Have You Seen This Spider?

We have not seen as many Black Widow spiders the last 10 years or so that we would see 20 or 30 years ago.  However, I have begun seeing a few in the last 3 or 4 years.  They seem to be making a come back.  The Black Widow is the most poisonous spider in the tri-state area.  The above drawing is a good example of what this spider looks like.  She is a very shiny black, medium-sized spider.  She hangs upside down in her web exposing the very bright red "hour-glass" marking.

I found one about a week ago in my back yard.  They tend to build their webs in an area that is not generally disturbed.  Next to our thrash containers, I have 4 rolls of roofing stacked against the fence.  I heard a buzzing sound like a carpenter bee might make, so I looked for it and found it caught in a spider web.  Then I saw that familiar bright red marking of the Black Widow... she was dutifully wrapping that bee up with her web.  The bee did not stand a chance despite it being almost twice the size of the spider!

If you find a Black Widow, be very careful and warn others of where she was spotted.  Although, she is the only female around, I have found as many as 8 within a 2 foot area.  She is a very dangerous spider with her bite being very painful and can be fatal.  I strongly suggest having a pest control professional exterminate Black Widow spiders.  ACCA's professionals are trained and experienced to find and eliminate spiders where ever they are located.  Give us a call at 812-479-8905 to provide you some peace of mind from this un-welcome spider.

April Showers Brings...

That old saying: "April showers brings May flowers" is generally true.  Right now the rain is not coming down as showers; but, rather, as some very heavy downpours!  I heard that we got at least 6 inches of rain in the last day or so.  That is a lot of rain that has followed a lot of previous rains.  All of this has saturated the ground increasing the time to drain off.  When it does slowly drain, where does it go?  The streets and yards are flooding!

With all of this flooding and heavy rains and you have a crawl space, you should check to ensure that you do not have any standing water under your house.  Many of us have sump pumps in our crawl spaces to remove any water that gets into the crawl space.  Check to make sure that sump pump is working properly.

If your basement is going to leak, all these rains will let water in.  Again, check your sump pump to make sure it is doing its job.  Look around in the basement for water coming in.

Your sump pump might be clogged or may just be too small or old to do the job.  If you want it checked, call ACCA to check it out for you.  We offer free inspections and free estimates. Call the office: 812-479-8905 or toll free: 800-477-7340.

Welcome 2014! Make This a Pest Free Year

Pest Free Year...
         sounds great, but how?

Do you have periodic invasions of mice, ants, wasps, crickets or bugs that you have no idea what they are?  Maybe you might want to consider having a pest control program set-up to provide protection from these invasions.

ACCA Pest Control provides a variety of programs to control pest problems inside and out of your business or home.  Our Pest Control Professional will provide a free inspection and determine what kind of pests that you will need protection.  We can offer you several programs that will be within your budget to provide solutions to fight against pest invasions before they occur.

Now is a great time to call our office for a free inspection and estimate for pest control services.  

Call for an appointment: 812-479-8905

Building Foundation Failures

ACCA uses Stabil-Loc Systems
for foundation repairs...

How do you know if you have a foundation failure?

Signs of Foundation Failure

Inside of the house:

Cracks in drywall.

Doors and windows that stick.

Cracks in floors and tile.

Misaligned doors and windows.

Outside of the house:

Gaps around doors and windows.

Cracks in foundation.

Stair step cracks in brick walls.

Chimneys tilting or pulling away.

Garage:

Separating from door.

Walls rotating out.

Stair step cracks in brick wall.

If you see any of the signs or just suspect there is a foundation problem in your home or building, call ACCA for a free inspection by our waterproofing and foundation professionals at 812-479-8905.

Certified Crawl Space Contractors in Indiana and Kentucky

Let ACCA Basements Solve Your Crawl Space Problems...

At ACCA Basements we use and recommend products developed by the Basement Systems®International network of waterproofing contractors. In business since 1987, Basement Systems® operates a full Research and Development department, constantly searching the industry for the best, most proven products for lasting crawl space solutions.

With 27 patented products, Basement Systems® provides crawl space repair solutions that include a written warranty and have been used at hundreds of dealerships across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Your free crawl space repair quote includes an on-site inspection, professional consultation, and written quote.

What is Waterproofing?

What is a waterproofing company?  What do they do?

When a basement floods…

     Do they send out a bucket brigade?

     Provide giant-sized wet-vacs?

     Bring in a tanker truck with a large sump pump?

Waterproofers can sump out the water from flooding or major plumbing leaks, but that is generally a job for companies that do clean-up work after disasters which are normally covered by insurance.  The main objective of a waterproofing company is to provide water/moisture management over the life of your home to prevent future problems and provide a healthier living environment.

Keeping basements and crawl spaces dry and free from unhealthy air and mold has become a science.  ACCA is a basement system using a variety of products, methods and solutions.

Call ACCA Companies for a free inspection: 800-477-7340 or 812-479-8905.

Indiana State Fair 2013

 Indiana State Fair Entries... 

from most of the 92 Indiana County Champions

[Click on photo to get a larger image.]

Above is a picture of about 1/3 of the state fair insect collections for the 4-H Entomology Project that are entered from across the state.

To the left is the 2013 Grand Champion for the 4-H Entomology Exhibits.  As a former 4-H member, I collected and displayed insects in display boxes like these, but my exhibits never made it from the county to the state fair.  It is very difficult to collect enough orders of insects, properly preserve & display them, and properly identify each one.
[Click on photo to get a larger image.]



This Champion Exhibit was excellent!

- Photographed and submitted by John G. West