The Homeowner's Guide to Pest Control & Termite Services

PETALUMA — Ant infestations are a common problem in homes, especially during winter and summer. Many homeowners assume that using an over-the-counter insecticide is the best way to treat for ants. In reality, insecticides aren’t particularly effective against ants—they just cause them to scatter. An equally effective way to treat for ants is to wipe away the trail with a wet, soapy washcloth or sponge. This will do the same job and you won’t have to bring insecticide into your home. Before removing the ants, it’s a good idea to track the trail and see if you can determine where they’re coming from. If you can get a rough idea of where the infestation originated, Read more

WINDSOR — Like most people, you probably take a preventative approach to checking up on your car, your teeth, and other crucial aspects of your daily life and health. However, even if you’re proactive about these things, there’s another crucial check-up you might be neglecting: professional termite inspections. Termites are a constant threat to homeowners in the North Bay Area. Whether drywood or subterranean varieties, when termites infest the wood elements of a home, they can end up causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage and undermining its structural stability. What’s more, the abundance of rain we received this past winter (2018-19) has increased the threat of subterranean termites. When water collects underneath a home (a common result of untreated drainage problems), Read more

HAYWARD — There are several ways to treat a termite infestation, but the best option is to prevent it from happening in the first place. You can do this by having a reputable termite company perform regular inspections of your home and property. As a preventative measure, all Bay Area homeowners should have termite inspections performed every three to five years. During an inspection, the technician will look for signs of activity from termites, wood-boring beetles and other wood-destroying insects, as well as more passive (yet equally destructive) agents like dry rot. The technician will also assess your property and take note of any conditions that make it more susceptible to infestation. By identifying both harmful activity and conducive conditions, Read more

DANVILLE — Any pest infestation is a problem, but a rat infestation can be particularly unsettling. That’s why it’s wise to take preventative measures to keep rats out of your home. Here are two simple steps: Keep your roofline clear of vegetation. A common point of entry for rats is the attic, but in order to enter, they have to get up on the roof. Often, they’re able to do this by climbing up tree branches or vines growing adjacent to the home. To cut off this route of access, trim back any vegetation that comes into contact with your roofline. Even if it isn’t quite touching, rats can jump, so don’t take any chances—cut those branches and vines back at least 18 inches. Read more

LOS GATOS — In this day and age, pest control is not a “nice to have”—it’s essential for preserving human health. Pests carry diseases that infect people and strain communities. For many years, North America seemed immune to the devastating consequences of pest-borne diseases, but those days are gone. Changing weather patterns, cross-border shipment of goods, population density growth and global travel have all contributed to an increase in diseases that can be tracked directly back to a specific host pest. Here are the pests of most concern to public health and pest control professionals today: Mice and rats Mice and rats carry a wide array of pathogens, almost all of which can be transmitted to humans. Read more