ABC Blog
Choose a City

How to Get Rid of Moles in Your Yard

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth
a mole in dirt

The Eastern Mole is the most common species of mole in North America. They live their entire lives in complex networks of interconnecting underground tunnels. If you have noticed these unsightly tunnels in your own yard, you may be wondering what you can do to get rid of moles in your yard.

The first step to figuring out these pests’ activities is learning what moles eat. Moles eat insects, worms, grubs and other invertebrates which they access by these tunnels which connect to shallower tunnels below the surface.

The small, potato-shaped creatures are voracious eaters. While they don’t eat plants or plant roots, they can burrow through and destroy wide swaths of lawns and gardens in a single night while on the hunt for their next meal. Moles can burrow up to 18 feet in a single hour and are most active at dusk and dawn.

Moles are most attracted to soft soil … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Can Dogs Carry Bed Bugs?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a bed bug on skin

Few creepie-crawlies in the insect world have a mental and emotional impact on us humans like bed bugs.

They come out at night…while we’re sleeping…to drink our blood…

The common bed bug is tiny, with a flat, oval body roughly the size of an apple seed. It can expand to nearly twice its normal size while feeding, turning from muddy brown to dark red in color.

Bed bugs get their name from the types of locations they prefer to infest and feed. They are most active at night and look for a ready source of blood to feed on. That’s why beds (and the humans sleeping in them) are their ideal targets.

Likewise, female bed bugs will lay eggs in the protected seams and crevices of your mattress (or your dog’s bed). This is their way of looking out for their offspring, who will have a convenient source of blood.

These eggs hatch as nymphs, … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

What Do Moles Eat? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in , • Tyler
a mole in its tunnel looking for food

It is incredibly frustrating to look out at your yard and see damage like loose dirt and uprooted grass. This is a sign that moles have tunneled beneath the ground of your property and made your lawn their home. These creatures spend half the day looking for insects to devour and they eat nearly their entire body weight in food each day. Their constant hunt for something to eat can result in significant damage to your landscaping.

These pesky predators can be harmful to the appearance and health of your lawn. You spend too much time making your home and property appear beautiful to allow moles to destroy your hard work. But, why do these creatures decide to take up residence in your yard anyway?

Moles are attracted to your yard because it is a perfect place to find all their favorite foods. So, by better understanding the diet of moles and … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How to Winterize Your Home and Yard

. Posted by in , , , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a home after a winter storm

Winter is here, and even in a place with milder temperatures, preparing your home and lawn for whatever Mother Nature throws your way can give you and your family peace of mind. Since it’s hard to tell when a more serious freeze or winter storm will pop up, it’s important to get your home prepared early. No matter what comes your way, there are critical steps you can take to be ready.

Heating System

If your heater smells when you turn it on for the first time of the season, that’s a good reminder of the importance of having your HVAC serviced before temperatures dip. Fall is a good time to contact a licensed professional for a tune-up on your heating system. Just as a service call in the spring gets you ready for the blistering summer, a check before winter helps your entire HVAC system run more efficiently. A unit that … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How To Get Rid of Wasps

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
yellowjackets

For many people, seeing a wasp is cause to scream, duck and run for cover. This is understandable, considering how much it hurts to get stung. Some people are even allergic to stings, making bees and wasps a real danger. But while some types of wasps are aggressive, plenty of others are very unlikely to sting you. Regardless, most of us want to get rid of wasps when we see them. Read on for more information about these insects, including the best ways to get rid of wasps when you see them or their nests around your property.

Are Wasps Beneficial?

Something many people don’t realize about wasps is that they are actually beneficial. Like bees, wasps are pollinators. This means they are an essential part of the process of producing fruits, seeds and more plants. Wasps also feed on caterpillars and other pests that might otherwise destroy our food crops.

For all … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

DIY Cockroach Prevention

. Posted by in • Tyler
a dead cockroach on a kitchen floor

If you’ve had a roach problem, you may be looking for DIY cockroach prevention techniques that really work. Fortunately, there are several effective steps people can take to keep cockroaches away from their homes. These include things you can do inside your house along with things you should do in your yard. Together, these steps should help in the ongoing battle against roaches.

Just be aware that making your home less accessible and attractive to cockroaches is easier than eliminating roaches on your own. An established cockroach infestation is best dealt with by a pest control professional. Once your home is free of cockroaches, you can keep them away by following a few common-sense steps.

How to Make Your Home Less Accessible to Roaches

The first step in DIY cockroach prevention involves making your home less accessible to roaches. This means figuring out how they might get inside and then blocking them out.

To … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Too Much Fertilizer Is Never a Good Thing

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a lawn with yellow spots because too much fertilizer was used

Adding fertilizer to your lawn gives it an extra boost, helping it stay healthy so it can establish a good root system. A solid root system protects the lawn from foot traffic, mowing and weather extremes. All plants—including the grass that makes up your lawn—use a lot of energy to not only establish roots but also to grow naturally. Fertilizer can help your lawn in all of these processes.

As with anything else, you can use too much fertilizer, so you should take steps to ensure you are applying the correct type and amount for your lawn’s needs. Fertilizer can be made of a number of things, from synthetic compounds to a variety of composted manures. When shopping for the right type, check the bag. It will have three numbers on the label, listed as # – # – #. Each number on the packaging represents the fertilizer’s percentage of three … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Bermuda Grass Versus St. Augustine Grass

. Posted by in , , • Dallas-Fort Worth
bermuda grass

Lush lawns are a homeowner’s dream, a beautiful green canvas that not only frames the home but also provides a soft setting for recreational activities. As we all know, such lawns don’t just happen. They take regular maintenance and care—even throughout the winter months.

The amount of upkeep a lawn requires relies in large part on the type of grass used. Two common varieties used in lawns across the nations are Bermuda and St. Augustine. Each has its own set of needs in order to keep it looking its best in a variety of weather conditions. A landscaping professional can answer specific questions about how either variety would be likely to perform in your area.

Let’s look at the qualities of each type of grass, how it works as a lawn grass and any special needs that each type might require.

Bermuda

Bermuda grass, pictured above, is known for being a tough variety that … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

DIY Mice Repellent: What Works and What Doesn’t

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a cat looking at a mouse

The most effective way to keep mice out of your house and yard is to contact a pest control professional. These experts have the experience and tools to help keep you and your family safe from pests like mice. They can also provide ongoing rodent control services, so you do not have to worry. However, homeowners sometimes prefer to try to take care of pest problems on their own before reaching out to a professional.

A quick search of the internet will show that there are many different ideas out there on how to repel mice. Before you try any of these DIY methods, it is important to know which ones are most likely to work. This could save you from wasting time and money on something that will never work. It is also important to understand the dangers of certain DIY mice control methods. Otherwise, you might accidentally endanger your … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How To Identify Different Types of Mice

. Posted by in , • Tyler
a house mouse which is a common type of mouse in homes

A mouse is not just a mouse. There are many different kinds of mice throughout the world. In fact, mice are a part of the rodent group. This includes thousands of different types of small and tiny mammals that use their front teeth to gnaw on things. Each kind of rodent has some things in common, but they also have several unique characteristics.

Knowing what kind of rodents you have can help you figure out why they entered your home and how to make them leave. Otherwise, you might waste precious time and money trying pest control treatments that will not work. That is why it is best to contact a qualified pest control professional to handle rodent invaders. These experts have the training and experience to take care of everything effectively and efficiently for you.

House Mice

House mice are one of the most common types of rodents found in and around … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed