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The Best Time To Prune Trees in Texas

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
best time to prune trees in Texas

There are many reasons why trees, especially mature trees, raise the property value of your home. Trees provide majestic beauty and undeniable curb appeal, along with much-needed shade in the Texas heat. They enable us to stay out of the sun as we relax outdoors, and they also provide both shelter and food for many varieties of animals and insects.

Trees that aren’t well maintained, however, can become not only an eyesore, but also an actual liability. Homeowners who don’t maintain their trees risk injury and property damage due to fallen limbs, termites, tree diseases and other hazards. That’s why pruning your trees—trimming away dead or overgrown branches—is essential to maintaining the trees’ longevity, beauty and value.

Pruning trees isn’t only for purposes of increased safety, health or value, either. While pruning branches helps to prevent the overgrowth of tree limbs, it also improves the overall health of the tree by encouraging … Read Full Post »

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How To Clean Pool Cartridge Filters

. Posted by in • Austin
How to clean pool cartridge filters

If you live in the southern United States, you probably find solace in your pool during the warmer months of the year. Some days, it can seem like the only way to enjoy time outdoors is to spend the day cooling off in your home’s backyard pool.

Still, though, as much as we use our backyard pools, it’s easy to take them for granted. Especially during the summer months, we want to assume our pools will be clean and ready to use at a moment’s notice. While it’s safe to assume the pool’s filter will keep it clean, many homeowners overlook the fact that the filter itself needs to be cleaned periodically. 

How To Clean Pool Cartridge Filters

In this post, we’ll discuss the types of filters you might be using in your pool, how they function and how and when you should clean your filters. Read on to learn the dos … Read Full Post »

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Do Fleas Have Wings? Common Questions Answered

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
Do fleas have wings

If you’ve ever found itchy red welts on your ankles or other parts of your body, you might have wondered if you’d encountered a flea—or a whole pack of them. These tiny, annoying insects feed off animal blood, which means they bite humans as well as other animals. Thus, when they infest your pet or your home, they can become quite a nuisance. 

But how much do you really know about fleas? Do fleas have wings? How does a flea move? What other insects share similar characteristics? Read on to find answers to all your many flea questions, including how to identify them and—perhaps most importantly—how to get rid of them when you’re dealing with a flea infestation.

Do Fleas Have Wings?

While it might seem as if fleas can fly—they certainly do move quickly—they actually can’t. These members of the insect order of Siphonaptera don’t have wings. (Their order’s suffix, aptera, actually … Read Full Post »

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Replastering a Pool: A Complete Guide

. Posted by in • Houston
Replastering a pool

Your pool has become a gathering place where friends and family enjoy spending time together. You have invested time and energy over the years to maintain your swimming hole. Over time, however, you have noticed that the walls and bottom of your pool have become rough, bumpy, and even sharp in places.

Something needs to be done, but what? As pools age, the plaster used initially tends to get rough and make them unsightly and potentially dangerous. How do you fix the problem? By replastering.

Replastering a Pool: A Complete Guide

In a nutshell, replastering a pool means putting a new layer of plaster on the walls and bottom. What does plaster do? 

First, it serves to make your pool waterproof. Kind of important, right?

When you installed your pool, the people who did it likely used concrete or gunite to form the “shell” of the pool. The problem with both of these substances is that … Read Full Post »

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Common Air Conditioner Problems: Not Cooling

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Common Air Conditioner Problems Not Cooling

Naturally, when the temperatures climb, we tend to stay indoors, enjoying the benefits of our air conditioned homes. But what happens when your air conditioning isn’t working to your satisfaction? What if it appears to be working but it simply isn’t cooling your home? Where do you go to spend the day? How will you fix it? Unfortunately, air conditioners can sometimes stop cooling. So when it does, it’s best to be prepared.

Common Air Conditioner Problems: Not Cooling

In this post, we’ll discuss what might be happening if your air conditioner isn’t cooling your home to your satisfaction. We’ll also provide an explanation for how an air conditioner unit works and what you need to know to ensure it’s working properly. Finally, we’ll dive a bit deeper to examine what steps you can take to fix it at home and what steps are best left to the professionals.

Central Air Conditioner Problems: … Read Full Post »

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Air Conditioner Problems And Solutions To Keep Your Cool

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Air Conditioner Problems and Solutions

Air conditioning repair needs seem to crop up at the most unexpected times for homeowners—particularly if you skip out on your routine maintenance appointment. Following our air conditioner maintenance checklist is important because periodic checks performed by a professional is the number one way to ensure that your cooling system runs as effectively and efficiently as it should for as long as it should.

Otherwise, you could find yourself on one of the hottest days in midsummer with a malfunctioning system. Of course, even if you do invest in maintenance as often as you should (once a year, or twice a year if you have a heat pump), there is still a chance that you will need summer AC repairs. Fortunately, the majority of these are usually relatively minor—as long as they are taken care of right away.

Delaying the summer months, when your system is working at full steam, AC repairs can … Read Full Post »

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Grasshoppers vs Crickets: What’s the Difference?

. Posted by in • Orlando
grasshoppers vs crickets

There’s no doubt about it: Many insects look alike. That’s even truer when the two insects in question belong to the same family. Take crickets and grasshoppers, for example. There’s been much discussion about grasshoppers vs. crickets, so let’s discuss some differences between the two species. 

Grasshoppers vs Crickets: What’s the Difference?

At first glance, the two insects look very similar. Their bodies are similarly structured, and they both have antennas. That said, you can tell these hopping creatures apart in several ways.

Family Ties

Both the cricket and the grasshopper belong to the Orthoptera order. Another member of this family is the locust. While crickets and grasshoppers share a common ancestry, they belong to different suborders. Grasshoppers belong to the Caeliferans suborder, while crickets belong to the Ensifera suborder. There are more species of grasshoppers—11,000—compared to the number of cricket species: over 900.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Though the two look very similar at … Read Full Post »

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Are Bugs Attracted to Light?

. Posted by in • Houston
bugs attracted to light

Whether it’s a bulb on your front porch or a lamp out in the backyard, there seem to be bugs flying or crawling around that space. At any given time, it’s easy to see a variety of insects flocking towards the light. Why are bugs attracted to light around the exterior of your home when the sun goes down?

Are Bugs Attracted to Light?

The short answer to the question is what you are probably suspecting: yes, bugs are attracted to light. You probably have more questions about insects and light, however. Are there certain types of bugs that seem more drawn to outdoor lighting? What is it about light that seems to attract insects? Most importantly, what should we know about this phenomenon which can help us keep pesky insects away from our entryways so they don’t make it inside? How can we keep insects from bugging us when we are in … Read Full Post »

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Are Roses Poisonous To Cats? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in • Austin
Are roses poisonous to cats

A garden in full bloom is a wonderful way to showcase your yard. Roses, chrysanthemums, begonias, tulips and daffodils create a colorful carpet to delight the eye. Gardens add so much to the look of the outside of a home, and whether you grew the flowers yourself, a bouquet on the counter brightens any room. Plants and flowers attract not only your eye, but also the eye of your pets, so it’s important to know which are poisonous to your cats and dogs and which are safe. Plus, how do you keep your pets away from plants, both inside and out? Let’s take a look at these questions and more.

Are Roses Poisonous to Cats? Your Questions Answered

As we know, cats are curious creatures. A leaf waving in the wind or a petal falling to the ground will bring even the most laid-back cat over to investigate. Similar to all types of … Read Full Post »

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Pool Maintenance For Beginners

. Posted by in • Austin
Pool maintenance for beginners

What do many prospective homebuyers look for in a backyard? A swimming pool! Whether you’ve just moved into a new house with a pool or recently had one installed, you know that having a pool requires regular time and attention. First-time pool owners can easily feel overwhelmed with all the details, including what chemicals are needed to maintain a pool. Once you learn the basics, you’ll feel more confident understanding how to maintain your pool yourself.

Pool Maintenance For Beginners

The three Cs of pool care are circulation, cleaning and chemicals. Pay attention to each of these areas on a consistent basis and you’ll be able to prevent any issues before they become costly problems. Before we explore each of these areas, let’s talk about the tools you’ll need to get the job done.

What Equipment Do I Need?

The first thing you’ll want to get is a pool cover. A cover is effective in … Read Full Post »

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