How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard

Mosquitoes thrive in warm weather. When it cools down in Austin, we all get excited at the prospect of going outside without getting bitten. Unfortunately, the temperature hasn’t dropped enough to completely get rid of mosquitoes, but we still want to enjoy the cooler weather. What’s a homeowner to do to keep mosquitoes out of his or her yard?

How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard

Your most important first step to is to recognize mosquito breeding grounds in your yard and get rid of them as quickly as possible. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Make your yard as inhospitable as possible by getting rid of standing water. Remember that even tiny amounts of water – like a thimbleful – can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Scan your yard on a daily basis for standing water sources and dump any that you find. If you see mosquito larvae in the process, … Read Full Post »

Meet the Mosquito Everyone’s Talking About in Orlando

People are buzzing about mosquitoes here in Orlando, and there’s a good reason why. One species found in central Florida, Aedes aegypti, is the primary vector that transmits the Zika virus to humans. Although the long-term implications of the spread of the virus are unknown, Zika causes severe neurological conditions such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Mosquitoes In Orlando

With our wet climate and wetlands, mosquitoes love Orlando. With the rising threat of mosquito-borne diseases in our area, it’s essential to understand the problem we face in our region and take steps to control mosquitoes around our homes.

Below we’ll look at some of the types of mosquitoes we have in Orlando and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

Types of Mosquitoes

Out of the approximately 3,500 species of mosquitoes, we’re fortunate to only have 171 here in the US. However, more than in any other state, Florida is home to … Read Full Post »

Cluster Flies vs House Flies

September 14, 2016. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Orlando

In Orlando, Florida, flies are as common as freshly squeezed orange juice – especially during the hot summer months.

They’re present at every backyard BBQ, and residents have grown accustomed to shooing them away from the potato and fruit salads. But, many residents fail to realize that they often deal with more than one type of fly.

Contrary to popular belief, there are many species of flies. There are more than 20,000 species in North America alone. And while we’d love to discuss the differences between all fly species, we wanted to focus on the housefly and the cluster fly, as the cluster fly is most present in the year’s late summer and early autumn months.

Let’s take a closer look at the differences together.

Cluster Flies

Though commonly known as cluster flies, many often refer to these flying insects as attic flies.

Cluster flies emerge in the summer – but become more prevalent in and … Read Full Post »

Where Do House Flies Come From?

September 14, 2016. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Houston

In warm, humid climates like we have in Houston, flies can be a real nuisance. You want them gone as fast as possible when they invade your home. This article discusses four types of flies common to our area, where they come from, and how to deal with them.

Types of houseflies

House flies are perhaps the most common flying pest in our homes. These are a half to a third of an inch in length, black or gray in color, and have translucent wings. They are attracted to garbage cans, animal feces, and fresh food.

Blowflies, also known as bottle flies, are much less common indoors but far more annoying when they appear. Similar in appearance to house flies, these are a bit larger and slower moving. Blow flies are usually associated with dead animals.

Drain flies are small brownish-black flies with dark wings and a furry, almost moth-like appearance. They tend to … Read Full Post »

Household Flea Treatments for Pets, Yards, and Homes

August 31, 2016. Posted by ABC Home & Commercial in Flea & Tick Control, Pest Control • San Antonio

All pet owners know that fleas are a never-ending problem in warm climates. As soon as warm weather returns to San Antonio, fleas reappear with a vengeance, turning your cute pets into scratching machines.

As common as they are, there’s no simple solution to fleas. To successfully eliminate them in your home, you must simultaneously treat your house, your pets, and your yard. With effective treatment, you can kill adult fleas and remove their eggs, disrupting the flea reproductive cycle.

Below we’ll take a look at the problem and offer some solutions that will help you deal with flea infestations in your home.

Why are fleas a problem?

Fleas feed on blood. Their bites cause pets (and when populations are high, their human family) to suffer significant itchiness. In some cases, pets become allergic to the flea bites, causing dermatitis, scaly skin, hot spots, and skin infections.

When cats lick themselves to wash, they can … Read Full Post »

Your Guide to Preventing and Eliminating Flea Infestation at Home

August 31, 2016. Posted by Les Stobart in Pest Control • Bryan-College Station

Contrary to popular belief, fleas are attracted to more animals than just your furry pet. They’re known to bite humans, too. Similar to mosquitos, fleas feed off their host’s blood, and while they’re traditionally known to target animals – especially dogs and cats – flea bites for humans are more common than you think.

Fleas might be small in size, but a bite from this wingless insect can cause major irritation, and sometimes lead to a serious reaction. The best way to avoid potential problems is to adopt and carry out preventative measures before they make their way into your home and onto your body.

Here are a few ways to prevent fleas from biting you and your loved ones at home.

Inspect Your Furry Friends

The most common way fleas enter your home is via your pet. And once inside, they reproduce at rapid speeds; in their life cycle, females can lay up … Read Full Post »

What do Bats have to do with Bed Bugs?

August 31, 2016. Posted by Les Stobart in Bed Bug Control, Pest Control • Austin

What would you say if we told you bed bugs come from bats? Seems crazy; shocking even! We know. But as unbelievable as it sounds—it’s true. The bloodsucking bed bug’s origins do in fact, trace back to bats.

Our team at ABC Home & Commercial may know a thing or two about bed bugs, but we realize that many of our neighbors here in Austin aren’t so in tune with this headache-causing pest.

Whether you’ve dealt with a bed bug infestation in the past, or have yet to encounter the creepy crawlers in your home, understanding where the pests come from and why they’re in your home is your best bet for keeping your home safe.

Let’s take a look together at how and why such tiny creatures can create such a big problem.

Historical Figures

According to a study conducted at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, scientist found that bats were the first ancestral … Read Full Post »

Termite Research: The Next Frontier of Science

August 30, 2016. Posted by ABC Home & Commercial in Pest Control • Austin

The word “termite” is not generally one that comes to mind when thinking about species that have a positive impact on our environment. Termites can become the bane of our existence – invading our homes and destroying our property. They can cause property value loss and force you to invest time and effort trying to rid our homes of their presence.

But have you ever stopped to think about the overall environmental impact of termites? Is there any way they could ever be a positive inspiration?

Researchers at various universities are starting to learn how termites and their respective digestive systems work, and how we might put that knowledge to use to create cleaner energy in the future.

Breaking it down

Termite intestinal tracts contain many different enzymes that enable termites to break down wood, a very dense biomass, into food. Researchers from the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, CalTech, and the … Read Full Post »

Sneaky Ways to Prevent Mosquito Attacks

August 22, 2016. Posted by Les Stobart in Mosquito Control, Pest Control • San Antonio

Every summer in San Antonio, two things seem to be constant: our oppressive heat and swarms of mosquitoes that follow us everywhere we go. While there’s not much we can do about the heat; mosquitoes are another matter.

Find out why these annoying insects are such a problem and discover some ways you can outsmart mosquitoes before they can ruin your summer fun.

Why are mosquitoes such a problem?

In recent years doctors and scientists have grown increasingly concerned about mosquito-borne diseases. In particular, officials are worried about the Zika virus, which first appeared in the United States this year. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, as of August 12, 2016, there have been 106 cases of Zika virus disease in the state of Texas.

For those who contract Zika, it usually is a mild illness with common flu-like symptoms, and generally, lasts about a week. More troubling is the potential … Read Full Post »

Don’t Let Mosquitoes Ruin Your Baseball Fun

August 22, 2016. Posted by Les Stobart in Mosquito Control, Pest Control • Corpus Christi

When you visit Whataburger Field, you’re looking forward to a great day enjoying the Corpus Christi Hooks. You might also try a dip in the swimming pool or hot tub, check out the rock climbing wall or hang out at the kid’s playground.

Not included in this day of fun at the ballpark is fighting swarms of mosquitoes!

Let’s take a look at ways you can keep mosquitoes away while having a blast rooting for the Hooks.

Why worry about mosquitoes?

Sure mosquito bites are annoying, but you can handle a few itchy bites, right?

Not so fast.

With the rise of mosquito-borne disease, especially West Nile and Zika viruses, it’s important to take precautions. Even Yellow Fever, also carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, has made a recent comeback in Africa.

In particular, you’d be smart to protect yourself and your family against the Zika virus, an illness that first appeared in the United States this … Read Full Post »