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Soldier Termite: Winning the Battle Against These Pests

. Posted by in • Austin
Soldier termite

Termites. They’re one of the worst fears of every homeowner, for good reason.

Catch an infestation too late and your house can literally be eaten away from beneath you, costing you time, stress and a lot of money. All told, termite damage costs Americans billions of dollars every year, with additional billions being spent to get rid of them.

How can you protect yourself against these high costs and win the fight against termites?

Know your enemy.

In this post, you can learn all about soldier termites and the role that they have in subterranean colonies.

When you have a better understanding of what you’re up against, you’ll be far more successful at combating these incredibly destructive pests.

The Role of the Soldier Termite

Bee colonies have workers and drones and a queen. Ant colonies follow a similar structure, with a single queen, workers and males who only mate with future queens.

A termite colony is a bit … Read Full Post »

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Rodent Control: How to Build a Barn Owl Box

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

Rodent control is extremely important this time of year. Temperatures are getting cooler and rodents are looking for a warm place to spend the winter months. Fortunately for us, North Texas is home to the best possible natural rodent control: barn owls. Barn owls are expert hunters with a healthy appetite. One owl alone can eat up to 10 mice a night and have 6-to-10 chicks to feed at a time.

Another upside is that they love the grassy plain areas covering much of North Texas. However, barn owls do not construct their own nests, which can make them seem scarce in many areas. By building a simple barn owl box for them to nest in, they will quickly make it their home and, in turn, help make sure your home and garden stay rodent free.

How to Build a Barn Owl Box

Step 1: Design

The box needs to be roomy enough to … Read Full Post »

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Pest-Free Holiday Tips

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

Whether you are traveling for the holidays or inviting friends and family into your home, pests are always looking for the perfect opportunity to gain entry and enjoy the holidays with you. Unfortunately, your home provides the perfect warm environment for them to wait out the winter weather. During the holidays homes are filled with delicious smelling food, full trash cans and the constant coming and going of guests. The food smells themselves act as a beacon, inviting pests inside, while the opening and closing of doors provides the perfect opportunity.

The last thing anyone wants is to share their holiday meal with a pest that invited itself over. This holiday season, follow these helpful guidelines from the trusted professionals at ABC Home and Commercial to keep your home pest-free all winter long.

  1. Don’t leave food out or uncovered.
  2. Store firewood on a raised structure that is located at least 15 feet away … Read Full Post »

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Cigarette Beetle In Bedroom: Punchline Or Pest Problem?

. Posted by in • San Antonio
Cigarette Beetle in Bedroom

Although you may not realize it, the cigarette beetle is one of the most common pests to infiltrate our homes. Also referred to as pantry pests, these small reddish-brown shelled beetles are usually found in stored household commodities like spices and flour—items most homeowners have in their kitchen. Cigarette beetles get their name because they also feed on chewing tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and dried tobacco leaves. While it makes sense to find these creatures in your kitchen, can you find a cigarette beetle in the bedroom?

Yes, unfortunately, this beetle can be anywhere and will feed on items we don’t even consider food, including leather, dried flowers, books and even silk. Although this pest has such a funny name, homeowners find dealing with cigarette beetles is no laughing matter. While no one wants pests in their home feeding on our spices, pasta and cereal, both the cigarette beetle and the drugstore … Read Full Post »

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Identifying Rat Damage (in your DFW Home)

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

If you’ve ever had a rat in your home, then you know it is the one thing you NEVER want to have happen again. Besides nearly scaring you to death and making your skin crawl, rats cause millions of dollars in damage to homes across the country each year. Just one rat can cause thousands of dollars in structural damage and pose severe health risks to your family and pets. Spotting the signs of structural damage caused by rats will not only prevent a rat infestation from flourishing, but it can also save you money in the long run in costly repairs and prevent the severe diseases carried by these rodents.

Damage to Physical Structures

Rats are not clean animals. They leave chew marks, tracks, food trails and mark their territory in urine. As a result, you can usually spot where a rat has been before if you know to look for … Read Full Post »

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Keeping Rodents Out of Your Home

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

Here at ABC Home and Commercial, we know that the best rodent control is prevention – and keeping rodents from entering your home in the first place. Professional rodent control and eradication methods require safe removal and installing barriers to prevent them from re-entering. Having a familiarity with the type of rodents that enter your house can help you decide the best prevention methods for your home. In North Texas, homes are prone to rats, mice and squirrel invasions. While these animals may seem small and easy to outwit, according to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management they have several physical abilities that make them designed to enter small spaces to escape the cold and harsh weather conditions.

Physical Abilities of Rodents:

  • Run along or climb electrical wires, pipes, fences, poles, ropes, cables, vines, shrubs, and trees to gain entry to a building.
  • Climb almost any rough vertical surface such as wood, … Read Full Post »

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The Truth About Spiders

. Posted by in • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler

From the movie Arachnophobia to hearing your mom’s high-pitched scream coming from the kitchen, it’s safe to say that spiders are some of the most feared creatures on Earth. Over the years, they have earned themselves a deadly reputation, invoking fear and chills at the mere sight of them. Despite their notorious reputation, not all the frightening rumors about spiders are true. While some spiders are dangerous to humans they are also an integral factor in keeping other harmful pests at bay. While no one wants a spider infestation, it’s still important to understand these creatures better – and to know when to panic or when to set them free. The experts at ABC Home & Commercial have put together a few myth-busting facts on these misunderstood creatures.

The Truth Behind the Myth

  1. The average person swallows about 8 spiders a year when sleeping.

No matter who you are, this image is disturbing … Read Full Post »

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Grain Mite: Is That What’s In My Pantry?

. Posted by in • Orlando
Grain mite

Have you ever heard of grain mites? You aren’t alone. This tiny pest can have a significant impact on the food we store inside our pantries. Grain mites, or flour mites, as they are also called, are typically pale whitish-gray pests. They are small, the biggest measuring just a quarter of an inch, but they can cause significant damage when they infest pet food, horse feed, cereals, rice, dried vegetables, cheese, corn, cornmeal, and dried fruit. A female grain mite can lay up to 800 eggs so that these pests can spread rapidly throughout the infested food source.

Although this pest predominantly affects bulk grain storage, grain mites can be found in your home. So, what should you do if you see signs of grain mites in your home and kitchen? Is it bad if you unknowingly eat them, and how do you get them out of your house? Keep reading … Read Full Post »

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Keeping Pests From Moving In While You’re Away This Holiday

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler
Keeping Pests From Moving In

The holidays are upon us and that means one of two things: family and friends flooding your house or traveling to visit loved ones. It makes the perfect opportunity for overwintering pests to sneak into your empty home unnoticed.

Overwintering pests are the insects and animals that seem to disappear for the winter. Instead of disappearing, these pests find a warm, safe space to lie dormant for the winter. Your home provides the ideal winter hideout for insects such as stink bugs, Asian lady beetles and boxelder bugs, to name a few. This is also the ideal time for rodents such as mice, rats and squirrels to escape the winter elements in your home until warmer weather arrives.

If you are planning to leave for the holiday be sure to prepare your home and eliminate any possible points of entry before you leave. Taking preventative pest control measures for keeping pests from … Read Full Post »

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Carpenter Ants vs Fire Ants—Which is Which?

. Posted by in • Austin
Carpenter ants vs fire ants

Because of their size, identifying ants can be difficult. Some ant species can only be accurately classified by a pest control professional or under a microscope. However, if you know some key characteristics of different types of ants, you can usually determine which variety you are seeing in your yard or inside your home. Knowing how to distinguish carpenter ants vs fire ants can help you protect your home and your family from painful bites and the damage these pests can do. While carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects, capable of impacting your home’s property value, fire ants inflict their damage through bites that can become swollen, itchy and unpleasant.

The short answer about how to tell the difference between a carpenter ant and a fire ant is in their coloration, nesting habits and behavior. While fire ants tend to be a red-brown color, carpenter ants are generally black, brown or a … Read Full Post »

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