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Scorpions In Florida: What Homeowners Should Know

. Posted by in • Orlando
scorpions in florida

There are things you worry about when buying your home in Florida. For example, you knew you’d have to protect against hurricane and flood damage. Maybe you had a passing thought about crossing paths with an alligator.

No one told you about the scorpions, though. You also never got the memo about how many of them have venom in their stingers that can be poisonous. Even when there’s no venom, those stings hurt like crazy.

Just looking at a scorpion, you can tell that they’re formidable, at least as far as bugs are concerned. If you’ve heard stories about how painful the stings can be, the encounter will likely scare you, even if the scorpion doesn’t do much of anything.

In this post, we will give you an overview of scorpions in Florida, including how to identify them, which types are most common here, why more people have been seeing them in their … Read Full Post »

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Do Water Bugs Bite? Taking The Sting Out of Your Next Outing

. Posted by in • Corpus Christi
Do water bugs bite

Imagine that you are taking your dog for a quick swim in the creek in the greenbelt in your neighborhood. By anyone’s standards, not a particularly dangerous activity. It’s the end of August, a great time for both of you to cool off from the oppressive heat.

You decide you might as well take off your shoes and dip your toes into the cool water. 

Then it happens. One minute you were laughing and your pup was splashing around, and the next minute, you suddenly feel an intense pain in your toe, causing you to scream.

You look down, expecting to see a snake. Instead, you see a frighteningly huge bug swimming away. Was that a giant cockroach or beetle? You may even have a simpler question: do water bugs bite?

Immediately you pull on your dog’s leash and limp out of the water as you begin to feel the pain shooting up your … Read Full Post »

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Bed Bugs And Dryer Sheets: A Deadly Combination?

. Posted by in • Orlando
Bed bugs and dryer sheets

Bed bugs and dryer sheets aren’t two things we usually hear together. But with endless household hacks flooding our inboxes and social media feeds, could they be connected somehow? The short answer is that although dryer sheets are on a list of home remedies to combat bed bugs, many of these tactics are ineffective in controlling this persistent pest.

Despite our insistence that our home could never have bed bugs, these pesky critters sometimes find their way in. And when they do, many of us wonder how we can efficiently extinguish these bugs. You might wonder if bed bugs could survive a round in the washing machine. Are there products and methods that can kill bed bugs and their eggs? If bed bugs are living in my home, what are the chances they are hiding in the folds of my clothes?

Let’s separate fact from fiction to answer some of the most … Read Full Post »

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Can Fleas Live on Clothes? Keeping Fleas from Spreading

. Posted by in • San Antonio
can fleas live on clothes

Can fleas live on clothes? The easy way to answer the question is no, but that’s a question that pops into many homeowners’ heads, especially when they have a pet with fur that’s become infested with these tiny parasites. Fleas are irritating pests, to be sure: Their itchy bites can cause serious health issues in animals, including dermatitis and anemia. These tiny bugs can even carry infectious diseases that affect humans, such as the plague.

No wonder finding a flea on your skin can make you shudder! So, then – where do fleas live? You might wonder whether your clothes or your bedding might be infested, or perhaps simply whether you can spread fleas through clothes. Another common question is, can fleas live on humans in general? Can fleas live on clothes? And, perhaps more importantly, how can you keep fleas from moving from one part of your property to another? … Read Full Post »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »

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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 »
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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 »

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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 »

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