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Moles In Texas: How To Control This Lawn Pest

. Posted by in , , • Houston
moles in Texas

When something is burrowing in your yard, it can be hard to know what you’re dealing with. Those mounds of dirt can seemingly pop up overnight, displacing plants and flowers or creating ugly tunnels. One of the possible culprits for this type of lawn damage is a mole. What kinds of moles live in Texas, and what should homeowners know about these creatures? In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about these animals, including how to discourage them from making your property their home.

Moles in Texas: How To Control This Lawn Pest

Knowing the difference between gophers, moles and voles, and which is damaging your lawn is helpful in determining the best course of action. All three burrow underground but differ in appearance and diet. When any of these animals take up residence on a golf course or another large tract of land, it can be very … Read Full Post »

Do Fleas Have Wings? Common Questions Answered

. Posted by in • Bryan/College Station
Do fleas have wings

If you’ve ever found itchy red welts on your ankles or other parts of your body, you might have wondered if you’d encountered a flea—or a whole pack of them. These tiny, annoying insects feed off animal blood, which means they bite humans as well as other animals. Thus, when they infest your pet or your home, they can become quite a nuisance. 

But how much do you really know about fleas? Do fleas have wings? How does a flea move? What other insects share similar characteristics? Read on to find answers to all your many flea questions, including how to identify them and—perhaps most importantly—how to get rid of them when you’re dealing with a flea infestation.

Do Fleas Have Wings?

While it might seem as if fleas can fly—they certainly do move quickly—they actually can’t. These members of the insect order of Siphonaptera don’t have wings. (Their order’s suffix, aptera, actually … Read Full Post »

Mosquitoes in Texas: What Homeowners Should Know

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
Mosquitoes in Texas

You’re proud of your home. You’ve spent years caring for it, improving it and making it suit your style. Your home and landscape have never looked better.

But there’s still a problem you’ll encounter, simply because you live in Texas.

Mosquitoes.

In addition to being an annoyance, these tiny biting creatures pose an immediate risk to you, your family and your pets. Maybe you’re starting to feel their presence every time you step outside or you’re tired of getting covered in itchy bites. You might find yourself wondering: are mosquitoes really a problem here in Texas?

Mosquitoes in Texas: What Homeowners Should Know

You probably can’t spend much time outside without feeling the itch of new mosquito bites. New reports of cases of mosquito-borne diseases, such as the Zika virus, don’t seem to be going away.

Now may be the time to rethink the measures you take to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes. Let’s take a … Read Full Post »

Grasshoppers vs Crickets: What’s the Difference?

. Posted by in • Orlando
grasshoppers vs crickets

There’s no doubt about it: Many insects look alike. That’s even truer when the two insects at question belong to the same family. Take crickets and grasshoppers, for example. There’s been much discussion about grasshoppers vs crickets, so let’s talk about some of the differences between the two species. 

Grasshoppers vs Crickets: What’s the Difference?

At first glance, the two insects look very similar. Their bodies are similarly structured, and they both have antennas. That said, there are several ways you can tell these hopping creatures apart.

Family Ties

Both the cricket and the grasshopper belong to the Orthoptera order. Another member of this family is the locust. While crickets and grasshoppers share a common ancestry, they belong to different suborders. Grasshoppers belong to the Caeliferans suborder, while crickets belong to the suborder called Ensifera. There are more species of grasshoppers—11,000—compared to the number of cricket species: over 900.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Though the … Read Full Post »

Are Bugs Attracted to Light?

. Posted by in • Houston
bugs attracted to light

Whether it’s a bulb on your front porch or a lamp out in the backyard, it seems that there are always bugs flying or crawling around that space. At any given time, it’s easy to see a variety of insects flocking towards the light. Why are bugs attracted to light around the exterior of your home when the sun goes down?

Are Bugs Attracted to Light?

The short answer to the question is what you are probably suspecting: yes, bugs are attracted to light. You probably have more questions about insects and light, however. Are there certain types of bugs that seem more drawn to outdoor lighting? What is it about light that seems to attract insects? Most importantly, what should we know about this phenomenon which can help us keep pesky insects away from our entryways, so they don’t make it inside? How can we keep insects from bugging us when we … Read Full Post »

How To Get Rid of Armadillos

. Posted by in , • Bryan/College Station
how to get rid of armadillos

It’s too big to be a rodent, but it’s not a raccoon or possum. What could it be digging up your yard or garden? If you are in the southeast part of the United States, one possibility—if you have ruled out your own dog—is the armadillo. Although these small mammals have a cult-like following in some parts of the country, armadillos can cause real damage by digging shallow holes all across your property in search of food, uprooting your ornamental plants and even waking you up in the middle of the night as they rub their shells against your home. As with most other types of pests, taking the time to learn more about the animal, what attracts them to your yard and what risks they pose helps better understand how to get rid of armadillos.

How to Get Rid of Armadillos

The armadillo made its way to the United States from … Read Full Post »

Grass Mites on Humans: Are They a Problem?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
grass mites on humans

Grass mites are tiny lawn pests that can difficult to see with the naked eye. Mite is actually a collective term, as there are many variations of this insect-like organism, some of which are known to feed on wild and domestic animals, including humans. Homeowners may know mites as tiny creatures that can feed on plants, but are grass mites on humans a problem? Let’s take a deeper look into these microscopic bugs to learn more about them and how they might impact you.

Grass Mites On Humans: Are They A Problem?

There are a variety of mite species that might be on your property, but the types of mites most likely to bite humans are more commonly known as chiggers. Although these species of mites live in grass and are sometimes lumped together with other bugs that are called grass mites, these animals do not feed on plant matter and are … Read Full Post »

What You Should Know About the Aedes Triseriatus Mosquito

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
Aedes triseriatus

Summer. Mosquitoes. These two things go together like chips and salsa, although we can all agree that we’d prefer our warm weather without the mosquitoes. One of the most common mosquito species you are likely to encounter in the southern states of the U.S. when it’s hot outside is the Aedes triseriatus. 

What You Should Know About the Aedes Triseriatus Mosquito

Your next question is most likely: how can I identify this type of mosquito? Where does it breed? What risks does it pose to me, my family and my pets? Perhaps most importantly, how can you protect against these biting pests? Let’s learn more about this pesky pest.

Aedes triseriatus Identification and Habitat

When you’re sitting in your backyard, enjoying time with friends and family or just listening to the quiet, you’re not likely to pay attention to which type of mosquito is biting you; you only know you’re getting bitten. So how do you … Read Full Post »

Cankerworms: What Are They?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
Cankerworms

Have you heard of cankerworms? If you haven’t, you’ve undoubtedly seen them, especially in the spring, swinging from tree to tree as they defoliate large groups of trees at a time. What are cankerworms exactly? What does it mean for you, as a homeowner? And how can you get protect yourself and your trees against these creatures if they are causing a problem?

Cankerworms: What Are They?

Cankerworms, also known as “inchworms,” are spring caterpillars which are light green to brown in color. They’re different from normal caterpillars in that they have fewer legs than most, with only two feet on their abdomens, resulting in their odd form of movement.

Cankerworms hatch just when the trees are starting to bud in the spring. They feed on broad-leaf trees, such as elm, oak, boxelder, maple and ash. They can defoliate a large swath of trees, but you’ll only notice it if the trees they’re … Read Full Post »

How You Get Bed Bugs

. Posted by in , • Bryan/College Station
how you get bed bugs

The last line from a children’s rhyme,“Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” can become all too real when bed bugs infest your home. Bed bugs are becoming more common as populations grow, travel increases and the bed bugs spread to new areas. Learn how you get bed bugs and what you can do to prevent them. 

How You Get Bed Bugs

You may have only heard of bed bugs from the children’s rhyme, or from recent new reports about bed bug infestations in cities across the country. It may not seem like a big problem, but several U.S. governmental agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), have declared bed bugs as a public health concern, even though bed bugs do not spread disease the way ticks and mosquitoes do.

So, what should you know about these pests? Where do they live? … Read Full Post »