San Francisco Pest Control Companies Keep The Critters Away

Posted on May 3, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

Rodents — mice, rats, and their ilk — can really put a damper on your day. Not only can they leave disease-ridden pellets all over your home, but they eat cloth and papers (ironically, they have the easiest time getting to the ones you were saving in the boxes in the back rooms.) There’s little end to the pain in the butt that THAT can cause. Of course, that doesn’t even start to cover the creepy crawlies you get on your skin from seeing them scuttling about or the grating on your nerves if you hear them chewing on the walls in the middle of the night.

If you’ve got even the slightest sign of a rat or mouse infestation, it’s time to call rodent control. San Francisco has several highly-qualified pest control companies that specialize in rats and other rodents. Even if all you have are minute gnaw-marks on your baseboards or curtain bottoms, there’s no harm in calling an inspector to find out how bad your problem really is.

The flipside, of course, is letting them sit. If you do that, you’ll soon be in trouble– given just a few months, two rodents can become eight or ten, and within a year, those numbers grow exponentially to fifty or more — as much as the food supply will allow. These little buggers multiply and hide under furniture, under patios, inside of porches, and anywhere they can find easy food, warmth, and shelter from the weather.

In the olden days of 1990-something, the Bay Area pest control company would come out with one of two options: trapping and poison. Today, there are many more options. Not only is it possible to apply simple solutions to prevent rodents from getting into your house, there are also several ways of getting rid of these creatures without killing them. Mice, for example, are allergic to (of all things) peppermint, so a simple peppermint spray will keep mice away from your property.

Call your local Bay Area rodent removal specialists as soon as you recognize that you have a potential problem — it’s always best to discover one or two mice sharing your living space than ten or twenty.

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What To Do To Keep Your Pets Safe When Bay Area Pest Control Comes To Visit

Posted on April 26, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

Sometimes, you know you need to call out your local Bay Area pest control services. But you’re worried — what’s going to happen to Fluffy, Scruffy, Muffy, and Doc? Should you wait until you can arrange for a kennel stay for the furry ones, or can you just take them for a long walk?

Well, the one thing that’s a sure thing is that you shouldn’t wait on calling the pest control — San Francisco‘s pests aren’t going to just sit back and chill while you try to make up your mind; every day they have, they’re spreading, breeding, and infesting anything they can reach. Fortunately, most pest control measures are perfectly pet-friendly, and the ones that aren’t can be avoided rather easily.

The first step is to inform your exterminator that you have pets. Tell them what kind, what size, and how many. Most modern pest control groups have eco-friendly, chemical-free options for people with pets and young children; it might cost a few dollars extra, but it’s worth it in the long run.

In the majority of cases, you can simply shut your pet into a room that isn’t going to be treated for a few hours (if it’s animal-appropriate, an external pet house is perfect.) Depending on the precise pest being treated for, sometimes you will need to find an overnight kennel for your pets, because some treatments unavoidably leave chemicals in the air that need several hours to get out of your home.

Fortunately, those treatments are rare. Look at it this way: the pest removal companies don’t want to have to kick you out of your home, so they’ve developed excellent human-safe techniques for eliminating most pests — and your pets are generally just as safe as you’ll be, especially if the pest control guys know that they’re around.

Of course, the best thing you can do is simply communicate: ask your pest control guys openly if they’re doing anything that Fluffy and Doc should be worried about, and respond appropriately.

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A San Francisco Exterminator’s Guide to the DefCon Levels of Pest Control

Posted on April 19, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

This here is for people who are having issues with pests, be they rats, spiders, cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, termites, or something else entirely. Not all pest sightings need to be responded to with a call on the Red Phone to the pest control company. Many, however, do, and it’s can be hard to tell when it’s time to make The Call.

PestCon5:
PestCon 5 is normal everyday life. You don’t think about pests because you don’t need to; they’re not making themselves known.

PestCon4:
PestCon4 means you should be on the lookout for pests. Basically any springtime in San Francisco or the Bay Area, because of termite swarms and the like. Also, should you find moisture in an unexpected place in your home, because many pests will happily move into a wet, dark environment. Essentially, PestCon4 means you have reason to believe there are pests in your area, but they haven’t really impinged on your life yet. If you haven’t had a Bay Area pest control expert out to inspect your property in more than a year, PestCon4 is the right time to get a fresh inspection done.

PestCon3:
PestCon3 is invoked when you’ve seen evidence of a pest inside your home. Whether it’s a termite wing, a spider corpse, or rat droppings, if you’ve seen the proof but you haven’t come face-to-face with a pest, it’s PestCon3 time. Regardless of how long it’s been since your last inspection, PestCon3 means it’s time for a new inspection.

PestCon2:
PestCon2 happens when you come face-to-face with a pest in your home environment. If there are cockroaches under your fridge, rats chewing audibly on your walls while you sleep, or bedbug bites on your legs when you wake up, you’ve reached PestCon2. It’s time to call your favorite San Francisco exterminators and have them come out and cleanse your environs.

PestCon1:
PestCon1 means you’re actually getting sick or otherwise affected by the pests in your home. Poisonous spider bites, termites causing visible wood damage, or other bugs costing you money in property damage or medical bills are the last straw — it’s time to get someone out there and nuke them all, end of story.

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Why Pest Control? SF Has Billions of Answers

Posted on April 12, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

Pests have been around since before humankind had a word for ‘pest’ — or probably words at all, for that matter. But what exactly is a pest? Strictly speaking, a creature that is a pest to you might be a pet to someone else. But in general, if a creature’s existence threatens your property or your health, it’s probably a pest that someone, somewhere specializes in getting rid of. In particular, termites, wild rats, and bedbugs are universally recognized as pests in the San Francisco area.

Pest control is the practice of finding and eliminating these annoying and potentially dangerous little critters. It’s a profession as old as the first mousetrap, back when the earliest agriculturalists discovered mice munching on their stored grains. The rise of the modern city also gave rise to a new kind of vermin: termites, cockroaches, and other bugs that thrive in the secure, predator-free environments that human houses create.

Ever since we learned the lessons of the Bubonic Plague — a disease carried by fleas and ticks, which were in turn carried by rats; it killed nearly a third of Europe’s population within a single year — pest control has been a very serious business for humankind. Pest control goes far beyond spraying a bit and laying some traps, however. Total pest control goes beyond the borders of your home and into the surrounding territory.

Today, there are lots of reasons to call for pest control. SF alone has an insect and rodent population that measures in the billions, and it’s a virtual certainty that some of them live inside your home.

That’s why San Francisco exterminators are in such high demand right now — everyone has pests in their lives somewhere. With the knowledge of the most common pests and the ability to research the rare ones, the exterminators of SF know their way around a remediation. They represent the best way to secure your living space against the vermin that live around it.

Of course, time changes all things, and no single visit from even the most skilled exterminator is going to last forever. We suggest calling someone to do an inspection for pests around your home every year right at the vernal equinox, just before the pests really get into full gear. That way, you’ll be secure during the worst part of the cycle.

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10 Bugs Your Bay Area Termite and Pest Control Company *Loves*

Posted on April 5, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

Your favorite Bay Area termite and pest control company doesn’t hate all bugs — just the pesty ones. Here’s ten bugs they adore, and ten good reasons why.

10 – Honeybees
Kind of an obvious one. Honeybees pollinate our favorite wildflowers, make honey, and generally aren’t a nuisance at all. What’s not to love?

9 – Green Lacewings
Green lacewings are a blessing to any home and garden. They consume aphids, mites, whiteflies, thrips, and other garden-destroying pests — all while providing nearly the same level of pollination as honeybees!

8 – Ladybugs
Who doesn’t love adorable little ladybugs? Ladybugs are the original Defenders of the Rose, consuming the aphids that treat roses as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

7- Phytoseiulus Persimilis
While it might like a classy name, PP is known in some circles as the Mitekiller, because it finds and eats mites at all stages of their lifecycle. Releasing a pile of them into your garden is considered a form of eco-friendly pest control.

6 – Minute Pirate Bugs
Another predator of thrips, aphids, and caterpillars, the minute pirate bug sucks out the guts of it’s pray with a dagger-like beak, thus the name.

5 – Fireflies
Fireflies use their glowing butts to attract mates. How cool is that? They don’ t do much else to set them apart, but they sure look neat, and they don’t do any harm to humankind.

4 – Dragonflies
Dragonflies eat mosquitoes. What more do you need to know?

3 – Crickets
Crickets are known for their distinctive chirping by which you can tell the temperature. Like the ladybugs, they’re purely aesthetic, but it’s a wonderful aesthetic, so who cares?

2 – Praying Mantis
Praying Mantis look like predators, and they are — they eat mosquitoes, caterpillars, leafhoppers, aphids, mites, and other insects that prey on innocent plant life.

1 – Spined Soldier Bugs
An unsung hero of the eco-pest-control movement, spined soldier bugs are butt-ugly, but they’re incredibly effective at eliminating worms, loopers, beetles, and other pests that few insects are so willing to take on.

Not every company that does pest control for San Francisco will have these bugs on hand as a part of their eco-friendly pest control motion — but several will. Ask yours and find out!

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Seven Signs your Need A Termite Inspection: San Francisco Edition

Posted on March 29, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

It may only be the verge of Spring, but that’s no reason to wait: termites are gearing up for swarming season. They may be well-hidden and quiet at the moment, but that’s no excuse not to get a professional termite inspection. San Francisco turns into termite central in about six weeks, and it’s much easier to ferret them out now rather than wait and try to catch them in midair between here and there.

Here are seven things you can look for that are red flags and should get you on the phone with your local termite crew immediately:

Swarming Termites
The obvious one — if you see a bunch of termite flying about, it’s because they’re looking for a new place to settle down. If you’re not careful, that new place could be yours. A good place to look is near your home’s exterior lights just as it starts to get dark out.

Termite Shelters
If you find stiff mud with holes in it or signs of termite burrowing in the wood of your home, you know you will have a termite problem come April. Don’t wait around; alert your Bay Area termite and pest control company immediately.

Termite Remains
Obviously if you find a termite carcass or wings or sand-side droppings inside of your home, you need a termite inspection as of about a week ago.

Water
Termites tend to settle in cool, wet areas around your home and yard. That means if you find water somewhere it’s not supposed to be, it’s likely that termites are somewhere nearby.

Dirt
If you find dirt in an unexpected place, especially in your basement, it could be because termites have made their way inside through the earth. Get your home inspected promptly.

Unsealed Windows
If your windows or doors don’t seal properly, it’s an invitation for swarming termites to wander in and take up residence in your home. It’s certainly not a sign of a guaranteed infestation, but it’s kind of like high cholesterol — you want to get it looked at even if you’ve never had a heart attack.

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Spring Is The Season of the Termite in San Francisco

Posted on March 22, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

Springtime is ‘boom season’ for termites — but if you wait until Spring has sprung before you call the bay area termite exterminators, you may be too late. The best way to prevent a termite swarm from taking up residence in your home is to nab them before the queens take flight.

If you schedule a termite inspection now, while it’s still cold, you can catch the future swarm while it’s still all in once place and quiescent — and much easier to kill off. If you wait until they’re already awake, you might miss a queen, which means you’ll find that your efforts have completely failed to eliminate the termites. San Francisco exterminators much prefer to nab them before they take wing so it’s easier to whack them all.

Even if your wintertime termite inspection finds you termite-free now, you might want to ask some experts to come in and help you termite-proof your home before Spring hits. By sealing up entry points and spraying places that a new swarm would be likely to settle down, you can keep your home safe from the property damage (and general grossness) that a young swarm will bring to your living space.

On your own, there are a few things you can do to reduce your vulnerability to termites. First, keep any free-standing wood away from your house’s walls and undercarriage. Firewood, old sheds, and the like should be kept well away from the home, or termites thriving on the wood will easily find their way into your home.

Similarly, make sure that your attic, crawl space, and basement are dry. Termite swarms require water to survive, so a dry space is a termite-free space. Also make sure that your gutters deposit water well away from the home to prevent water buildup against your foundation for the same reason.

There is no ‘season’ for termite control — the little buggers are always there; sometimes they’re just more or less active than others. There’s no wrong time to call a termite inspector or a termite removal specialist — no wrong time except ‘too late’.

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Bed Bug Exterminator: San Francisco Hospitals May Already Need One

Posted on March 15, 2012 by bay_area_pest_control

Hospitals face a lot of challenges in their normal day-to-day operations, and pest control is one of the bigger ones. Even with modern sanitation and janitorial practices, there are several kinds of pests that are much more prevalent than the hospital would like you to believe, which is why so many pay for a regular visit from pest control. SF hospitals are extensive complexes, with lots of ways in and out, not to mention lots of people moving about constantly.

In a hospital scenario, a single person who brings in a few bedbugs on their clothing can cause a full-blown infestation before the hospital staff even realize it’s happening. With bedsheets, clothing, and even beds themselves in continuous circulation around the place, the bed bugs can spread like wildfire.

A Pain In The Bed

Bed bugs don’t just leave annoying little red sores on your body. They can also carry Staph infections — remarkably common in hospitals — from one person to another and sicken an entire floor overnight. This can lead to pneumonia, toxic shock syndrome, meningitis, and a host of other nastier diseases that will take advantage of a system weakened by a Staph infection.

Even without spreading infections, bedbugs can cause allergic reactions in some people, and anyone — over time — can become sensitized to a bedbug’s bite to the point that it causes pain. That pain can reduce your sleep quality and leave you waking up with the sensation that you haven’t slept much at all.

Prevention Is The Best

A exterminator isn’t just the guy you call once you realize you have bed bugs — hospitals benefit quite a bit from monthly or even weekly visits from a bed bug exterminator. San Francisco hospitals’ exterminators are trained to spot the signs of an outbreak and quell it before it really blooms.

Extermination Is The Rest
Of course, sometimes prevention fails for any of several reasons — all the more need for San Francisco hospitals to keep a bed bug exterminator at their beck and call. When the inevitable finally does occur, it pays to be prepared.

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Coming Soon

Posted on February 23, 2012 by admin

More articles coming soon.

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