Types of Mosquitoes in Florida

Your new house has a problem. You knew this before you bought it. The place is gorgeous inside and out. Lots of open space. A lush yard. A patio that has a top-of-the-line grill. A bar. It’s what the deck doesn’t have that is the problem: screens.

Unlike many Florida patios, the previous owner decided not to enclose the space, which means bugs, which also implies bug bites. More specifically, mosquito bites.

What You Need To Know About The Different Types of Mosquitoes in Florida

You thought this would be a minor problem, that you could avoid the busiest mosquito times and enclose the space when you had enough money. Except there doesn’t seem to be a time when mosquitoes aren’t around. And you can no longer tell where the bug bites end, and your skin begins.

Is there anything you can do to protect yourself from mosquitoes? Absolutely. It starts with learning about what … Read Full Post »

Daddy Long Legs Lifespan And Other Facts

July 6, 2017. Posted by Vanessa Jenkins Green in Pest Control • Houston

You had an inspection done before purchasing your house. But, like any new homeowner, you want to really explore your property after moving in. Look around. Get the lay of the land. While poring over every inch of your backyard, you run across a blackish-gray mass. You walk over to pick it up to examine it, and it explodes into a swarm-like cluster of hundreds of daddy-long-legs, which can understandably come as quite a surprise.

Should you be worried? What’s the daddy’s long legs’ lifespan? Do daddy’s long legs bite? You have heard the rumors about how poisonous they are. Do you need to call an exterminator?

Everything You Need to Know About Daddy Long Legs

Before you decide this house isn’t for you, you should know a few things.

First, there are actually two creatures known as daddy long legs. One is a spider (Pholcidae), and one is not (Opiliones). One is a venomous … Read Full Post »

Orange Wasp, Mahogany Wasp: Red Wasp Nest Facts

July 5, 2017. Posted by Les Stobart in Bee & Wasp Removal, Pest Control • Bryan-College Station

It’s a hot summer day and you walk outside your front door, greeted by a familiar buzzing sound; only, it’s not a bee. It’s another scary looking creature—a red paper wasp. You know it stings, and you know where there is one wasp, a nest isn’t too far away. But what brought it to your doorstep? How can you get rid of it? What if you notice an orange wasp, or a mahogany wasp—are they related? What about a red hornet? What does a red wasp nest look like? And most importantly, how can you keep these pests from coming back and making your home their own?

The first step in understanding how to deal with any type of unwanted pest is to learn more about it. Once you know how to identify red wasps and what attracts them, you’ll be better equipped to get rid of them—for good.

Do I Need … Read Full Post »

How Long to Water Grass Seed

July 4, 2017. Posted by J Zambo in Landscaping, Lawn Care, Sprinkler Repair & Installation • San Antonio

Your yard looks fine, but there are some bald patches. So you decide to fill them in by using some grass seed. Seems pretty simple. But when you do a quick search to see how long you need to water them, the answers you get are conflicting. What’s the real story? What do you need to be doing to make sure your seeds take root and give you the lush, green lawn that you want?

How Long to Water Grass Seed

New grass seed needs special care, although it may take less time than you may think to get it growing. If you keep a few things in mind during the period of time grass seed needs to take root, your extra effort will pay off with a beautiful green lawn.

What You Should Know About Seeding Grass

When you are trying to decide how long to water grass seed, first take into consideration your planting … Read Full Post »

St. Augustine Grass: Is It Right For Your Lawn?

July 3, 2017. Posted by J Zambo in Landscaping, Lawn, Lawn Care • Austin

Many homeowners spend hours of hard work on their yard in the hopes of getting a lush, thick, green carpet of grass. If you look closely, you’ll probably notice that St. Augustine grass is a key part of many picture-perfect yards in your neighborhood.

St. Augustine Grass: Is It Right For Your Lawn?

St. Augustine is a very common type of lawn grass in parts of the United States which have mild winters. But is it right for your lawn? What kinds of pests call St. Augustine grass home? How do you take care of St. Augustine grass? Let’s explore more in depth below.

What Should I Know About St. Augustine Grass?

St. Augustine grass is a medium-to-high-maintenance grass that does best in the southern United States. Ask anyone about St. Augustine grass and they’ll all say they love the carpet-like look and feel of it.

St. Augustine is characterized by broad, flat blades of grass, … Read Full Post »

What You Need to Know About Shade Trees in Texas

June 27, 2017. Posted by J Zambo in Landscaping, Lawn Care, Tree Care & Trimming • San Antonio

You opted for the house with the big yard. Only there’s a problem. It’s kind of hard to go outside–at all–in a yard without any trees to shield you from the blistering Texas summer sun. So now you’re wondering: should I get a shade tree? More than one? What are the most common trees in Texas? How long do they take to grow? What exactly do you need to do to care for them?

What You Need to Know About Shade Trees in Texas

You can start to answer your own questions by looking around and doing some “Texas tree identification” on your own. In other words, the best place to start is with the shade trees that you see growing in your own neighborhood.

From there, though, you’re probably going to need a bit of help. You’ll need to learn what it takes to get the shade tree that’s right for you and … Read Full Post »

Lawn Care with Pets: How to Keep a Dog From Digging

June 26, 2017. Posted by J Zambo in Landscaping, Lawn • Austin

Large or small, active or couch potatoes, dogs dig. It’s built into their genes. Yet even as “normal” as digging is, coming home to a yard that looks like a bomb went off or a minefield was placed can make you question whether dog ownership is worth it. The good news for your four-legged family member is that we’ve got some tips on how to keep Fido from destroying your lawn.

Lawn Care With Pets: How to Keep Dog From Digging

Gone are the days when the family pet needs to dig a hole to hide food supplies, find food or camp out against bad weather. The family dog digs for a number of reasons or for no reason at all–sometimes it’s just fun.

Boredom

Dogs that are left alone outside for a long period of time with nothing to do will find something to do and it usually is not productive. Digging … Read Full Post »

Buying A New AC Unit? Five Things You Should Consider

June 26, 2017. Posted by Les Stobart in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

During an age when the truth is just a few clicks away, many HVAC companies trade transparency for smoke and mirrors. Focused on the upsell, these heating and cooling contractors rarely take time to explain your options, consider your budget and make the recommendation that’s best for you. At ABC Home & Commercial Services, we take a different approach. Leading the industry by example, we educate customers about what they can expect from our products and services—then provide straightforward pricing without gimmicks and fine print. It’s this honest transparency that separates us from the pack, and it’s the reason so many of our customers stick with us for years. So, where do you begin when it’s time to replace your air conditioning system? It’s a confusing process, but we’ll walk you through it.

There are many different air conditioner types to consider when choosing a new unit for your home. Don’t … Read Full Post »

Lawn Pests: Identification

June 21, 2017. Posted by Les Stobart in Lawn, Pest Control • Bryan-College Station

When you bought your new home, one of the first things that sold you on it was the large, gorgeously maintained yard. From being the greenest grass on the block to the colorful flowers and vibrant plants, it was like your own little oasis. Then something happened. Despite your best efforts, brown spots started appearing. Something was ravaging the leaves and flowers. You had been invaded. But by what? If you don’t know much about lawn pests, identification techniques or how much damage they can do, your beautiful lawn could be at risk.

You want to get rid of the pests and protect your lawn, but you’re not exactly sure what’s doing the damage. And you don’t want to get rid of helpful creatures along with the hurtful ones–not if you can avoid it.

Lawn Pests: Identification

So how do you identify which types of critters are harming your lawn? In this article, you’ll learn how … Read Full Post »

How To Control Humidity In Your Home

June 20, 2017. Posted by Les Stobart in Air Conditioning & Heating • San Antonio

When the air outside feels so much hotter than the weather report indicates, it’s usually because of the humidity. When it’s hot and humid outside, your body cannot cool down the way it naturally does. Normally, your body sweats to cool down, and you feel cooler as sweat evaporates. But sweat cannot evaporate quickly when there is too much moisture in the air.

When you go indoors and turn on your air conditioner, you feel cooler not only because the AC removes heat from the air and sends cool air through the vents, but also because your system is designed to remove moisture from the air. In fact, some of the first air conditioners were invented mainly with humidity control in mind. In this post, we’ll share some tips on how to get rid of moisture in your home and how to keep your home more comfortable.

What Is Humidity?

Humidity is what … Read Full Post »