ABC Blog

Rodent Prevention Tip: Clean Up Food!

Clean up rodent food sources and nesting sites

Keep food in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids.

Eliminate possible rodent food sources:

  • Keep food in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids.
  • Clean up spilled food right away and wash dishes and cooking utensils soon after use.
  • Keep outside cooking areas and grills clean.
  • Always put pet food away after use and do not leave pet-food or water bowls out overnight.
  • Keep bird feeders away from the house and utilize squirrel guards to limit access to the feeder by squirrels and other rodents.
  • Use a thick plastic or metal garbage can with a tight lid.
  • Keep compost bins as far away from the house as possible (100 feet or more is best).
  • Keep grains and animal feed in thick plastic or metal containers with tight lids. In the evening, uneaten animal feed should be returned to containers with lids.

If storing trash and food waste inside the home, … Read Full Post »

The Basics of Wasp & Bee Control

Wasps and bees are beneficial insects, although they are generally considered to be pests because of their ability to sting. Wasps, in particular, can become a problem in autumn when they may disrupt many outdoor activities. People often mistakenly call all stinging insects “bees”. While both social wasps and bees live in colonies ruled by queens and maintained by workers, they look and behave differently. It is important to distinguish between these insects because different methods may be necessary to control them if they become a nuisance.

APPEARANCE

Wasps have a slender body with a narrow waist, slender, cylindrical legs, and appear smoothed-skinned and shiny. Yellowjackets, baldfaced hornets, and paper wasps are the most common types of wasps encountered by people.

Bees are robust-bodied and very hairy compared with wasps. Their hind legs are flattened for collecting and transporting pollen. Bees are important pollinators. Honey bees are responsible for more than 80% … Read Full Post »

Rodent Prevention Tip: Seal Up Holes!

Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a half dollar! Prevent rodents from entering the home by checking inside and outside the house for gaps or holes.

Where to look for gaps or holes inside your home:

  • Inside, under, and behind kitchen cabinets, refrigerators and stoves.
  • Inside closets near the floor corners.
  • Around the fireplace.
  • Around doors.
  • Around the pipes under sinks and washing machines.
  • Around the pipes going to hot water heaters and furnaces.
  • Around floor vents and dryer vents.
  • Inside the attic.
  • In the basement or crawl space.
  • In the basement and laundry room floor drains.
  • Between the floor and wall juncture.

Where to look for gaps or holes outside your home:

  • In the roof among the rafters, gables, and eaves.
  • Around windows.
  • Around doors.
  • Around the foundation
  • Attic vents and crawl space vents.
  • Under doors.
  • Around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable, and gas lines.

Fill small holes with steel wool. Put caulk around the steel wool to keep … Read Full Post »

Ants: Treatment Overview

Ants have become the number one pest in homes and structures around the country. Central Texas has several types that are common invaders – Fire ants, carpenter ants, sugar ants, rover ants, pavement ants, acrobat ants, leaf cutter ants and many more. Ants can cause damage to lawns, plants, wood and food. Some can bite and sting causing health problems. They are very resourceful and can adapt to changing environments. Their populations can explode in short periods of time in and around your home. They can be very difficult to control without knowledge of the biology of the particular ant your dealing with. It is common to have problems with several different types of ants at one time.

ABC will send out a licensed inspector to determine which types of ants are currently invading your home and property. They will inspect and identify conditions conducive for ants as well as assess … Read Full Post »

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs feed on blood, principally that of humans, by piercing the skin with their elongated beaks. Although they inflict misery on their victims, bed bugs have never been proven to carry disease-causing pathogens in the United States.  Bed bugs are spread chiefly by the clothing and baggage of travelers, secondhand beds, bedding, furniture, and laundry.

A mature bed bug is a dark brown, wingless insect.  Its size and color depend on the amount of blood that the body contains.  An unfed bed bug is between 1/4 and 3/8 inch long.  The upper surface of the body has a flimsy, wrinkled appearance.  When engorged with blood, the body becomes elongated and swollen, and the color changes from brown to dull red.  Bed bug eggs are white and about 1/32 inch long.  Newly hatched bugs are translucent and nearly colorless but similar in shape to adults.  As they grow, they molt (shed … Read Full Post »