ABC Blog

Please choose a city to view local blog posts:

Choose a City

Central Heat Not Working: What Should A Homeowner Do?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Central Heat Not Working

When the cooler temperatures finally stuck around, you were thrilled.

Finally, those of us who live in warmer parts of the United States wouldn’t have to sweat just stepping out of our cars. We are happy to give our air conditioners a break. On a related note, we can also get a vacation from higher than normal utility bills—at least for a few months.

Then it happened: you woke up in the middle of the night shivering. Well, this was certainly new, and not a welcome development.

Your immediate assumption was that somehow your AC system never switched from “cool” to “heat.” Unfortunately, when you checked you discovered this wasn’t the case.

Your thermostat was set to 70 degrees inside, but the actual temperature was all the way down to 65. For some reason, the heat just wasn’t working.

By why? You barely run the heat most of the year, so why would it die … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Do Fleas Die in the Dryer? Flea Control Secrets Revealed

. Posted by in • Houston
Can fleas drown in the washing machine

Fleas. The word makes many homeowners shudder, especially if they also have pets. After all, these pesky insects may be tiny, but a flea infestation can mean big trouble for your pet, your home, and you.

Many homeowners wonder, do fleas die in the dryer? Can they drown in the washing machine, or is washing flea-infested items a waste of time? When you find even one flea in your living space, it’s tempting to toss everything you own—sheets, clothing, cushion covers, your dog’s bed—into the wash. While it seems that that should care for the problem, the reality isn’t relatively so straightforward. Exposure to heat and soap can kill fleas in all stages of their life cycle, so a dryer cycle alone will likely be inadequate to eliminate your flea population. Besides, these creatures are likely widespread across your home, so meticulous vacuuming will be the best initial method to … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Soldier Termite: Winning the Battle Against These Pests

. Posted by in • Austin
Soldier termite

Termites. They’re one of the worst fears of every homeowner, for good reason.

Catch an infestation too late and your house can literally be eaten away from beneath you, costing you time, stress and a lot of money. All told, termite damage costs Americans billions of dollars every year, with additional billions being spent to get rid of them.

How can you protect yourself against these high costs and win the fight against termites?

Know your enemy.

In this post, you can learn all about soldier termites and the role that they have in subterranean colonies.

When you have a better understanding of what you’re up against, you’ll be far more successful at combating these incredibly destructive pests.

The Role of the Soldier Termite

Bee colonies have workers and drones and a queen. Ant colonies follow a similar structure, with a single queen, workers and males who only mate with future queens.

A termite colony is a bit … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Rodent Control: How to Build a Barn Owl Box

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

Rodent control is extremely important this time of year. Temperatures are getting cooler and rodents are looking for a warm place to spend the winter months. Fortunately for us, North Texas is home to the best possible natural rodent control: barn owls. Barn owls are expert hunters with a healthy appetite. One owl alone can eat up to 10 mice a night and have 6-to-10 chicks to feed at a time.

Another upside is that they love the grassy plain areas covering much of North Texas. However, barn owls do not construct their own nests, which can make them seem scarce in many areas. By building a simple barn owl box for them to nest in, they will quickly make it their home and, in turn, help make sure your home and garden stay rodent free.

How to Build a Barn Owl Box

Step 1: Design

The box needs to be roomy enough to … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Winter Pool Chemicals: What Do The Experts Recommend?

. Posted by in • Houston
Winter pool chemicals

Winterizing your pool in warmer climates looks different than getting your pool ready for icy conditions in other parts of the country. Maintaining your winter pool chemicals is essential, whether you use your pool during the colder times of the year, because leaves and other debris that fall into your pool affect your pH levels.

You have a few options when it comes to maintaining your pool during the winter in the South. With our typically mild winters, some pool owners prefer to maintain their current regular service throughout the year or switch to fewer visits per month. Others lower the water level of their pool to just below the tile line and pull the drain plugs on their equipment. Most people don’t even put on a pool cover during this time, although some do.

In this post, we’ll explore what you can do … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Pest-Free Holiday Tips

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

Whether you are traveling for the holidays or inviting friends and family into your home, pests are always looking for the perfect opportunity to gain entry and enjoy the holidays with you. Unfortunately, your home provides the perfect warm environment for them to wait out the winter weather. During the holidays homes are filled with delicious smelling food, full trash cans and the constant coming and going of guests. The food smells themselves act as a beacon, inviting pests inside, while the opening and closing of doors provides the perfect opportunity.

The last thing anyone wants is to share their holiday meal with a pest that invited itself over. This holiday season, follow these helpful guidelines from the trusted professionals at ABC Home and Commercial to keep your home pest-free all winter long.

  1. Don’t leave food out or uncovered.
  2. Store firewood on a raised structure that is located at least 15 feet away … Read Full Post »
Comments Closed

Cigarette Beetle In Bedroom: Punchline Or Pest Problem?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Cigarette Beetle in Bedroom

Although you may not realize it, the cigarette beetle is one of the most common pests to infiltrate our homes. Also referred to as pantry pests, these small reddish-brown shelled beetles are usually found in stored household commodities like spices and flour—items most homeowners have in their kitchen. Cigarette beetles get their name because they also feed on chewing tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and dried tobacco leaves. While it makes sense to find these creatures in your kitchen, can you find a cigarette beetle in the bedroom?

Yes, unfortunately, this beetle can be anywhere and will feed on items we don’t even consider food, including leather, dried flowers, books and even silk. Although this pest has such a funny name, homeowners find dealing with cigarette beetles is no laughing matter. While no one wants pests in their home feeding on our spices, pasta and cereal, both the cigarette beetle and the drugstore … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Rats vs. Mice: Which Pest Is Invading Your Home?

. Posted by in • Austin
rats vs mice

In a battle between rats vs. mice, rats will win. Known as muricide, rats will kill and eat mice out of hunger. That said, do you really care which species of rodent is scurrying across your floor or making scratching sounds in your walls or attic? Probably not.

The reason you should care about the differences between mice and rats is that your pest control efforts will vary, depending on which type of rodent you have and which species. For example, catching and killing rats and mice are different. A trap for a mouse won’t work on a rat and vice versa. Where you set the traps can also make a big difference in how effective your efforts are, whether you have a roof rat or Norway rat problem.

How are these pesky pests different? We’ll explore the many ways these animals are distinct so that you can better devise … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Identifying Rat Damage (in your DFW Home)

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

If you’ve ever had a rat in your home, then you know it is the one thing you NEVER want to have happen again. Besides nearly scaring you to death and making your skin crawl, rats cause millions of dollars in damage to homes across the country each year. Just one rat can cause thousands of dollars in structural damage and pose severe health risks to your family and pets. Spotting the signs of structural damage caused by rats will not only prevent a rat infestation from flourishing, but it can also save you money in the long run in costly repairs and prevent the severe diseases carried by these rodents.

Damage to Physical Structures

Rats are not clean animals. They leave chew marks, tracks, food trails and mark their territory in urine. As a result, you can usually spot where a rat has been before if you know to look for … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

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 »

Comments Closed