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Ironclad Beetle: A Friend Or Foe To Your Plants?

. Posted by in • Austin
Ironclad beetle

You were doing yard work on a Saturday morning when you noticed a bug unlike any you had ever seen before. What was remarkable was the color. Unlike the typical black or brown coloration that allows insects to blend into their surroundings, this creature was a striking white with black splotches. Your immediate reaction was probably a mix of curiosity and fear. What is this strange bug? Do I need to be worried that it could bite? Does it pose any danger to my plants, pets or family?

Most likely, you’ve had an encounter with an ironclad beetle.

The good news is that you don’t have to worry about the impact this insect has on your yard or household. The strange part? Very little is known about this visually distinct insect.

In this post, we’ll explore everything scientists do know about this bug and other similar insects you may run across in your … Read Full Post »

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Muscovy Ducks: Invasive Nuisance Or The Perfect Pet?

. Posted by in • Orlando
Muscovy ducks

In areas of the country where Muscovy duck populations have moved in and taken over, homeowners are polarized over these odd-looking fowl. Some people love them for what they consider their friendly personalities, their usefulness in controlling insect populations, and their unique markings and appearance. Other people, however, can’t stand them. They consider Muscovies a severe nuisance and want them gone from their properties and neighborhoods.

It’s undeniable that feral Muscovy ducks have become a real problem for homeowners living in some urban regions, including some neighborhoods of Houston and other areas of Texas, as well as in many regions in Florida. Muscovies leave their waste droppings everywhere, including all over homeowners’ porches, front walks, and cars, and even in their pools. These ducks have been known to destroy flower beds and other landscaping features as they forage for food. They can also be a hazard to drivers, many of whom … Read Full Post »

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Wood Boring Beetles: The Risks They Pose To Your Property

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Wood boring beetles

As a homeowner in the southern United States, you’re no stranger to finding bugs in your house. Spiders can be found building their webs in dark corners. Ants find their way in and need to be dealt with. In the warmer months, it seems like half a dozen flies find their way in every time you open the door.

When you noticed a sprinkling of something that looked like sawdust on the floor by the door to the garage and discovered a few tiny round holes in the wood frame, your mind went to the obvious place: termites. Or maybe it could be carpenter ants?

When you couldn’t find any of the other telltale signs of those unwanted guests, you assumed you must have been wrong. Maybe it wasn’t bugs after all.

While termites and carpenter ants are the wood pests that homeowners typically hear the most about, they’re not the only ones … Read Full Post »

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How Long Do Bed Bugs Live In A Plastic Bag?

. Posted by in • Houston
How long do bed bugs live in a plastic bag

Love to travel? Many of us do—until a chance encounter with dreaded bed bugs leaves us wishing we’d never set foot outside our homes. “Dread” is not too strong a word when it comes to these pests, which are the bane of travelers and hoteliers alike. Travel isn’t the only way these pests can come into your home.

Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of once they infest a sleeping area, or any other part of your home, for that matter. If you’ve ever encountered them and suffered their incredibly itchy bites, you may have taken a DIY approach to handle the problem. You may have read that bagging your luggage, linens or clothing and leaving it in the hot sun is an effective do-it-yourself technique. But how long do bed bugs live in a plastic bag?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is that it depends. Bed … Read Full Post »

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What Eats Roaches? Evaluating Natural Control Methods

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
What eats roaches

Most homeowners see roaches from time to time, particularly during the warmer months of the year. Cockroaches have been on Earth over 300 million years, so they have proven to be incredibly resilient creatures. When they find their way inside your home, roaches can be particularly difficult to evict, which is one reason they are among the most hated common household pests.

Just when you feel like giving up on the battle against roaches, you may notice that Fluffy and Fido perk up when they spy a roach scurrying across the floor. The unsuspecting roach may get batted around by your cat or hunted down by your dog. This may lead you to wonder what eats roaches and whether a more “natural” roach control alternative is right under your nose.

In this post, we’ll examine all of the common questions homeowners have around what types of animals eat roaches to determine whether … Read Full Post »

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Fire Ant Prevention

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

Summer in south is known for many things, and unfortunately one of them is pesky fire ants. These creepy crawlers create nests all over your yard and venture into your home for food. If you encounter them, you might end up with some nasty stings.

If left untreated, fire ants can run rampant in your yard and even start nesting in or underneath your home. At ABC Home & Commercial Services, we are fully equipped to handle even the nastiest fire ant infestations. But we want to help you prevent fire ants from overwhelming your yard before we have to resort to professional treatment.

Here are some things to know about fire ant prevention: how to spot them, and how to kill them.

Facts About Fire Ants

Fire ants range in size from 1.6 mm to 5 mm. They are a dull red color, which can look reddish brown or reddish black depending on … Read Full Post »

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Black Fly: Treating And Preventing Painful Bites

. Posted by in • Austin
Black fly

Imagine this: You’re spending time outdoors in spring or summer when a small, grayish-black flying insect lands on your skin and bites you in order to feed on your blood. You smack at it, but it’s too quick—it zips away, leaving you with a red, itchy, painful welt. Not too hard to picture, is it? Most of us far more familiar with mosquitoes than we want to be, but how much do you know about the black fly?

While mosquitoes are a serious annoyance for those of us trying to enjoy some time outdoors through the warmer months of the year, mosquito bites pale in comparison to the nasty bite of the black fly. Unlike mosquitoes, which typically bite people most in the mornings and evenings, black flies bite all day long.

While not as prevalent in the southern states as they are in other regions of the U.S., black flies have … Read Full Post »

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5 Common Summer Pests

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

If you haven’t guessed from the sight of sunburned shoulders and the sounds of kids enjoying temporary freedom from school, summer is officially in full swing. And while that means splashing in the pool, grilling in the back yard, and celebrating with fireworks, it also often means it is time for common summer pests to pay a visit to your home.

Being vigilant with preventative pest control and observing any potentially harmful insect populations in and around your home can be essential to reducing the likelihood of full-blown infestation. Are you wondering which creepy crawlies you should be looking for during this summer season?

At ABC Pest Control, we are proud to offer numerous solutions for getting rid of pesky insects year-round. Here is a list of five common summer pests we warn our customers to watch for during the hottest months of the year.

1. Fire Ants

After ants are finished hibernating through … Read Full Post »

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Centipedes In Texas: Dangerous Or Nothing To Worry About?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Centipedes in Texas

Does the very thought of centipedes and millipedes make you shudder? If so, you definitely aren’t alone. Fear of centipedes even has its own name: chilopodophobia (centipedes are arthropods belonging to the Chilopoda class, which gives this particular phobia its name).

Even if you’re a nature-lover to your core, there’s just something a little skin-crawly about all those many, many feet attached to that long, smooth, armor-like body. It’s hard not to recoil instinctively when you discover one of these critters under a rock or while digging in the dirt, but are centipedes in Texas really as creepy as many believe? What should you do if you come across one in your yard or, worse, inside your home? Let’s find out by learning more about these insects, along with Texas millipedes and other similar creatures.

What Risks Do Centipedes Pose?

The word “centipede” literally means “one hundred feet,” as it derives from … Read Full Post »

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Digger Wasp: Beneficial Or Dangerous?

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
digger wasp

Bugs and pests are typically considered a nuisance when they make their presence known inside or around your home. Unlike most other insects, though, the digger wasp is actually one to embrace, possibly even invite, into your backyard.

Not convinced? It’s the truth: The digger wasp feeds on other insects and pests that are harmful to the growth of a healthy lawn. And as such, this wasp can actually rid your lawn of other unwanted pests. These insects also help your lawn’s ability to soak water into the ground, aerate the soil and pollinate flowers in your backyard.

There are many subspecies of digger wasps. Despite the differences amongst species, these creatures have one thing in common: the females dig into dry dirt when it’s time to create a nest for their offspring. To make this job easier, all female digger wasps have rigid front legs, which they use to … Read Full Post »

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