Doyle Security Blog

If you’ve spent more than two seconds outside these last few days, you’re well aware of the blisteringly cold temperatures across our region. With wind chills taking temperatures into the negatives and several feet of snow on the ground, it’s safe to say that winter is fully upon us. These harsh conditions remind us of an issue that some homeowners may not be thinking about: freezing pipes. While it’s easy to forget about this issue, as most pipes are hidden in the walls of your home, one slip-up could cost you thousands of dollars in damage. But we’re here to help! Let’s take a look at how to prevent freezing and what to do if freezing does occur.

Did you know Sunday is National Squirrel Appreciation Day? Neither did I! As someone who has dealt with these often-pesky rodents getting in my attic, I can safely say it’s frequently hard to appreciate them this time of year. As the temperatures drop, squirrels that couldn’t find a proper den or drey make their way to susceptible homes. Much like a burglar, these little trouble makers can cause a lot of damage to our home and our wallets. Keep reading to find out ways to remove squirrels from your attic or prevent it from happening all together so that you can enjoy your Squirrel Appreciation Day squirrel-free.

“Honey, there’s water in the basement,” are six words you never want to hear. Cue the scramble to move precious boxes of holiday decorations, family photos, and valuable items to higher ground before they’re destroyed, then figure out how to deal with the cleanup, insurance claims, and inevitable repairs. Thousands of dollars and many headaches later, you’ll be lucky to recover with minimal loss and damage.  But, that’s only if you’re lucky enough to be home when a flood happens.

Who doesn't love football? With this Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons, many of us will spend the evening surrounded by friends, watching the game and eating great food. All of that great food means more time spent in the kitchen, which means more possibility for kitchen accidents. Follow these easy steps to make sure that you make it to gametime injury-free:

The holidays are always a joyous time filled with fun, food, family and friends. It’s unfortunate that it also happens to be a time of increased package theft.  If you’re one of the many people who prefer to do their holiday shopping online, you might be interested in these tips for keeping your packages safe this season. 

A motion detector is an integral part of your security system, as the main device that is able to detect when someone is inside your home when they shouldn’t be. There is a variety of technologies used in detecting movement in an area. When the motion sensor is tripped, a signal is sent directly to your security system’s control panel and out to our monitoring center, alerting you and central station to a potential threat in your home.

Whether hiding your money stash from burglars or secret documents from nosy house guests, concealing your valuables is an art form. Trust us - places like under your mattress, behind the toilet tank, or in your sock drawer don’t cut it anymore. Here are a few tips to keeping your belongings safe and under wraps from even the smartest burglar.

Home automation is the ability to remotely control and adjust certain appliances and systems in your home from the convenience of a smart device. This can be your computer, mobile phone or tablet. Whether you’re in your home, at work, at a friend’s house or any other location, you have complete control over every aspect of your house. To find out how easy and efficient these products are, we spoke with Doyle Security Customer Neil from Brighton, NY.

Did you know that residents and businesses located in the cities of Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Buffalo with a functioning alarm system must have an alarm permit?

What is Z-Wave?