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Is Your Home on the Bug Invasion List?

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Prevention is crucial for effective pest control

No structure is immune to determined pests. Bugs have invaded five-star hotels, office towers, movie theaters and just about every other type of building, but certain homes are particularly prone to infestation. Make sure your house or apartment doesn’t have too many of these pest-friendly attributes:

1. Damaged or missing screens: Insects can squeeze through very small holes in screens on your windows or attic vents. Sadly, it may only take one bug to infest the entire home. Use tape or hot glue to patch holes until you replace a screen.

2. Unsealed gaps and cracks: Bugs constantly explore your home’s exterior surfaces. They’ll take advantage of any tiny gaps around the gas lines, utility wires, doors or windows. Some insects also enter houses by crawling through cracks in foundation walls.

3. Poorly sealed units: Cockroaches, bedbugs or fleas might infest an entire apartment or condo building … Read Full Post »

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Can I Save a Bee Allergy Victim’s Life with an EpiPen?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

If you’re lucky enough to be immune to the toxins in bee venom, you probably don’t worry much about bee stings. For “regular” folks, most bee stings are little more than nuisances that go away in a day or two. For bee allergy sufferers, however, they can be far more dangerous. Learn how to potentially save a bee allergy victim’s life with an EpiPen.

Common Bee Sting Symptoms

For non-allergic sting victims, bee sting symptoms commonly include:

• Mild rash or swelling near the sting site
• Persistent, often acute pain
• Numbness, soreness or tenderness around the sting
• Itching and minor bleeding

For those who suffer from bee allergies, signs of an allergic reaction may include:

• Lightheadedness or fainting
• Shortness of breath, wheezing or persistent dry coughing
• Vomiting, cramping and diarrhea
• Widespread rashes or swelling away from the sting site
• Profuse sweating or chills

Collectively, these symptoms describe a condition known as anaphylactic shock.

What Is an … Read Full Post »

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Weird Pest Profile: The Whip Scorpion

. Posted by in • Austin

In nature, things aren’t always what they seem. Imagine you’re working in your garden and you happen to turn over a rotten log. Underneath, you find what appears to be a scorpion. Its menacing pincers and crusty body send shivers up your spine, and you immediately fear its painful and potentially dangerous sting. Before you turn to flee in horror, stop and take a look at its back end. If it has a long, thin, whip-like tail, you may have just encountered one of Mother Nature’s clever pranks. No matter how badly it wants to, the whip scorpion can’t sting you because it doesn’t have any venom. It could pinch you if you’re brave enough to get too close, or it could spray you with an acidic, vinegar-like solution that makes you smell bad, but that’s about it.

An Arachnid Costume Party

The odd and creepy-looking whip scorpion, also known by the … Read Full Post »

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How to Protect Your Paper Goods from Cockroaches

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Living in the gorgeous San Antonio area can be exciting and fulfilling with so many wonderful opportunities for entertainment, recreation and adventure. While fun backyard parties, long days by the pool and bird watching might be on the agenda, living in the River City can also come with a few simple challenges. With incessantly hot summers and mild winters, the humid subtropical climate of Texas can be conducive to the proliferation of a variety of common household pests. When it comes to stubborn pests, cockroaches make it to the top of the list. With a remarkable ability to thrive even in the harshest of environments, it’s not surprising that these insects can do very well within the comfortable confines of our homes.

Cockroaches Can Eat Just About Anything

Cockroaches are highly evasive and love to inhabit the damp, dark and neglected areas of buildings, such as basements and attics. Although these insects … Read Full Post »

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Avoiding Costly Damages with Termite Pretreatment

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth

Termites are among nature’s most destructive pests. If you own a wooden structure, chances are good that you’re aware of the damage they can cause. By pre-treating vulnerable spaces, however, you might be able to avoid the most costly impacts of a termite infestation.

Signs of Potential Termite Damage

Termites may be active in a structure for months or years before the damage they inflict is visible. During this initial period, they dig tunnels, lay eggs and fortify their living spaces. If you’re observant, you might spot telltale signs of such activity. These include:

• Holes or cracks in furniture
• Small piles of droppings
• Bubbling or peeling paint
• Holes or “mud tubes” near the exterior walls of a structure

Most Common Types of Damage

In Texas, most termite infestations are caused by drywood termites that favor large pieces of furniture and above-ground interior walls. When termites take to furniture, they eventually cause visible damage that … Read Full Post »

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How to Scout for Harmful Pests in Your Yard

. Posted by in • Austin

Although it may look calm, your yard is home to a thriving ecosystem of life. From the microbes in the soil to the grass and flowers of your lawn, a well-tended yard hosts many types of life. Not every resident in your yard is a welcome visitor, however, and unwanted pests may be lurking just out of sight. Learning to spot the signs of unwanted pests will help you keep them under control without threatening the safety of the plants and friendly insects that dwell in your lawn.

Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs in Your Yard

Of the 30,000 insects native to Texas, only about 100 are real pests, and only a fraction of these will ever be found around your home. The vast majority of the bugs you find in your yard will be harmless or even beneficial. Beneficial insects help to keep the numbers of more threatening pests at bay. … Read Full Post »

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Garden Magic: Making an Amazing Compost Mix

. Posted by in , • San Antonio

A well-kept lawn or bright flower garden can significantly add to your home’s curb appeal and value. Of course, maintaining a beautiful lawn or garden in the hot climate of San Antonio can be tough. Keeping up with regular watering and lawn maintenance is important, but it won’t take care of all of your healthy lawn needs. If you want to create a lawn or garden that’s truly well nourished and adds value to your property, it’s time to start a compost pile.

Creating Your Basic Compost Mix

Composting is the process of allowing waste materials to decay so that they are broken down into a nutrient-rich mix that can be used to fertilize lawns, plants, trees and gardens. If you’d like to start composting, you’ll need to buy or build a compost bin. You should be able to find wire, wooden and metal compost bins. Metal bins are generally built to … Read Full Post »

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Appliance 101: What Do Your Clothes Say About Your Washer & Dryer?

. Posted by in • Austin

For modern homeowners, washers and dryers are more than just a convenience; they’re integral appliances that can throw a household into a tizzy when they break down. After all, you don’t have the time to wash your clothes by hand and hang them to dry. Fortunately, there are ways to detect a washer or dryer meltdown before it happens.

Is Your Washer or Dryer on the Fritz?

Most American families wash about 400 loads of clothes per year, making your washer and dryer some of the most frequently used appliances in your home. Be on the lookout for the following signs, which can indicate that problems are on their way:

• Your clothes aren’t completely dry after a regular drying cycle.
• Your clothes are very wrinkled when they come out of the dryer, even when you dry a small load.
• Clothes have rips, tears or holes that were not present before washing or … Read Full Post »

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15 Native Plants Every Texan Needs (Part 2)

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Last week we discussed how you can make your landscaping and lawn care more manageable by selecting native Texas plants for your yard. For the first part of this article, which focused on native trees and shrubs, click here. In the following post, we’ll introduce you to a few of the most low-maintenance, drought-resistant perennials, grasses, and vines for the Bryan and College station areas.

Native Texas Perennials

While annuals require planting or seeding each year, perennials grow back year after year from a single planting. Some annuals self-seed easily, but true perennials grow from the same root system each year. Texas has a lot of beautiful native varieties to choose from.

• Flame Acanthus—The flame acanthus is an example of a xeriscape perennial that does fine without water but produces better blooms with a little watering. Hummingbirds are drawn to the beautiful orange-red blossoms.

• Calylophus—Calylophus produces gorgeous yellow blooms that are about … Read Full Post »

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Extreme Pest Invasions

. Posted by in • San Antonio

They may come from nature, but certain pests are anything but natural as far as the area they’re found is concerned. When left unchecked, invasive pests can run rampant in new ecosystems, destroying plants, upsetting the food chain and wreaking general havoc. Here are some of history’s most extreme pest invasions.

Asian Citrus Psyllids: This small insect transmits a disease called Huanglongbing, or greening disease, which is one of the most virulent threats out there to citrus plants. Originating in Asia, these pests were first introduced to Florida in 1998 and have spread from there to Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina. They crossed the border from Mexico a decade later and now represent a serious threat to California orchards.

Erythrina Gall Wasps: These flying pests have threatened ecosystems all over the world, but they’re at their most dangerous in Hawaii. First discovered in 2005, these wasps complete their life cycles in just … Read Full Post »

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