Where Do Sugar Ants Come From? How To Keep Them Away

You’re in your kitchen, enjoying a nice cup of coffee or getting ready to start prepping dinner when you suddenly notice little black ants everywhere. While sugar ants are often small—about the size of pepper flakes—and they don’t typically bite humans, it can still be unnerving to spot them in your living spaces.

Even if you clean your home regularly, sugar ants can still invade. This is especially true if you have children living in the home who might make it tough to stay on top of every drip and spill of sugary items that attract sugar ants, like juice, jelly, chocolate milk or maple syrup. So where do sugar ants come from, and if you have a sugar ant infestation, what can you do to get rid of these unwelcome pests?

Unfortunately, sugar ants can make their homes just about anywhere. These insects can nest inside homes and in virtually any … Read Full Post »

How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes In The House

Your home is normally the best place to relax and unwind. But recently, just when you were decompressing after a long day, you heard it. That ominous buzzing in your ear that tells you that there’s a mosquito nearby.

Nothing interrupts your moment of Zen quite like hunting down one of these bloodsucking pests so that you can avoid getting bitten. Naturally, after one of these experiences, you’re left wondering how to get rid of mosquitoes in the house. In this blog post, we will explore why mosquitoes may decide your humble abode is a perfect place to stick around, and provide you with tips on how to keep these pesky pests in their natural environment.

Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Indoor Mosquito Population

Do you constantly feel like you are swatting away mosquitoes, even when you are inside? When trying to control an indoor mosquito problem, the following do-it-yourself methods … Read Full Post »

How Many Tons of AC Per Square Foot Do I Need?

February 20, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

As temperatures begin to climb higher and higher, some homeowners realize that the time has come to purchase a new air conditioner. If you have added to your square footage in recent years or had ongoing heating and cooling issues, you may ask yourself: How many tons of AC per square foot do you need to keep your home comfortable and your energy bills low? Buying the right size AC unit for your space is critical for anyone who wants a unit that will work efficiently and last for years. If you install an AC that’s too small, it won’t be powerful enough to cool your living space effectively. This will run up your electricity bill and could potentially burn out the motor and other components as the unit stays on for prolonged periods of time, churning out cool air in vain.

If you install an AC unit that’s too large, … Read Full Post »

How To Save A Dying Tree: A Closer Look At Tree Health

February 6, 2019. Posted by J Zambo in Lawn, Tree Care & Trimming • San Antonio

Homeowners with mature trees typically love them for their shade, majestic beauty and the enhanced curb appeal and property value they provide. But if you have a tree that seems to be ailing, you may wonder how to save a dying tree. Many homeowners also wonder how to recognize the symptoms of a tree that is diseased or otherwise in need of help, so they can provide care before it’s too late.

There are a number of different diseases that can infect a tree’s branches, roots or foliage. So many, in fact, that you may need the help of a professional who specializes in trees to give you an accurate assessment of your tree’s health. The good news is, most tree diseases cause a range of visible symptoms that can serve as warning signs, enabling homeowners to intervene on behalf of the tree’s health. The not-so-good … Read Full Post »

Water Heater Making A Popping Noise? What You Can Do

January 21, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Plumbing • San Antonio

One of the last sounds you want to hear when you’re in the garage or laundry room is your water heater making a popping noise. While anything audible coming from your unit is a cause for concern, you should know that this sound often indicates a sediment buildup in your tank—something you’ll want to take care of sooner, rather than later. Once you troubleshoot what your issue is, you’ll be faced with a decision: whether to try to fix the problem on your own, or call in a professional.

Similar to when you take your car in for a suspicious sound and a mechanic asks you to describe it, you’ll discover as you do your homework that different noises can indicate different problems. Maybe you’ve noticed your water heater making a noise like running water, or you hear something coming from your water heater only when the hot water is turned … Read Full Post »

Does Dog Pee Kill Grass? How To Protect Your Lawn

January 7, 2019. Posted by J Zambo in Lawn • San Antonio

A homeowner with pets and a brown, patchy-looking lawn might wonder: Does dog pee kill grass? Maybe you’re not even a dog owner, but your neighbor’s pet has a habit of using your yard to do its business. Could this be a contributing factor?

The short answer is that it’s certainly possible. Due to the high protein content of most dogs’ diets, these animals’ urine contains a high concentration of nitrogen and salts, which can have a burning effect on grass and can cause yellow or brown spots in an otherwise healthy-seeming lawn. People with female dogs may notice even more concentrated spots of discoloration in their grass, since female dogs tend to squat to urinate in a single location, rather than relieving themselves in shorter spurts onto trees, bushes and fire hydrants, as male dogs typically do. Also, larger dogs pee in larger volumes than smaller dogs, so their daily … Read Full Post »

Garbage Disposal Humming: Quick Fix Or Big Problem?

January 2, 2019. Posted by Tom Riggs in Appliance Repair, Plumbing • San Antonio

We tend not to think much about our appliances. That is, until something goes wrong.

One evening, as you are going about your normal routine, you scrape your leftover food from your dinner plate, turn on the disposal and wait for that familiar and gratifying noise of food heading down your garbage disposal.

But something’s not quite right. What’s that humming sound? There’s supposed to be roaring. Grinding. Not a soft little purr.

But that’s all you’re getting.

What does it mean? Is there some kind of quick fix? Or is your disposal ruined?

We rely on our garbage disposals after pretty much every meal. We expect these appliances to take whatever we throw at them and keep on going, even when you don’t notice and a spoon slips down your drain or your children put eggshells in the garbage disposal.

Unfortunately, these kinds of common plumbing mistakes—as well as just general wear and tear—can cause … Read Full Post »

Furnace Leaking Water In Winter: What Should You Do?

December 17, 2018. Posted by Tom Riggs in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

It’s winter, and that furnace you don’t think twice about for the rest of the year is finally getting some work.

Not that you typically gave your heater much thought, even during the colder months. When your house started to get chilly, you’d turn the temperature up on your thermostat to get things toasty, and that was that.

That is, not until last week. That day, you were in the attic and you saw something that gave you pause: the furnace was leaking water. Is it supposed to be doing that? Should you get it fixed?

This is an issue that heating professionals get asked all the time, and the short answer is pretty simple: no, your furnace should not leak, and yes, you absolutely need to have it repaired if you notice an accumulation of water around this appliance.

Before you start to panic, however, it’s important to understand two things:

This is actually a pretty … Read Full Post »

Benefits Of Pruning For Healthy Plant Growth

November 21, 2018. Posted by J Zambo in Tree Care & Trimming • San Antonio

Trees might be the oldest, largest living organisms on Earth, but they’re not invincible. For a tree to live a long, healthy life in an urban environment, these plants need some human assistance.

Outside of their natural growing environment in the wild, trees often require pruning for them to improve clearance, develop a durable structure and maintain their aesthetics.

Pruning helps a plant exhibit its most desirable attributes. Many plants—including spring-flowering plants like spirea, viburnums, weigela and strawberry bush, as well as summer-flowering plants like roses, hibiscus and crape myrtle—stand to benefit greatly from proper pruning.

How so?

Pruning promotes health by enabling you to get rid of sickly or diseased plant parts. Trimming also helps with insect management. Lastly, removing dead or dying branches or stems enhances the beauty of your plants.

Here’s the bad news: improper pruning could potentially cause severe damage that can, in the most severe cases, contribute to the death … Read Full Post »

What Do Grubs Eat? How To Avoid Common Lawn Problems

November 7, 2018. Posted by Holt Myers in Lawn Care, Pest Control • San Antonio

You used to have a great lawn. From the street, your yard was lush and green, with grass blades that swayed in the wind and glistened with dew in the morning.

Then, one day, you started noticing that patches were beginning to get thin. There were even brown patches.

What in the world was happening?

This isn’t a simple question to answer, because as any lawn expert will tell you, there are a number of possible culprits.

One of the most common lawn pests is grubs. Grub worms are common destroyers of lawns across America, and the south is no different—except that these critters tend to prefer warm-weather lawns. If you want to keep your yard healthy and looking good, you need to watch out for grubs.

What do grubs do that makes your lawn look thin and patchy? The short answer to this question is that these pesky critters eat it.

Exactly what they eat … Read Full Post »

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Steps You Can Take To Reduce Your Indoor Mosquito Population