ABC Blog

The Importance of Eco-Friendly Pest Control

The Importance of Eco-Friendly Pest Control

We share a planet with other creatures, some of which we live peacefully with, others not so much. Unfortunately, most pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, contain chemicals that cause health complications for humans and wildlife.

The Pesticide Problem

Pesticides cause a wide range of short and long-term health hazards, such as:

  • Headaches
  • Skin and Eye Irritation
  • Dizziness and Nausea
  • Cancer
  • Endocrine System Damage
  • Birth Defects

Pesticides present acute dangers to other living organisms as well, sometimes having devastating environmental effects. Pesticides can pollute the air, water, and soil. They are harmful to many living species and can kill microorganisms that would be have eben beneficial for soil health.

Over one billion pounds of chemical pesticides are used every year in the United States (about 5.6 billion pounds worldwide) (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

This causes a significant health and environmental concern.

  • Water and air contamination
  • Killing of plants and wildlife
  • Chemical over-exposure and the harmful associated health problems

Some of the common chemicals in pesticides are methoxychlor, vinclozolin, … Read Full Post »

Signs of Termite Infestation

Did you know that termites are responsible for 5 billion dollars in damage per year in just the United States alone? By the time most homeowners start to notice termite damage, the termites have been munching away for quite some time. Here in North Texas, homes are especially susceptible to termite damage. Termites thrive in the humid weather of the summer months and eat away at your home’s wood structures year round. As a homeowner, it’s important to take preventative measures to keep termites from literally eating you out of house and home.

But, if you think you may be too late, look for these signs of termite infestation to know when to call in the professionals at ABC Home & Commercial Services.

Mud tubes near the home’s foundation.

Mud tubes are small, irregularly patterned lines made of dried mud that often outline the outside of your home’s foundation, usually created at the … Read Full Post »

Scorpions In Florida: What Homeowners Should Know

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 »

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

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 »

Bed Bugs And Dryer Sheets: A Deadly Combination?

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 »

Can Fleas Live on Clothes? Keeping Fleas from Spreading

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 »

Do Fleas Die in the Dryer? Flea Control Secrets Revealed

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 »

Soldier Termite: Winning the Battle Against These Pests

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 »

Rodent Control: How to Build a Barn Owl Box

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 »

Pest-Free Holiday Tips

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 »