Rodents in the home conjure up strong reactions for many of us. Though some people are not bothered by the sight of a rat or mouse, there are others among us who run away screaming – much like the female character on Tom & Jerry.

If you have a rat or mouse infestation in your home, you might notice these critters scratching in your attic, scurrying across the floor, or climbing up a wall or pipe. And these are nocturnal creatures, so all these activities probably happen at night – just the time when you’re more likely to be frightened. If you’ve noticed rodents in or around your home, your first step is to try to figure out exactly what they are. Knowing the differences between rats and mice can help you determine the most appropriate eradication tactics.

Differences Between Rats and Mice

Rats and mice have a lot of similar features, but … Read Full Post »

One advantage of being in the home services industry for so many years is that there isn’t a problem too large for our wildlife specialists to handle.

The quaint charm of central Austin and surrounding towns’ historic neighborhoods is magnetic. But older homes have weak, pier-and-beam foundations that have deteriorated over the years, creating the perfect entry points for rodents. Whether the issue is rats, mice, raccoons, or nutria, our team knows where to look to find the point of entry.

Because our guys have been in the business so long, they have some pretty terrifying stories to tell of rodents wreaking havoc on homes in Austin.

Tails of Terror from the Field in Austin

One thing we know is a big misconception is that rodent problems are related to economic status. This simply isn’t true. The bigger the house, the more space for rodents to hide. And the more damage they can do.

One … Read Full Post »

So, you have a mouse in your home, and you try to trap it with an old-fashioned (but still effective) mouse trap baited with cheese. It fails.

You just wasted a delicious piece of cheese, and the mouse trap didn’t yield any results. What went wrong?

What Do Mice Really like to Eat?

You may remember cartoons like Tom and Jerry from your childhood. The cat-and-mouse story is a very recognizable motif in media and especially in children’s cartoons and comics. The story usually goes like this: A curious cat spots a sly mouse on the hunt for a shiny, orange triangle of cheese, and a chase ensues. The cheese is the grand prize at the end of the story, and the mouse always manages to win this prize.

But do mice really like to eat cheese? If so, why did your mouse bait fail to bring the rodent out from hiding? And if … Read Full Post »

It’s Been a Busy Year.

ABC likes to give our customers predictions every year to help our neighbors make good home service scheduling decisions. 2015 was an interesting year in terms of rodent populations in Central Texas. ABC saw a 9% in rodent-related appointments in 2015, and we have a couple of thoughts on why this may be.

The Biggest Reason We’re Getting More Calls? Rain.

Austin saw an enormous amount of rain last year. May of 2015 was Texas’s and Austin’s single wettest month in recorded history. You may remember that weekend — there was a lot of flooding and dangerous road conditions. Several homeowners south of Austin, in Wimberly, saw their homes destroyed.

ABIA saw its highest rain totals ever recorded in a single day: 13 inches. Flooding was an issue one multiple occasions betweenMay and November of last year.

How does Rain affect Rodents?

Rats and mice are actually excellent swimmers, but that … Read Full Post »