ABC Blog

Texas A&M Is Protecting Texas Bees: How Can You Help?

Learn about Texas A&M’s Beekeeping Clinic and what’s next for Texas bees

Over the past decade, bee colonies have experienced troubling population declines across the world. The problem has affected central Texas’s bees as well, and local apiaries worry that they won’t be able to support themselves indefinitely. With its recent beekeeping clinic and other efforts to support local beekeepers, Texas A&M University is doing its part to help. You can do yours as well!

 

A Recap of the 2014 Texas A&M Beekeeping Clinic

On June 7, Texas A&M University Held its annual Summer Beekeeping Clinic. Held right here in Bryan and hosted by Texas A&M University Assistant Professor of Apiculture Dr. Juliana Rangel, the clinic aimed to educate amateur beekeepers, beekeeping professionals and concerned citizens about how to care for bees and how to protect them from environmental hazards that can reduce their numbers. The clinic included a hands-on demonstration from Bill … Read Full Post »

Can Your Home Have Fleas Without Fido?

How to find the source of a mysterious infestation

Everyone knows that most flea invasions happen in homes with dogs or cats. However, it’s not entirely unusual to discover these thirsty pests in pet-free buildings. In reality, these insects may come from wild animals, secondhand goods or previous residents, and they can trigger a variety of health problems.

Flea Sources

If fleas invade your pet-free home, it’s possible that wild animals have taken up residence in the walls or attic. Common flea hosts include rats, squirrels and bats, according to Texas A&M University. Many buildings have holes or cracks that these creatures can easily infiltrate. Feral animals may also carry diseases and mites, so it’s vital to remove them quickly.

Did you recently move to a different home? If the previous resident had a pet with fleas, the insects might have laid eggs in your carpet. A seemingly pest-free house can become infested when … Read Full Post »

Pests: The Real Kitchen Nightmare

Thanks to Austin’s subtropical climate, fighting household pests here can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Even if you try your hardest to fortify your home against infestations, it’s not uncommon to see ants, roaches, rodents and other tiny invaders parading across your kitchen floors and counters. Since pests typically travel in large colonies and often carry dangerous bacteria, being proactive about pest control is important. To help you get your battle plan on track this season, we’re identifying three of the most common pests in the Austin area and sharing tips on how to keep them out of your kitchen for good.

Roaches

Because they settle wherever food is easily available, roaches are the quintessential kitchen pests. If you see one occasionally, a lot more can be hiding somewhere in your kitchen and even throughout your home. To find out whether you’re dealing with a few strays or a full-blown infestation, … Read Full Post »

How to Handle Scary Scorpions

Dealing with the creepiest pests in Texas

You can’t tell by looking, but scorpions are close cousins of spiders and ticks. Lineage and scientific names don’t matter when they crawl up the bedroom wall, though. Of all the pests that sneak into the house, scorpions may well be the scariest. But do they really deserve so much fear and loathing?

Strange Scorpion Facts

It’s hard to not be afraid of something that can survive a nuclear blast, and scorpions share that dubious honor with cockroaches. Those long-tailed creatures hiding in the attic glow in the dark when you hit them with a UV light. Their elaborate mating ritual involves locking claws and dancing. In fact, they keep up the courtship for more than 24 hours! Have a little sympathy for gentlemen scorpions: The ladies often finish the mating game by eating their partners.

Wood-Loving Pests

Texas is home to 18 species, but only striped bark … Read Full Post »

Mosquitoes Making Unwanted Waves This Summer

An annoying pest may have just become deadlier

In North Texas, the dog days of summer are known for stifling heat and restless locals. This summer, however, there’s a potentially serious threat to the health and well-being of people and pets across the Metroplex. According to numerous reports, mosquitoes bearing a potentially deadly pathogen have appeared in the region this year. In other parts of the country, mosquitoes with even more exotic ailments are making the rounds as well.

The West Nile Scare

Over the past several months, nearly a dozen pools of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been discovered in various corners of the metro area, including:

• Two Dallas ZIP Codes
• Carrollton
• Irving
• Mesquite
• Coppell
• Cedar Hill
• Duncanville

West Nile is a serious disease that causes flu-like symptoms, including muscle aches, headaches and fever, in about 20% of those infected. In rarer cases, it can lead to encephalitis that causes … Read Full Post »

Best Practices for Preventing Mosquito Infestations

Nothing spoils an outdoor gathering as quickly as swarms of attacking mosquitoes. Not only are mosquitoes annoying, they carry diseases that affect both humans and animals. Luckily, there are ways to control mosquitoes both inside and outside your home using common sense and an integrated pest management (IPM) program that minimizes harmful environmental effects.

Here’s the Buzz on Outdoor Mosquito Control

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, and the larva and developing insects need water to mature. Adult mosquitoes live in moist, cool places, such as under leaves, in drains and on plants. The best way to reduce mosquito populations is by removing sources of standing water. Outdoors, this includes removing pots and containers; filling in puddles; covering drains; keeping ponds, birdbaths and swimming pools clean; and keeping rain gutters free of debris. Even pool covers or tarps protecting outdoor furniture are attractive mosquito breeding grounds.

Some experts recommend using an integrated mosquito … Read Full Post »

The Best Tips for Battling Mosquitoes This Summer

Keeping your family safe from mosquito borne diseases

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 30,000 people have contracted West Nile virus in the U.S. from a mosquito. Additionally, there’s a long list of other diseases that mosquitoes can pass to humans and animals, so it’s definitely a good idea to take preventative measures to keep your entire family safe.

Tips for Avoiding Mosquito Bites

1. Stay Indoors During Dawn and Dusk

Mosquitoes can bite you at any time of the day, but they’re most active at dawn and at dusk. Due to this, it’s best to avoid being outside during these time periods, especially if you’re not wearing a mosquito repellent.

2. Wear Long Sleeves and Pants

It can be uncomfortable to wear pants and long sleeves in the San Antonio area during the summer, but it’s better to take this step than to become a buffet dinner for a swarm of … Read Full Post »

Common-Area Maintenance Means Common Pests

Should you be fighting on more fronts?

Are your unwelcome guests really falling prey to your limited maintenance efforts, or are they savvy enough to simply move out temporarily before returning to their normal haunts? Vermin don’t need high-level intelligence to know it’s in their best interest to move somewhere else when the commercial pest control service starts spraying. If your treatment program isn’t comprehensive, you could just be spreading the problem to the rest of your Dallas building or facility.

Survival at All Costs

Creatures such as insects and rodents may lack the size advantages that humans and other animals count on, but they’re some of the planet’s most prevalent residents.

Researchers have discovered that ant colonies, for instance, go as far as using their bodies to make living rafts to protect their queens during floods, an act of dedication that most human families would be hard-pressed to imitate. Some cold-blooded insect species … Read Full Post »

Where There’s One Ant, There’s 100 More

How communication leads to an infestation

If you see even one ant in your San Antonio area home, the reality is that there are probably hundreds more that you haven’t spotted yet. Fortunately, scouting ants are the first to enter a new dwelling, so you do have the opportunity to prevent a major infestation by contacting a professional pest control company at the first sign of an issue.

Do Ants Talk?

Research indicates that ants begin communicating with each other from the late pupae stage, and it’s an imperative aspect of community safety. As soon as each ant matures enough to develop a hardened exoskeleton, they’re able to make noises by using one of their hind legs to strike a spike located on their abdomen. The most interesting aspect of this form of communication is that entomologists believe it’s used primarily to receive assistance during an emergency. For example, if an ant encounters … Read Full Post »

5 Ways to Impress the Health Inspector

Ensuring your restaurant kitchen is always ready for inspection

Is your restaurant kitchen ready for the visit from the health inspector? Avoid common mistakes with this simple checklist.

Practice Good Hygiene

Clean habits make for a clean kitchen. Ensure that your staff always washes their hands after using the restroom. Gloves should be changed between preparing different dishes. Most importantly, staff members who are ill should never handle food. Be sure to check the bathrooms to make sure that the sinks and toilets are clean and all drains are operating properly to prevent backup or potential contamination.

Proper Handling of Hazardous Foods

Meats, dairy products, eggs and certain prepared foods must be kept at the proper temperature to avoid bacterial growth. Never leave refrigerated or frozen items sitting out until they become lukewarm. Cook all foods thoroughly and serve or store them in a timely manner. Keep food preparation and cooking surfaces clean at all … Read Full Post »