ABC Blog
Choose a City

The Best Way To Get Rid Of Moths

. Posted by in • San Antonio
best way to get rid of moths

Moths can be a mystery to homeowners. To determine the best way to get rid of moths, you’ll need to learn how to identify the types of moths and eggs you might be seeing in your home, how to prevent these bothersome insects from damaging your home, and how to treat your home to get rid of these common household pests.

Where Do Moths Come From?

Moths generally make their way into your home in product packaging you bring home from a store or warehouse. Some moths may hatch over time in items which you have stored for an extended period of time, like birdseed. Usually, an infestation in your closet can be traced back to a single article of clothing (so wash that sweater from the thrift store before you put it in your closet!)

Identifying and Treating Pantry Moths and Larvae

Some common moths you may have in your home are pantry … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

What You Need To Know About Crazy Ants

. Posted by in , • Austin
Paratrechina longicornis

A new ant species has been discovered in the southern parts of the United States: the crazy ant. What’s important to know about these ants, which are also referred to by their scientific names, Nylanderia fulva (Rasberry crazy ant) and Paratrechina longicornis (the Longhorn crazy ant)? For starters, both of these ant species are not native to the United States, and both are considered pests.

Read on to learn what crazy ants are, how they got their name, what attracts them, and what impact they are having on humans.

What Are Crazy Ants?

Crazy ants were first discovered in 2002 in an industrial park outside of Houston. Exterminator Tom Rasberry noticed ants which were moving erratically and which caused significant damage to electrical equipment. “When you see fast-moving ants that are not following a path, they are probably crazy ants,” explained Randy McCarty, ABC’s Director of Training and resident entomologist, who has … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Are Mosquitoes Attracted to Light?

. Posted by in , • Austin
a thumbnail from the video in this blog

We all love to spend relaxing evenings out on the patio. That said, outdoor lighting can attract unwelcome visitors. Don’t let flying insects, especially mosquitoes, ruin your night.

One question we often hear from frustrated homeowners: what are mosquitoes attracted to? Our pest control experts reviewed several recent scientific studies to help determine what changes homeowners can make to outdoor lighting to make your porch less attractive to flying creatures.

What Attracts Mosquitoes?

  • Are Mosquitoes Attracted to Light?
  • How Do I Keep Mosquitoes Away From My Lights?
  • Do Insects Avoid LED Lights?
  • What’s the Ideal Bulb for Outdoor Lighting?
  • Are Flying Insects Bugging You?

Are Mosquitoes Attracted to Light?

According to Alan Brown, Board Certified Entomologist and Technical Director at ABC Home & Commercial Services, whether mosquitoes are attracted to light depends on the species you’re dealing with. Some species of mosquito are active during the day whereas others are active at night. Mosquitoes who are active … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

What Are German Roaches?

. Posted by in • Orlando
What is a German roach

What is a German Roach?  

There’s no good time to find a cockroach running across your kitchen floor. Unfortunately, most homeowners have encountered such a sight more than once. And with more than 3,500 species worldwide and 55 species in the United States, a scurrying cockroach is a common household occurrence.

Cockroaches are incredibly adaptable and have adjusted to the earth’s changes for more than 300 million years; their diet, size, and ability to reproduce quickly and in large numbers enable the species to endure the test of time.

The two most common species found in homes throughout the United States are the German cockroach and the American cockroach. What are German roaches, exactly? Where do German roaches come from? How can you tell which kind of roach may be inside your home?

What They Look Like  

Appearance is one of the easiest ways to identify the type of cockroach living in your home. … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How to Keep Mosquitoes Out of Your Yard

. Posted by in , • Austin
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 »

Comments Closed

Meet the Mosquito Everyone’s Talking About in Orlando

. Posted by in , • Orlando
Aedes egypti

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 »

Comments Closed

Cluster Flies vs House Flies

. Posted by in • Orlando
Cluster flies in house all of a sudden

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 »

Comments Closed

Where Do House Flies Come From?

. Posted by in • Houston
where do house flies come from

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 »

Comments Closed

Household Flea Treatments for Pets, Yards, and Homes

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
Prevent Fleas on Pets

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 »

Comments Closed

Your Guide to Preventing and Eliminating Flea Infestation at Home

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station
household flea treatment

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 »

Comments Closed