many of them have venom in their stingers that can be poisonous. Even when there’s no venom, those stings hurt like crazy.

Just looking at a scorpion, you can tell that they’re formidable, at least as far as bugs are concerned. If you’ve heard stories about how painful the stings can be, the encounter will likely scare you, even if the scorpion doesn’t do much of anything.

In this post, we will give you an overview of scorpions in Florida, including how to identify them, which types are most common here, why more people have been seeing them in their … Read Full Post »

Do Water Bugs Bite? Taking The Sting Out of Your Next Outing

January 14, 2018. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control • Corpus Christi

Imagine that you are taking your dog for a quick swim in the creek in the greenbelt in your neighborhood. By anyone’s standards, not a particularly dangerous activity. It’s the end of August, a great time for both of you to cool off from the oppressive heat.

You decide you might as well take off your shoes and dip your toes into the cool water.

Then it happens. One minute you were laughing and your pup was splashing around, and the next minute, you suddenly feel an intense pain in your toe, causing you to scream.

You look down, expecting to see a snake. Instead, you see a frighteningly huge bug swimming away. Was that a giant cockroach or beetle? You may even have a simpler question: do water bugs bite?

Immediately you pull on your dog’s leash and limp out of the water as you begin to feel the pain shooting up your … Read Full Post »

Why Is My Gas Bill So High In The Winter?

January 10, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

Imagine leaving a window open all winter long—the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, fireplace or clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day. These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause warm air to leave your home and the cold outside air to rush in—costing you money in the form of higher heating bills. If you’re ready to lower your heating costs this winter, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes and other entry points. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize heat loss and cold drafts. But what can you do about the three largest “holes” in your home—the folding attic stair, the fireplace and the clothes … Read Full Post »

Bed Bugs And Dryer Sheets: A Deadly Combination?

January 10, 2018. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Orlando

Bed bugs and dryer sheets aren’t two things we usually hear together. But with endless household hacks flooding our inboxes and social media feeds, could they be connected somehow? The short answer is that although dryer sheets are on a list of home remedies to combat bed bugs, many of these tactics are ineffective in controlling this persistent pest.

Despite our insistence that our home could never have bed bugs, these pesky critters sometimes find their way in. And when they do, many of us wonder how we can efficiently extinguish these bugs. You might wonder if bed bugs could survive a round in the washing machine. Are there products and methods that can kill bed bugs and their eggs? If bed bugs are living in my home, what are the chances they are hiding in the folds of my clothes?

Let’s separate fact from fiction to answer some of the most … Read Full Post »

Can Fleas Live on Clothes? Keeping Fleas from Spreading

January 8, 2018. Posted by Holt Myers in Pest Control • San Antonio

Can fleas live on clothes? The easy way to answer the question is no, but that’s a question that pops into many homeowners’ heads, especially when they have a pet with fur that’s become infested with these tiny parasites. Fleas are irritating pests, to be sure: Their itchy bites can cause serious health issues in animals, including dermatitis and anemia. These tiny bugs can even carry infectious diseases that affect humans, such as the plague.

No wonder finding a flea on your skin can make you shudder! So, then – where do fleas live? You might wonder whether your clothes or your bedding might be infested, or perhaps simply whether you can spread fleas through clothes. Another common question is, can fleas live on humans in general? Can fleas live on clothes? And, perhaps more importantly, how can you keep fleas from moving from one part of your property to another? … Read Full Post »

Types Of Furnaces: Learn The Differences

January 5, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

It’s important for homeowners to understand their options when it comes to heating or cooling systems. In this blog post, we’ll discuss heating options, specifically furnaces. A furnace is a mechanical device designed, constructed and used to generate heat. Of course, we most commonly know this appliance as a heater. Depending on what kind is being used, a furnace serves to either heat the interior of a structure to prevent unwanted cold from escaping or to burn materials for the purpose of molding or cremating. Different kinds of furnaces include household furnaces, metallurgical furnaces, industrial furnaces and incinerators.

Household Furnaces

Household furnaces, used to disperse cold from within a structure and provide hot water, have several different means of production and require any one of a variation of fuel sources: natural gas, fuel oil, coal or wood.

The two most common types of household furnaces are combustion and condensation. The first kind requires an exhaust and relies on burning fuel to generate heat. The … Read Full Post »