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Carpenter Ant Bite: The Dangers These Ants Pose

. Posted by in , • Houston
Carpenter Ant Bite

Carpenter ant bites can be a big pain—quite literally. A bite on human skin looks like a pea-sized blemish, and the aftermath may feel like a strong pinch or even a quick burn on the skin. This is because when carpenter ants bite, these insects spray formic acid onto their victim. Formic acid isn’t necessarily dangerous to humans, but it does increase the intensity of the pain you feel. You can reduce the pain associated with a carpenter ant bite by washing the impacted area with soap and water right away. Doing so will flush away the formic acid that causes pain to the area, which should cause the discomfort to recede. If not, a cold compress or ice should help to soothe the bite site.

Don’t be surprised if a carpenter ant bite draws blood. These insects are equipped with really strong jaws to chew through wood to make nests. … Read Full Post »

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Are Mosquitoes Attracted To Perfume?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
Are mosquitoes attracted to perfume

Spending time outside during certain times of the year can put you in closer contact with a number of insects. You’ve noticed those days you’re outdoors and wearing perfume, you’re getting bitten by mosquitoes more often. Is it all in your head, or are the rumors true? Are mosquitoes attracted to perfume?

Unfortunately, these insects are more likely to sense your presence if they can smell you. Mosquitoes feed on nectar when they aren’t producing eggs, so when we put on that fragrance, it sends off even more signals for them to come to find us. However, it’s not just a flowery perfume that could be attracting them—mosquitoes can smell deodorant, cologne, scented lotions and even fragranced body wash with the olfactory receptors in their antennae. By switching to unscented products, you could provide yourself with some degree of protection from itchy mosquito bumps.

There are many other rumors that get spread … Read Full Post »

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Where Do Skunks Live? Keeping Skunks Off Your Property

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
Where do skunks live

You may have noticed signs of an unwanted critter on your property. Then, one night you spot it: a skunk. You had never seen one in person before, so you assumed these animals didn’t live near you. But in reality, you realize that you don’t know much about these creatures. Where do skunks live? If you ignore them, will they just go away?

Unfortunately, skunks probably won’t just disappear on their own. As a matter of fact, if they’re wandering around your property, skunks are more likely to be looking for either food or shelter, and if they find either or both of these things, they’ll be sticking around for a while. When that happens, your lawn and garden can get torn up, your pets can get sprayed by their characteristic foul odor and worse still, your family can be exposed to rabies and other diseases. So where are skunks most … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bug Or Tick: What’s In My Home?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
bed bug or tick

After spotting a tiny bug in your house, you are understandably freaked out. Could it be a bed bug, or was it actually a tick? If you’re being honest with yourself, it could be any kind of pest, and you wouldn’t know the difference. Even if you did, these insects are so small it can be hard to tell them apart.

While bed bugs and ticks feed on blood and most types are flat and rounded, that is not always the case. If you are wondering if it’s a bed bug or tick that you have seen, you should know that bed bugs are usually found indoors, while ticks most often inhabit wooded or grassy areas outside. While a bed bug might bite you several times when you are asleep, a tick will latch onto you and feed for several days until it’s full.

It can be hard to tell a tick … Read Full Post »

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Do Crickets Bite? Keeping These Insects Out Of Your Home

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
Do crickets bite

Some years, crickets seem to be everywhere. In late summer and early fall, you might notice an abundance of these insects near your porch lights or hear a chorus of chirping in your backyard at night. If one lands on your leg, you might ask yourself the question: Do crickets bite?

While some species are capable of biting humans, thankfully, this is very unlikely. These insects seem to be more prevalent in years with dry springs and summers, usually appearing in higher numbers in August and September, following rain or cooler weather. Cricket invasions tend to occur when immature crickets go out on nighttime flights in search of mates.

While crickets won’t hurt us, you should know that these creatures can damage your belongings, and can become quite a nuisance. Cricket mandibles can pull fibers loose from carpet and different types of fabric, leaving the surface rough. Also, feces and other bodily … Read Full Post »

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Can Fleas Lay Eggs On Human Hair?

. Posted by in , • Houston
Can fleas lay eggs on human hair

Even after putting the flea collar on your pet, the itching continues. Suddenly, you begin to feel the urge the scratch, too. You stare at poor Fido, who looks quite miserable, and start to wonder, can fleas lay eggs on human hair? If these creatures can infest your dog’s fur, wouldn’t it make sense that they could do the same on our own heads?

While fleas can technically lay eggs on our scalp, the possibility of this happening is extremely rare. Given how much these small parasites can disrupt a household, however, knowing all you can about fleas can help you avoid an infestation or manage an existing flea problem.

Let’s answer more questions homeowners frequently have about these common pests.

Can Fleas Live On Humans?

While humans can serve as a temporary host for fleas, eggs are more viable if a flea consumes the blood of a preferred food source. There are over … Read Full Post »

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Do Termites Eat Cedar? Protecting Your Home From Damage

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
Do termites eat cedar

Most homeowners have heard of termites, and know that these pests chew their way through wooden structures, including houses, garages and fences, as well as other natural food sources. Termites cause billions of dollars worth of damage to homes and properties each year. Their colonies can number in the thousands or even millions, and a termite colony can lay waste to wooden beams, rafters, siding or flooring in your home or garage.

Which types of wood are their favorites? For example, do termites eat cedar, an evergreen tree that is common in Texas and other southern states? Or, if some people think cedar is an effective DIY method to keep wool moths at bay, you might wonder: could cedar repel termites as well?

The short answer is that while some research has shown that some types of commercially-available wood may be more palatable to termites than others, subterranean species have been found … Read Full Post »

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Bugs That Look Like Bed Bugs: Identification Tips

. Posted by in , • Orlando

The idea of a bug sharing the space where you sleep is not one to take lightly—especially if it’s one that bites! If you spotted a tiny bug wandering around your bedroom, your first instinct might have been to assume that it is a bed bug. However, more bugs look like bed bugs than you might expect. While the complete list could be pretty long, the shortlist is fleas, immature roaches, booklice, carpet beetles, bat bugs, and ticks.

So, how can you know if that minuscule visitor was a bed bug? Here are a few characteristics of bed bugs that can tip you off to the presence of these bloodsucking creatures:

  • Adults are reddish-brown to black.
  • A bed bug that hasn’t had a blood meal recently is usually oval-shaped and flat. After feeding, these parasites will swell up, become longer and change color to redder to match their food source—blood.
  • Newly hatched bed bug … Read Full Post »
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Bed Bug Bites Vs. Flea Bites: How Can I Tell Them Apart?

. Posted by in , , • Corpus Christi
Bed Bug Bites Vs. Flea Bites

You woke up and noticed weird bites on your body. You look pointedly at Fido as he scratches behind his ear with a little more fervor than usual. Does he have fleas? Or maybe you have bed bugs? How would you know if you have bed bug bites versus flea bites, anyway?

If you’ve struggled to determine exactly what type of bug bit you, you are not alone. Most insect bites result in itching, and many leave a little bump or red mark where you were bitten. Why would it even matter which creature is biting you? For starters, bed bugs and fleas can pose different risks for you, your family and your pets. In this blog post, we’ll review the differences between these bugs’ feeding patterns, what their bites look like and how to treat a bite once you have settled on which creature is responsible.

Fleas: The Most Likely Culprit

A … Read Full Post »

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Why Do Cockroaches Come Out At Night?

. Posted by in • Houston
Why do cockroaches come out at night

When you wake up before the sun rises and go to make your coffee, you’re not expecting to discover a cockroach in the cabinet next to your coffee grounds. Chances are that in your pre-caffeinated state, your reactions aren’t quite as sharp, resulting in your kitchen visitor scurrying away before you can find anything to smash it with. If someone had asked, you would have sworn that you didn’t have any bug problems—especially roaches. But you also know that you usually don’t spot one of these creatures, unless it’s dark.

So, why do cockroaches come out at night? The short answer is that, like other nocturnal animals, roaches have evolved to forage for food and water in low-light environments, since these conditions help them avoid predators. In this blog post, we will explore cockroach activity patterns in more detail and offer you tips on how to keep these pests away from … Read Full Post »

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