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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 »

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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 »

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What do Bats have to do with Bed Bugs?

. Posted by in , • Austin
Where do bed bugs come from?

 

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 »

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Termite Research: The Next Frontier of Science

. Posted by in • Austin
termite droppings

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 »

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Sneaky Ways to Prevent Mosquito Attacks

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
ways to prevent mosquito bites

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 »

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Don’t Let Mosquitoes Ruin Your Baseball Fun

. Posted by in , • 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 »

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Mosquitoes: 10 Little-Known Facts About the Buzzing Pests

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
facts about mosquitos

With all the negative conversation surrounding mosquitoes these days, it seems like the animal is only in this world to ruin our barbecues and cause problems. And with diseases like Zika, Dengue, and Malaria, it’s hard to believe otherwise.

But lucky for mosquitoes, we have a soft spot for all pests and bugs (even the annoying ones), and we were determined to help improve their reputation. We knew there had to be something interesting about them—and we were right!

Here are a few lesser-known, yet fascinating facts about mosquitoes.

1. All in a name

Originating back to the 16th century, the word “mosquito” is Spanish for “little fly.” Despite their name, though, there’s nothing little about the mosquito family. While there are only 176 mosquito species in the United States, scientists have identified over 3,000 species of mosquitoes worldwide.

2. Here, not there

While it might seem like the same mosquito followed you from your front … Read Full Post »

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5 Bugs That Help Austin Stay Weird

. Posted by in • Austin
bugs are keeping Austin weird too

It’s that time of year again: the days are long, the sun is hot (or just hotter), and it seems that everyone is enjoying the great outdoors from sun-up to sundown. Whether you’re standing by the grill in your backyard or cooling off at the local watering hole, we Austinites know how to get the full summer experience.

While you might have adjusted to the Texas summer heat, so too have the insects that occupy the city each summer—and not just the pesky bugs you’re accustomed to seeing around your home either. Sure, the constant buzzing of a mosquito is easily identified, but the Austin area is home to some pretty weird bugs too.

Let’s explore a few of these summer pests.

The Africanized Killer Bees (Apis mellifera scutella)

Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

You’re probably thinking, “bees aren’t weird,” and we won’t argue with that. But bee-ware, Africanized … Read Full Post »

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Embracing New Technology: Pay For Services Without Picking Up The Phone

. Posted by in , , • Austin

Austin is a city that has always embraced technology. With industry giants like Apple, Dell, and IBM in town, it is easy to understand why talented people want to live and build their lives in Austin. Austinites also have emerging expectations for business in the city, including ABC Home & Commercial Services.

Our number one priority is appeasing the needs of our customers. That’s why we have adopted new and better ways of doing business to match new and better expectations.

Introducing ABC’s New Online Appointment Scheduling & Payment System

We have heard you loud and clear. Getting on the phone can be tiresome and inconvenient. And when you’re dealing with something pressing like a pest problem, you may be feeling a little impatient.

We built our new online appointment scheduling system to make your life just a little bit easier. And we also know that this is what consumers expect to see in … Read Full Post »

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The Importance of Eliminating Stagnant Water

. Posted by in , • Houston

We knew it was coming.

Pesky summer mosquitoes have Houston and Harris County homeowners running for cover this summer. The late spring floods didn’t help the already growing problems we face every summer.

It’s easy to understand why it’s so important to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. In addition to their itchy bites, these tiny winged vampires can cause serious diseases such as West Nile virus, Dengue fever, and now Zika. As of July 21, 2016, Texas has seen 69 reported cases of Zika. Sadly, one of those cases was an infant who contracted the virus before birth. ABC has spent the first half of 2016 keeping our customers, friends, and the community updated on Zika Virus. You can rest assured we will continue to do so until this problem has been contained.

Mosquitoes are a year-round consideration.

When the weather gets colder, many people breathe a sigh of relief and forget all about these … Read Full Post »

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