ABC Blog

Birds That Eat Ticks: Do Turkeys Eat Ticks?

Birds That Eat Ticks

Ever been bitten by a tick? If so, you know how annoying they can be, at best. At worst, ticks can transmit serious diseases to humans. Ticks are small, parasitic pests that feed on the blood of a “host”—namely, another animal. Ticks aren’t too discriminating when it comes to their food; they’re all too happy to feast on humans, dogs and cats along with other, wilder animals. Fortunately, there are many different animals that are a tick’s natural predator, including some birds that eat ticks that might make a great addition to your home to assist with natural tick control.

Do turkeys eat ticks? That’s a question many homeowners ask. There are several types of poultry and wild birds that eat ticks, for example, along with ants, centipedes and certain other predatory insects. Keep reading to learn more about these parasitic creatures and how you can keep them away from … Read Full Post »

Orlando Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017

Orlando Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017

People worldwide flock to Orlando for many reasons, one being the year-round sunny weather. Here in Orlando, homeowners know that it’s the most excellent time of year to enjoy our yards, parks, and outdoor spaces. That’s one reason spring is a perfect excuse to take a closer look at your most significant investment—your home—to ensure you do what you can to take advantage of your most important investment.

Orlando Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017

Orlando homeowners have grown to depend on ABC Home & Commercial Services to keep their property free of pests. Our skilled and knowledgeable technicians treat your home as they would their own and do anything they can to be helpful. As an extension of this philosophy, ABC has created an Orlando Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017 to provide valuable resources for indoor and outdoor spaces.

The 9-page Guide includes:

  • Ten things to do in Orlando this Spring
  • Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
  • Spring … Read Full Post »

Bryan-College Station Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017

Bryan College Station Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017

Spring is a wonderful time of year in the Bryan-College Station area. Wildflowers are blooming, you can often catch a pleasant breeze and of course, temperatures are usually not as hot as during the summer months. The early part of the year also provides you with an opportunity to put your attention on your biggest investment: your home.

Bryan-College Station Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017

In addition to being the largest independently-owned and operated pest control company in the state of Texas, ABC Home & Commercial provides lawn maintenance, fertilization,  tree care and trimming, landscaping, sprinkler repairs and holiday lighting. For over 60 years, ABC has been making life easier on home and business owners. As an extension of this philosophy, we have created a Bryan-College Station Homeowners Guide for Spring 2017.

The 9-page Guide includes:

  • Ten things to do in Bryan-College Station this Spring
  • Spring Home Maintenance Checklist
  • Spring Cleaning List of Where to Donate … Read Full Post »

Household Flea Treatments for Pets, Yards, and Homes

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 »

Best Tips for a Tick-Free Yard

Ticks thrive in damp, leafy areas with plenty of shade from the hot Texas sun. If that sounds like your yard, chances are that you’re about to – or already do – have a few new tenants, and they aren’t planning on paying the rent. Despite their tiny size, ticks can cause big problems, including the dreaded Lyme disease. While rates for new cases of Lyme disease are relatively low in Texas compared to other states, your health is too important to gamble on statistics. Here’s what you can do to transform your yard from a tick haven to a tick-free zone in any season:

 

Keep Your Grass Close to the Ground

Tall grass makes the ideal hiding spot for hungry ticks on the attack. The cover keeps them out of sunlight and out of sight while they wait to make direct contact with a passing animal – or you. To discourage … 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 »

Are There More Where That Came From?

How to know when one pest is actually many

Finding a single pest might be just a fluke, but it might also be a sign of a serious infestation that needs professional attention. Once settled in a new home, roaches, ants, termites and other small pests get to work on expanding their colonies. Multiplying at a fast rate in a constrained space means that a few occupants will be accidentally squeezed out and left to wander your floors and walls in plain sight. Below, we’ve put together a handy pest-by-pest guide to help you learn how to tell the difference between an evicted resident and a random passerby.

Roaches

Roaches love hiding in dark and moist crevices, so you’ll need to do a little investigating to make sure that one roach isn’t a displaced member of a larger colony. Faucets, electrical appliances, hollow wall cavities, door frames, drains and cracks in furniture are … Read Full Post »

Fleas and Ticks: Bugs With a One-Two Punch

Protecting your home, family and pets from an itchy situation

If the thought of fleas and ticks makes you itch, you’re not alone. These common parasites appear on dogs, cats and wild animals and can wind up on you or in your home. Fleas jump or crawl from host to host; ticks wait for a potential meal to walk by. In addition to being irritating, these bugs are a potential source of disease.

Flea-Borne Diseases

Fleas feed on the blood of both animals and humans, sometimes resulting in the transfer of bacteria between hosts. Certain diseases are passed through the bite itself while others may be transmitted through flea feces. Cat scratch fever, tapeworms, typhus and even the plague have been known to be spread by fleas.

Tick-Borne Diseases

Though they’re often associated with deer, ticks feed on a variety of hosts from dogs and cats to lizards and mice. There are different types of … Read Full Post »