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Black Fly: Treating And Preventing Painful Bites

. Posted by in • Austin
Black fly

Imagine this: You’re spending time outdoors in spring or summer when a small, grayish-black flying insect lands on your skin and bites you in order to feed on your blood. You smack at it, but it’s too quick—it zips away, leaving you with a red, itchy, painful welt. Not too hard to picture, is it? Most of us far more familiar with mosquitoes than we want to be, but how much do you know about the black fly?

While mosquitoes are a serious annoyance for those of us trying to enjoy some time outdoors through the warmer months of the year, mosquito bites pale in comparison to the nasty bite of the black fly. Unlike mosquitoes, which typically bite people most in the mornings and evenings, black flies bite all day long.

While not as prevalent in the southern states as they are in other regions of the U.S., black flies have … Read Full Post »

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5 Common Summer Pests

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

If you haven’t guessed from the sight of sunburned shoulders and the sounds of kids enjoying temporary freedom from school, summer is officially in full swing. And while that means splashing in the pool, grilling in the back yard, and celebrating with fireworks, it also often means it is time for common summer pests to pay a visit to your home.

Being vigilant with preventative pest control and observing any potentially harmful insect populations in and around your home can be essential to reducing the likelihood of full-blown infestation. Are you wondering which creepy crawlies you should be looking for during this summer season?

At ABC Pest Control, we are proud to offer numerous solutions for getting rid of pesky insects year-round. Here is a list of five common summer pests we warn our customers to watch for during the hottest months of the year.

1. Fire Ants

After ants are finished hibernating through … Read Full Post »

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Mold In Air Vents: Harmful, Or Nothing To Worry About?

. Posted by in • Houston
Mold in air vents harmful

Your eyes are itchy and watery. You’re sneezing and coughing. You might expect these symptoms when you walk outside or play with your dogs, especially during the times of year that seasonal allergies are a problem.

What if this starts happening inside your own home?

If you’re noticing nose stuffiness, wheezing or throat irritation whenever you’re indoors at your house, the problem could be hiding in your air vents. You might be dealing with black mold.

You can usually spot mold on the walls, floors, ceilings and fabrics around your home. But sometimes, harmful mold lurks in a place you can’t see: inside your air vents.

If you suspect you may have black mold hiding in your air vents, you’ll need to take action to determine what your problem is and take steps to make sure your family is not at risk. This comprehensive guide will help you understand symptoms, solutions and … Read Full Post »

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San Antonio Plumbing Problems And Solutions

. Posted by in • San Antonio
San Antonio Plumbing

There are so many ways to enjoy a day in San Antonio, whether it’s walking around the Pearl, spending an afternoon on the Guadalupe River, seeing a new exhibit at the McNay, letting the kids burn off steam at the Hemisfair or carb loading at the Magnolia Pancake Haus.

No matter how you decide to spend your free time in San Antonio, there is one thing we can all agree on: the last thing you want to do is waste an afternoon, a day and even a weekend trapped inside trying to fix a plumbing problem. Unfortunately, plumbing problems tend to spring up at the worst times, including when your kids are in the car and you have packed the car for an all-day outing.

As locally based San Antonio plumbing experts, the licensed plumbers at ABC Home & Commercial Services have encountered nearly every plumbing malfunction and mishap you can imagine. … Read Full Post »

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Best Temperature To Set Thermostat In Summer

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Best temperature to set thermostat in summer

Controlling the temperature inside your home or business has never been easier, especially with the widespread use of programmable thermostats and the growth in “smart” thermostats. You can easily adjust your thermostat to any temperature you like, adjust settings when you are away from home and even control indoor humidity. If comfort is your main goal, bump the temperature down as low as you like. If you’re more concerned about energy costs—but you’d still like to be comfortable—that takes a little more finesse.

We’re going to go out on a limb here and assume that just about everyone falls into the second category. You want to be cool and comfortable inside your home and make your living spaces a desirable place to be temperature-wise. By the same token, you don’t want to spend a lot of unnecessary cash to make that happen.

The best summer thermostat settings for you really depends on … Read Full Post »

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Sprinkler and Irrigation Conservation Guide | Smart Irrigation Month

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

There are many ways to save water, but during the summer, the most effective water conservation improvements come from your sprinkler and irrigation system.

With just a little bit of knowledge, you can save water while keeping your landscaping healthy during hot, dry conditions.

Smart Irrigation Month Tips

  1. Know how much water your lawn needs

The amount of water your lawn needs depends on a lot of different factors including climate, soil type and grass type.

The trick is to water deeply but infrequently. You get deep roots with deep watering. As a general rule of thumb, do not water more than 1-inch deep each time.

  • Measure your sprinkler output by placing some tuna cans (or a similarly sized, flat-bottomed container) around your lawn.
  • ¾ to 1 inch of water is a good amount each time you irrigate.
  • You can get the average output by measuring the depth of water in each can and then dividing by the … Read Full Post »
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Humidifier Benefits: How To Keep Your Home Comfortable

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Humidifier Benefits

Keeping your home as comfortable as possible can be pretty tricky. Sure, you know that you need a great air conditioner installed in your home and that there will be times during the winter season when you’ll have to run your heater. Other considerations, though, such as the humidity in one’s home, can be easily overlooked.

It can be difficult to know how to control humidity in your home. This is a serious problem, as low humidity is a common issue in homes throughout our area. If you suspect that the air in your home is too dry, whole-house humidifiers can resolve the problem. Read on to learn more about humidifier benefits and why you might consider investing in one for your home.

Minimize Potential Damage To Your Biggest Investment

You may know that very humid air can lead to problems throughout the house, including mold growth. What you may not realize, … Read Full Post »

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Keep Pests Off Pets During the Dog Days of Summer

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
Keep Pests Off Pets During the Dog Days of Summer

You protect your home from pests, but what about your pet? Things only get worse during the dog days of summer.

Pests that love pets include fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and even bed bugs. These pests aren’t just annoying, they could be extremely dangerous. According to CDC data, “illnesses from mosquito, tick, and flea bites have tripled in the U.S.”—mostly due to warming temperatures. Many pests, especially biting insects, thrive in the heat. The diseases they may carry—Zika, West Nile, Lyme, and chikungunya—are also sensitive to temperature changes.

Some key findings of the CDC report include:

  • A total of 642,602 cases of disease caused by the bite of an infected mosquito, tick, or flea were reported in the U.S. and its territories from 2004 through 2016.
  • The number of reported tickborne diseases more than doubled in 13 years and accounted for more than 60 percent of all reported mosquito-borne, tickborne, and fleaborne disease cases.

With so … Read Full Post »

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How To Remove Calcium Deposits From Pool

. Posted by in • Houston
How to remove calcium deposits from pool plaster

You do what you can to keep your pool clean and well-maintained. You skim for leaves, bugs and other debris. You sweep. Even when you are not sure you need to, you vacuum.

Compared to some of your neighbors, you feel like a responsible pool owner.

One day, you notice that the plaster seems to be discolored right around the water line. What’s going on?

If this has happened to you, you are absolutely not alone. This is one of the more common questions pool owners have, along with another frequent query: Why is my pool green? Most likely, if you notice stains along your waterline, you’re dealing with a calcium deposit. Unfortunately, it tends to be very difficult to clean calcium deposits.

You’re likely wondering how to remove calcium deposits – but, what exactly are they?

What You’ll Learn:

  • Understanding Why And How To Remove Calcium Deposits
  • Why You Need To Remove Calcium From Pool Tile
  • How … Read Full Post »
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What Causes High Humidity In A House?

. Posted by in • Austin
What causes high humidity in a house

When the temperatures begin to climb, you may detect some changes around your home. Perhaps you catch a whiff of musty air and notice that your windows are getting foggy. Or, maybe you’re relaxing in the kitchen with a glass of lemonade and suddenly you start sweating even though you’re not exerting any physical energy beyond lifting your glass. You might even spot damp spots on your walls and what looks like mold in your shower.

If any of this sounds familiar, your home may have a problem with excessive humidity because your air conditioner is not controlling the level of moisture in your indoor air. Not only will it make you hot and uncomfortable, but also high interior humidity can cause more serious problems like mold, mildew and rust, along with posing potential health risks.

In parts of the country that have hot and humid climates, homeowners often call AC repair … Read Full Post »

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