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Are Water Snakes in Texas Poisonous?

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
water snakes in Texas

Seeing a snake in the water, especially when you’re swimming, can be one of the scariest experiences a water-loving Texan can have. Your first reaction is probably that these slithery creatures swim faster than you and can catch you if they want to. If you live near a body of water or have a pool or water feature, you may also wonder what the possibility is that a snake could make its way onto your property, or even worse, inside your home.

Snakes play an important role in our ecosystem. That said, water snakes are considered to be aggressive, so they can strike when approached, even if you don’t realize they are nearby. Knowing more about the different types of water snakes in Texas and what does (and doesn’t attract them) can give you peace of mind and help protect your family from the risk of being bitten. Better understanding what … Read Full Post »

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Repelling Squirrels From Your Home and Yard

. Posted by in • Orlando
Repelling Squirrels

Squirrels can provoke strong feelings in homeowners—primarily negative. Although these animals may look cute and furry, squirrels can dig up your yard, raid your bird feeder, chew through electrical wires, damage your insulation, and leave droppings in your attic.

A squirrel’s incisor teeth grow continuously, and because the rodents chew on everything, they can damage your deck, siding, hammock, fencing, and electronics. If they gnaw their way into your attic, squirrels can expose your belongings to the elements, including rain. Over time, this nuisance pest can even cause structural damage to your home.

Let’s discuss how to deter squirrels from your house, what signs to look for to indicate they are inside, how to keep them from eating from your bird feeder, and tips to remove squirrels from your home.

How To Deter Squirrels From House

The most common types of squirrels are ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. Ground squirrels eat … Read Full Post »

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Keeping Rodents Out of Your Home

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

Here at ABC Home and Commercial, we know that the best rodent control is prevention – and keeping rodents from entering your home in the first place. Professional rodent control and eradication methods require safe removal and installing barriers to prevent them from re-entering. Having a familiarity with the type of rodents that enter your house can help you decide the best prevention methods for your home. In North Texas, homes are prone to rats, mice and squirrel invasions. While these animals may seem small and easy to outwit, according to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management they have several physical abilities that make them designed to enter small spaces to escape the cold and harsh weather conditions.

Physical Abilities of Rodents:

  • Run along or climb electrical wires, pipes, fences, poles, ropes, cables, vines, shrubs, and trees to gain entry to a building.
  • Climb almost any rough vertical surface such as wood, … Read Full Post »
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Galvanized Plumbing: What is It, and Why Should I Care?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Galvanized plumbing

Many homes built after World War II, but prior to the 1960s, used galvanized steel pipes for indoor plumbing. Some galvanized plumbing was still being installed as late as the 1980s. Although there are benefits to using galvanized steel, your plumbing problems may be linked to these types of pipes. Learn more about why you may need to upgrade your home’s plumbing, how long galvanized pipes last, whether these pipes contain lead and how to determine which kind of plumbing you have.

What is Galvanized Plumbing?

Lead was once the most common metal used to make pipes to transport water. By 1900, over 70 percent of larger cities used lead-based pipes in municipal drinking water systems. After increased pressure to curb lead poisoning, builders began looking for an alternative to lead pipes. By the 1960s, galvanized steel had replaced lead as the building block of choice for plumbing. 

Steel pipes are galvanized when they … Read Full Post »

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Ask a Handyman: Should You Grout or Caulk Around Tub?

. Posted by in • Austin
Grout or caulk around tub

Grout and caulk are two completely different substances, each with its own use and function. If you live in a home with an older bathroom, you may use one (or both) to make a repair or install a new bathtub, toilet or fixture. Do you know when you should use grout or caulk around your tub?

Grout is a mixture of water, cement, sand and sometimes fine gravel. This paste can be tinted different colors and is often used between tiles. Grout keeps water out and gives your walls and floors a cleaner look. Grout requires a crevice to “hold onto” and can prevent tile edges from chipping. Since grout doesn’t contain latex, it can crack with movement. Years of use can leave grout looking discolored and dirty.

On the other hand, caulk is silicone, acrylic or latex-based, so it’s both flexible and waterproof. Caulk is strong enough and pliable enough to adhere … Read Full Post »

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Tapping Noise in Attic at Night: What Should You Do?

. Posted by in • Houston
Tapping Noise in Attic at Night

When things go bump in the night in your home, it’s usually not a good sign, nor do you experience warm and fuzzy feelings. What do you do when you hear a tapping noise in the attic at night? If you are like most people, you probably sit quietly to try to identify the noise. Suddenly, a slew of questions run through your head: Is a branch hitting the roof? Is a squirrel running right above me? Is something in the attic? Has someone broken in?

As temperatures decrease through the fall and winter, various creatures look for warm places to seek shelter. Your attic may look to them like the perfect spot to settle in for the winter and raise a family. While you may take pity on these critters, you really don’t want them in your attic. There are a number of reasons why, including the damage they can … Read Full Post »

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Add Color To Your Yard With Texas Winter Flowers

. Posted by in , • Houston
plants that grow in winter

Anyone from Texas can tell you that we have unique weather patterns. You can experience all four seasons in just one day in a few other places. The running joke “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute” rings true to many of us. While it can be nice to experience summer weather on a December day here in Texas, winter flowers can challenge even the most experienced gardeners. 

While keeping soil type and watering requirements in mind, remember that, on average, Houston gets 18 days each year with temperatures below freezing. Our growing season lasts an average of 300 days, which can be great for growing various plants and flowers. Remember that our days are shorter throughout the winter, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you choose flowers that require a certain number of hours in the sun.

If you struggle about what to plant during … Read Full Post »

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How HVAC Systems Work and How to Best Maintain Them

. Posted by in • San Antonio
How HVAC Systems Work

Although most of us just think of these appliances as our air conditioner or heater, it’s our HVAC system that heats and cools the air in our home, making our hot summers bearable and keeping the inside of our homes cozy during our infrequent cold snaps. We rely on these systems to keep us comfortable when we are indoors, but few of us know exactly how HVAC systems work.

The four main components of the typical HVAC system are the outside condenser, inside furnace, evaporator coil and duct system. The process of cooling your air starts with the condenser, where the refrigerant is compressed into a liquid and piped inside to the evaporator coil. Air is drawn from the home by the furnace, which blows through the evaporator coil. In the evaporator coil, the refrigerant expands into a gas and becomes very cold, absorbing the heat as it passes through, … Read Full Post »

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The Truth About Spiders

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

From the movie Arachnophobia to hearing your mom’s high-pitched scream coming from the kitchen, it’s safe to say that spiders are some of the most feared creatures on Earth. Over the years, they have earned themselves a deadly reputation, invoking fear and chills at the mere sight of them. Despite their notorious reputation, not all the frightening rumors about spiders are true. While some spiders are dangerous to humans they are also an integral factor in keeping other harmful pests at bay. While no one wants a spider infestation, it’s still important to understand these creatures better – and to know when to panic or when to set them free. The experts at ABC Home & Commercial have put together a few myth-busting facts on these misunderstood creatures.

The Truth Behind the Myth

  1. The average person swallows about 8 spiders a year when sleeping.

No matter who you are, this image is disturbing … Read Full Post »

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Grain Mite: Is That What’s In My Pantry?

. Posted by in • Orlando
Grain mite

Have you ever heard of grain mites? You aren’t alone. This tiny pest can have a significant impact on the food we store inside our pantries. Grain mites, or flour mites, as they are also called, are typically pale whitish-gray pests. They are small, the biggest measuring just a quarter of an inch, but they can cause significant damage when they infest pet food, horse feed, cereals, rice, dried vegetables, cheese, corn, cornmeal, and dried fruit. A female grain mite can lay up to 800 eggs so that these pests can spread rapidly throughout the infested food source.

Although this pest predominantly affects bulk grain storage, grain mites can be found in your home. So, what should you do if you see signs of grain mites in your home and kitchen? Is it bad if you unknowingly eat them, and how do you get them out of your house? Keep reading … Read Full Post »

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