Today I want to share with you a very icky subject -- bugs and reptiles! If you're bug phobic, you might want to skip this edition because we are going to tell you all about the creepy crawlies which are a normal part of daily living here in the desert.
Every climate has its own varieties of pesky pests (is that redundant?) Some of them fly, some crawl, some slither, some nibble, and some sting. Most are not poisonous, just annoying. But when you live in a desert, critters are a way of life.
From my perspective, the biggest pest annoyance is crickets. Cricket 'season' runs from about June until September and they can be maddening in their volume and persistence. We once had a home where we do the pest control but we could not overcome the crickets.
They came up out of the drain every week even though the traps were wet, and despite the fact we sprayed pesticide into the drains! They came in under the doors and around the windows. We could not figure out the problem at this one particular home. We even had other homes on that same street that were not infested with crickets the way this one was.
Finally, we realized the client had an abundance of cardboard, brown paper bags and newspapers in the home. For some reason, the paper was attracting the crickets. The minute we removed all of it, the crickets went away. It was like magic!
When it's cricket season, we must watch out for black widow spiders. Black widows eat crickets so when crickets are around, the spiders are too. Of course they are here all the time, but cricket season is like fine dining to the black widow and they are not going to miss a single course!
So, if you see a lot of crickets, use care in garages and exterior utility closets and any other dark place. Even with monthly pest control, some black widows are bound to survive.
The second biggest annoyance is rodents. All our visitors love the abundance of citrus fruit trees here. Unfortunately, fruit attracts rodents and there isn't any way to stop that but there are ways to discourage rodents and help protect your home.
- Keep citrus trees trimmed, particularly away from your roof line. Rodents will get on the roof and find egress into your home, looking for water, food or a cool place to breed and then it's a free for all.
- Pick up all fruit from the ground. Rotting fruit is even more attractive than fresh so get rid of it.
- If you have evidence of rodents, put out bait boxes, especially under outdoor kitchens and BBQ's and check your home for openings -- then have them sealed or, in the case of chimneys and vents, screened over.
- Put away your patio furniture cushions and anything made of fabric if you are going to be gone for more than a day or two.
We had a home with a large backyard loaded with beautiful patio furniture. The client wanted the cushions left outside but all the furniture was covered. When we went to pull off the covers during our pre-arrival prep, we found rodents had made nests under the covers -- it was like a scene out of Ben! (Do you remember that movie?) We had to get pest control there immediately, and the upholstery cleaners and the power washers.
Not only was it a mess, it was unsanitary too. Fortunately we had it all resolved before the client arrived but it was not pretty. After that, all the cushions went inside!
Third, while we do have our share of ants, the bigger concern is fire ants. Fire ants bite and are poisonous. Riverside Vector Control will treat your home twice for free. We have created a procedure about how to identify fire ants and the process to get them resolved. If you'd like a copy, please download it here.
Other pests here in the desert are:
--Palm beetles (they are big and can fly at you but are harmless)
--Scorpions and vinegaroons (remember usually the bigger they are, the safer they are)
--Tarantulas (rarely seen and very cute!)
--Snakes (rarely seen and usually harmless -- a vet once told me if their eyes are round, they are not poisonous but if they are almond shaped, run away!)
--Lizards (especially geckos -- really cute, harmless but don't pick them up because they can bite when scared)
--Termites (if you see sawdust looking debris or find cones hanging from your ceiling, you likely have termites. Just keep a watchful eye, particularly if you live near construction or if the landscaping near your home is being remodeled. Disturbing soil wakes up the termites and can set them into motion! And as an FYI, sometimes furniture can become invested with termites all by itself. We've had two cases - one involving a chair and at another client home, an antique table where the termites were dormant but then woke up)
--Bees, Wasps and Bats (rare to get an infestation but we have had them, believe me! Once, just after we got a client, we found his home had a huge hive with honeycombs between the walls -- if you want to see pictures, I can send them to you!)
As you can see, desert life is interesting. I personally love reptiles and bugs so they don't bother me, but many people would freak out over any one (or all) of these. That's why we offer monthly pest control.
Our pest control technicians use the most potent chemicals that are still safe for humans and pets. The pesticide is odorless and colorless and extremely effective. Our technicians always show up and change rodent bait monthly (other pest control companies may leave bait until it is gone -- fresh bait is the best at attracting rodents).
If you would like a quote for pest control or to have your roof checked for openings that will allow rodents into your home, please give us a call at 760.898.9604 or email us.
