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Spring Cleaning Tips to Keep Pests Away | National Pest Management Month

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
Spring Cleaning Tips to Keep Pests Away | National Pest Management Month

Warmer weather brings everyone out, including plants and animals. They look forward to spring just as much as we do. That’s why April has been designated as National Pest Management Month by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

People often think of spring cleaning as a way to declutter and improve indoor air quality, but regular cleanings and inspections are also important for keeping pests away. When tackling your spring cleaning to-do list, don’t forget about these common pest hot spots.

Indoor and Outdoor Spring Cleaning Tips to Keep Pests Away 

Whether it’s ants, termites, beetles, spiders, or rodents, use these pest-proofing tips to help keep the pests away. Let’s start with the outdoors.

Outdoor Spring Cleaning

Professional Pest Inspection

There are many ways to prevent pests from entering your home. Perhaps the best way is to contact a professional, and spring is the ideal time to do it.

In many cases, a barrier insecticide around the perimeter … Read Full Post »

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How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches: Advice For Homeowners

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

The vast majority of homeowners have come across a cockroach in their home. That’s because these critters are among the most common pests in homes, schools and businesses. There are around 3,500 species of cockroaches globally, but only 55 species are known to live in the United States. Fear not, though. If you are wondering how to get rid of cockroaches, you have a number of options. But before we dive into the details of how to remove these common pests, let’s go over a few characteristics that set this critter apart from the other creatures possibly inhabiting your home.

As you’ve probably noticed before, cockroaches have flattened bodies and heads that are concealed by a plate-like structure called a pronotum. Cockroaches have elongated, spiny legs that move incredibly fast—as we all know from attempting to squish one—and equally long antennae that help them find food and move around in the … Read Full Post »

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Are Centipedes Poisonous? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in • Orlando
Are centipedes poisonous

You wake up in the middle of the night. Thirsty, you head to the restroom to get a drink of water.

Then it happens—you feel something skitter over your foot. Immediately you kick it off and flip on the light, only to see a creature out of your nightmares speed across the bathroom floor and disappear into a pile of clothing.

It was long and flat but with long legs—almost like a spider. It had way more than just eight legs. There were dozens, at least. They were everywhere.

A centipede, you guess, but not like any centipede you’ve ever seen before. You want it out. But is it dangerous? Poisonous? Will it bite you? Infect you with something? Is there a nest of hundreds of them somewhere in your home?

Unlike ants, spiders, roaches, mosquitoes, and many other types of insects, most people don’t have run-ins with centipedes regularly. Because of this, it … Read Full Post »

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Flying Termites: How To Keep These Pests Out Of Your Home

. Posted by in • Houston
Flying termites

Being a homeowner has many benefits: having a space to call your own, a financial investment, and a place to create memories with your family. While the perks are numerous, we also recognize that there are a few headaches that present themselves as a homeowner. One of those annoyances is pests.

No matter which pest species decide to call your home theirs, homeowners often discover they have an infestation after noticing increased pests around their home, many times before it’s too late. Take flying termites, for example. Because termites live inside your home’s walls, many homeowners are unaware of their presence until they see winged pests flying inside or find shredded wings around doors and windows inside their homes. If you’re curious to know if you have an infestation, flying termites are a key warning sign indicating a problem.

Three major species of termites can potentially infest your home: dry … Read Full Post »

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How to Start an Organic Lawn & Garden | National Lawn Care Month

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
How to Start an Organic Lawn & Garden | National Lawn Care Month

April is National Lawn Care Month and National Pest Management Month! To help your May flowers get off to a healthy, pest-free start, learn how to start your first completely organic garden. Your lawn and garden will look lush and green, and of course, will be completely organic. Spring is the best time to start!

How to Start an Organic Lawn & Garden

Even if your soil looks dead and lifeless, it can be brought back to life. But in order to find out what your soil needs, you need a soil test. 

  1. Get a Soil Sample

Testing your soil is the first step toward building good garden soil. You could waste a lot of money and energy, not to mention the possibility for poisoning, by adding things to your soil before conducting a soil test.

It’s a good idea to test your soil every 3-5 years since levels change all the time. Spring is … Read Full Post »

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How To Get Rid Of Springtails: Handling A Springtail Infestation

. Posted by in • San Antonio
how to get rid of springtails

When hearing the word springtail for the first time, some people might be surprised to learn that this is considered a pest. Those who live in dry climates are even less likely to have heard of one before, as these small pests typically inhabit moist environments. If you have heard of these pests, however, you may already know that in the spring and summer months, when the weather is humid and moist, springtails can become quite the nuisance. Despite their incredibly small size—most species that make their way into homes range between one and two millimeters—their presence alone leaves homeowners searching for information on how to get rid of springtails.

Although entomologists and agricultural extension agents agree that springtails do not bite, many people have this misconception. One of the primary reasons that this myth has been perpetuated is that springtails and fleas are often mistaken for one another, and fleas … Read Full Post »

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When To Fertilize New Grass: Secrets From Lawn Care Pros

. Posted by in • Austin
When to fertilize new grass

No one likes having a patchy lawn. So last year you decided to do something about it. You seeded new grass into problem areas and waited for it to grow. Grow it did—until it started dying off. What happened? How can you stop this from happening again and get your lawn back to the healthy, vibrant green you remember? Lawn care professionals understand that knowing when to fertilize new grass can make the difference between a thriving yard and grass that is less equipped to handle the brutal Southern heat.

In this post, we’ll discuss when to fertilize new turf, the difference between lawn starter fertilizer and regular fertilizer, how often to apply starter fertilizer and the answer to the question: When should I fertilize my lawn after seeding?

What Will I Learn?

  • Do I Really Have to Fertilize My Grass?
  • Lawn Starter Fertilizer vs. Regular Fertilizer
  • Knowing When to Fertilize New Sod
  • How Ofter to Apply Starter … Read Full Post »
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How Long Do Mosquitoes Live Indoors?

. Posted by in • Houston
How long do mosquitoes live indoors

Mosquitoes are ubiquitous during the warm summer months, and many regions of the U.S. stay temperate enough year-round to make mosquitoes a perennial problem. Thus, no matter where you live, it’s likely that you’ll encounter these annoying bloodsuckers at some point when you’re outside doing yard work or relaxing on your patio. Most people have a mosquito-repelling trick or two up their sleeves: They might spray themselves down with bug repellent, or light citronella candles or tiki torches to keep these insects and their itchy bites at bay. The associated smoke, chemicals and pungent scents are too harsh for indoors, however, so what to do when you find that mosquitoes have moved inside? The next question you might ask yourself is how long do mosquitoes live indoors, anyway?

The short answer to the second question is that the average mosquito lifespan lasts between four days and a month, although most … Read Full Post »

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Control House & Garden Pests for National Pest Management Month

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
Control House & Garden Pests for National Pest Management Month

For the past 30 years, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has officially designated April as National Pest Management Month, Termite Awareness Week (March 12-18) and Bed Bug Awareness Week (April 22-28) to inform the public about pests and the importance of pest control.

Pest Control Tips for National Pest Management Month

In honor of National Pest Management Month, learn how to control common household and garden pests.

  1. Ants

Ants come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, and can be winged or wingless. Often, they show up after rainy periods in the spring, summer and fall. Even though you’ll certainly be outnumbered, don’t give up the fight!

Ant Control Tips:

  • Remove any nearby wood piles, logs, or stumps that may be the source of your contamination.
  • Seal cracks and gaps around your home, including where utilities enter the building and around doors and windows.
  • Learn more about ants and how to control them.

Remember, pests can be … Read Full Post »

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What Are Herbicides? Herbicide Pros & Cons

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
What Are Herbicides? Herbicide Pros & Cons

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the weeds. Before you let plant predators such as cleavers, chickweed, henbit, sow thistle and wild carrot take over, learn the pros and cons of herbicides, as well as some non-chemical alternatives.

Weeds can rob nutrients from the soil and smother other plants, but they aren’t all bad. Some can help your plants grow; others you may actually enjoy. They can also act as a free soil test, telling you whether or not you need soil balancing. Certain weeds spring up only when the soil is too high or low in something.

Many times, you can organically solve your weed problem by simply getting rid of the existing weeds and then balancing the soil. Learn more about how to improve soil quality in your lawn.

Sometimes, however, herbicides are necessary. But before you start releasing chemicals around your property, it’s important to consider what they are, how … Read Full Post »

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