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Water Bug Vs. Cockroach: Identification Tips

. Posted by in • Orlando
A cockroach crawling up a wall

When you see a large bug darting across the floor or—far worse—your kitchen counter, your initial response might be simply to shriek, leap around in fright or maybe take a few wild swings at it with a shoe. But later, when you’re able to think more calmly, you might start wondering exactly what kind of bug it was. Was it a cockroach or a water bug, or something else altogether? There’s plenty of confusion in the great water bug vs. cockroach debate, and for good reason: While these two bugs are distinct from one another, it can be hard to tell the difference between them—especially when you’re in the midst of an unwelcome encounter with one of these creatures.

Fortunately, there are several ways to determine whether you have cockroaches or water bugs on your property. Once you know which type of pest has invaded your personal territory, you can figure … Read Full Post »

Do Mosquito Bracelets Work? How To Prevent Mosquito Bites

. Posted by in , • Houston
An orange mosquito repellent bracelet

The return of warmer weather has most people itching to head outside—only to head back indoors as a different type of itching begins. Unfortunately, in many regions, there simply isn’t much time after winter subsides to enjoy temperate weather before mosquito season starts up. These annoying insects can seem like the bane of our existence in the spring, summer and fall, whether we’re trying to do some yard work or simply enjoy the outdoors. But how can you protect yourself from these pests and their itchy bites? Do mosquito bracelets work? What about other methods to repel them or keep them at bay? Let’s take a look at various methods of mosquito control to see what works best.

Mosquito bracelets, also called mosquito wristbands, are an appealing form of pest repellent for many people since they seem safer than lots of the alternatives, as you don’t have to rub chemicals on … Read Full Post »

Do Mosquitoes Bite Dogs? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in , • Austin
A dog that is getting bitten by a mosquito while playing in a yard

While notorious for attacking us humans, mosquitoes actually aren’t that picky—they’re more than willing to bite any mammal they can land on. If you’ve ever asked yourself the question: “Do mosquitoes bite dogs?”, you should know that these pests will prey on our precious pups. When mosquitoes are looking for a blood meal, they’re searching for a warm, active mammal. Dogs can get bitten, and other companion animals are also at risk, including cats, horses and livestock. If a mosquito can find a way to get to their skin, any of these animals can become a mosquito’s next victim.

Unfortunately, just like humans can get malaria from mosquito bites, animals can contract a number of illnesses, some that are quite serious. Heartworms are a big problem when it comes to animal mosquito bites. These parasites affect dogs, cats and ferrets, and these worms can spread their eggs through mosquito bites. Dogs … Read Full Post »

Bee Hive Vs. Wasp Nest: Identification Tips

. Posted by in • Houston
A bee hive

Bee and wasp stings are painful, so it’s easy to get nervous if you see a yellow and black creature flying around your yard–especially if they show up in areas where you and your family enjoy spending time outside. While not all of these insects are dangerous, many different types of bees and wasps look alike. It’s important to know what kind of insect you’re dealing with before you try to get rid of them. The safest way to deal with stinging insects is to contact a pest control professional. However, if you want to try to identify a bee hive or wasp nest on your own, there are a few precautions you can take to increase your safety.

Before you approach the focal point of bee or wasp activity, put on light-colored protective clothing like pants, a long-sleeved shirt and closed-toe shoes. To avoid attracting these insects, avoid wearing bright … Read Full Post »

How Many Times Can A Mosquito Bite?

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
A mosquito biting someone

If you’ve ever spent a beautiful evening in your yard, only to later discover that you’re covered in mosquito bites, you’ve likely wondered how many times a mosquito can bite. Was it just one mosquito that’s to blame for your current situation, or was it a whole swarm that descended on your property?

Simply put, a mosquito can bite as many times as she wants or can. There is no limit. Female mosquitoes (and only females!) feed on blood until they are full. If a mosquito is interrupted before filling up, she’ll just bite again. Once her abdomen is full of blood, she rests for 2 to 3 days and then lays her eggs. Most mosquito species live up to about three weeks. During that time, a female can lay up to five clutches of at least 100 eggs at a time. Unfortunately, this means that your mosquito problems aren’t going … Read Full Post »

Do Bed Bugs Smell? What Homeowners Need To Know

. Posted by in , • Dallas/Fort Worth
Decorative pillows on a gray bed

Some people wonder if bed bugs give off a particular scent that can signal their presence in the home. Others are wanting to know whether bed bugs themselves possess a sense of smell; if they do, there might be odors that bed bugs find repellent that could be used to deter them from infesting people’s homes.

Bed bugs do give off a certain, unpleasant scent when they’re disturbed, which is related to the pheromones they emit when alarmed. Some people have described it as a sweet or coriander-like scent, while others have said it’s a musty or moldy smell. This scent might not be obvious to everyone, however—some people can’t smell it at all—and it might only be detected when there are lots of bed bugs present, indicating a heavy infestation.

This means that if there are bed bugs present somewhere in your home, chances are, you won’t smell them—and if you … Read Full Post »

Bed Bugs In My Couch: What Should I Do?

. Posted by in , • Orlando
bed bugs in a couch in a brown living room

If you’ve had an experience that led you to suspect the presence of bed bugs in your couch, you might wonder if that’s even possible. The name “bed bugs,” after all, suggests these pests are found in people’s sleeping areas, not their living room furniture. But anyone who’s ever dozed off on the couch while watching their favorite TV show and then later found lines of itchy red bumps on their skin knows that isn’t true.

Bed bugs definitely don’t restrict themselves to beds, although they are most often found in places where people sleep. That’s because they are safest when they feed on the blood of their victims while they are still, often when a person is fast asleep. Bed bugs have been known to infest many types of furniture and spaces where people spend lots of time, including couches, sectionals and easy chairs. So, if you suspect there are … Read Full Post »

Do Mosquito Foggers Work? How To Get Relief

. Posted by in , • Houston
A backyard with lots of greenery that might make a homeowner wonder: do mosquito foggers work

Whether we’re attending neighborhood barbecues, hosting parties outside, playing with our kids in the backyard or all of the above, we tend to spend more time outdoors as the weather starts to warm up. Unfortunately, warmer weather doesn’t just mean we get to spend more time with family and friends in our yards—it also means that mosquitoes are back. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of multiple mosquito bites knows that it’s an unpleasant experience. And, if you’ve recently felt attacked by these biting insects while spending time in your own yard, you’re probably looking for a solution. Fortunately, there are a lot of options for mosquito control out there, but some of these methods are more effective than others. You have likely heard of a variety of different products that claim to kill these pests, such as bug zappers, citronella candles and mosquito foggers. But, how effective … Read Full Post »

Can Bed Bugs Live In Carpet? Your Questions Answered

. Posted by in , • Austin
A bed bug crawling on someone

If you’re currently dealing with a bed bug infestation, or wonder if what you have seen in your home are bed bugs, you probably are wondering where these pests can be hiding. Since we typically can’t feel a bed bug bite, it can be difficult to know when we are getting bitten, even if we understandably assume it’s in our beds. To make matters even more complicated, some people don’t have an allergic reaction to a bed bug bite until as long as two weeks after it happens. With that in mind, how can you find these tiny pests? Can bed bugs hide in your carpet? Where else do they tend to spend time?

Yes, bed bugs can live in carpet, as well as in and around just about every upholstered surface in your home. A bed bug’s narrow body lets it hide easily in the smallest cracks and crevices, including … Read Full Post »

Do Mosquitoes Nest? Controlling These Pests

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
A backyard with lots of greenery that could contain a mosquito nest

Some people aren’t bothered by mosquitoes, but most of us can’t stand them. Their itchy bites, that annoying whine in the ear, even the tiny tickle on the skin when they’re hovering around—for many of us, mosquitoes are seriously annoying! Summertime is prime mosquito season, but if you live in a warmer, wetter part of the country, you might have to deal with them for the better part of the year. And if you have a mosquito problem at your home, you might find yourself wondering whether or not mosquitoes make and live in nests.

This is a great question, and the answer involves an issue of semantics. Mosquitoes do not technically nest or build nests for living and breeding the way that ants, termites, bees, wasps and other insects do. Since mosquitoes aren’t social the way these other insects are, they have no need for a nest. While mosquitoes don’t … Read Full Post »