Pest activity is just about at its peak in and Inland Empire summer. The warm weather provides ideal breeding conditions for many insects and rodents, making effective summer pest control essential for protecting your home and property. Here are the five most frequently encountered summer pests in Riverside and San Bernardino counties and explains the advantages of a recurring pest control strategy for maintaining a pest-free property.

Top 5 Summer Pests in Southern California

1. Ants: Ants are highly active during the summer, foraging for food and water. They are attracted to sugary substances, crumbs, and pet food left outdoors. Common species in Southern California include Argentine ants, odorous house ants, and pavement ants.

2. Cockroaches: Cockroaches thrive in warm, humid conditions. Summer heat accelerates their reproductive cycle, leading to rapid population growth. They seek shelter in dark, damp areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.

3. Spiders: While spiders are present year-round, their populations tend to increase during the summer as insect prey becomes more abundant. Most spiders are harmless, but some, like black widows, can pose a health risk.

4. Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and summer rain or irrigation can create numerous breeding sites. They are not only a nuisance but also vectors for diseases like West Nile virus.

5. Fleas and Ticks: These external parasites thrive in warm weather and are often brought into homes by pets. They can cause discomfort for both pets and humans, and ticks can transmit diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Why Recurring Pest Control is Essential for Summer

While a single pest control treatment can address an immediate infestation, recurring pest control provides consistent, long-term protection, which is especially crucial during the summer months. Here’s why:

• Continuous Prevention: Recurring services create a protective barrier around your property, preventing pests from entering in the first place. This proactive approach is far more effective than reacting to an existing infestation.

• Targeted Seasonal Treatments: Pest control professionals tailor their treatments to the specific pests prevalent during each season. In summer, they focus on controlling ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, using targeted methods and products.

• Early Detection and Monitoring: Regular inspections by trained technicians can identify early signs of pest activity before infestations become widespread. This allows for prompt intervention and prevents minor problems from escalating into major issues.

• Elimination of Breeding Sites: Professionals can identify and eliminate potential breeding sites for pests like mosquitoes and cockroaches, reducing their populations around your property.

• Reduced Pesticide Use: Recurring pest control emphasizes preventative measures and targeted treatments, minimizing the need for broad-spectrum pesticide applications. This is better for your family, pets, and the environment.

• Protection for Outdoor Activities: Summer is a time for outdoor activities, and recurring pest control helps ensure that your yard and outdoor spaces are free from pests like mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, allowing you to enjoy your time outdoors without worry.

• Peace of Mind: Knowing that your property is consistently protected by a professional pest control service provides peace of mind throughout the summer months, allowing you to relax and enjoy the season without the stress of pest problems.

Protecting Your Property This Summer

Summer pest control is a crucial investment for protecting your home and health. By opting for our recurring pest control services, you can create a pest-free environment and prevent the damage and health risks associated with summer pests. At Craig & Sons, we offer three tiers of service that will meet your prevention and budget needs. A proactive approach is always more effective and less costly than dealing with a full-blown infestation. Call and speak to a courteous member of our team today at 909-335-1486.

The post Top 5 Summer Pests appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.

That California has a large ant population is no surprise to anyone who has lived in the state for any length of time. For real estate agents and Realtors®, these pests can be a particular problem. Prospective buyers might know in general that ants are a problem in the state, but that doesn’t mean they want to see the pests walking along the kitchen counter in a house they’re considering for purchase.

Agents who are preparing to show a house, especially as an open house, need to take steps to make the house pest-free for the showing. A combination of traditional and complementary treatments, and close attention, will do that job nicely.

Start With a Pest Control Treatment

Arrange for a pest control company to spray around the house and place baits outside in the garden. The point of this treatment and these baits, which are usually unobtrusive, is to create a barrier that will stop ants from coming inside. The baits will also help reduce the ant population.

Note that if it rains as you’re showing the house, the exterior treatment might need to be reapplied. However, don’t skip this treatment if rain is in the forecast. First, the rain might not wash it all away, and second, even a short amount of exposure could be enough to repel the ants.

Add Pleasantly Fragrant Repellents

Those exterior treatments take care of the ants outside, but now you have to deal with any that have already made it inside. They aren’t exactly going to want to cross the pest control barrier to get out. If the problem is serious inside and you don’t have much time before an open house, have the pest control company do an interior treatment, too.

After that, reinforce the pest control treatment with pleasantly fragrant repellents. Ants are so wily that they may still appear after these treatments, albeit in much smaller numbers so you’ll be able to control them.

Cinnamon and peppermint are both unattractive to ants; in fact, ants hate the scents of these spices. Place small decorative bowls full of artfully arranged crushed mint around the house or place a little powdered cinnamon at entry points, hiding the brown spice behind a plant or picture frame set on the counter. Spraying the entry points with a mix of citrus oils and water can help repel the pests, too.

Inspect the House the Morning of the Showing

The morning of the showing, walk through the house and look for signs of pests. Check plants, sinks, and baseboards. Spray with a peppermint or citrus spray to kill any live ants you find. Give yourself enough time to air out the house.

Bring Food That Isn’t as Attractive to Ants

If your open house will feature food, try to bring food that isn’t that attractive to ants. Avoid sugary sweets and aim for mildly spicy or garlicky canapes; ants don’t like garlic. If someone drops a piece of food, then, it won’t attract ants hiding out in the house.

Have a Cleaning Crew Sweep Through the Place

After the showing is over, bring in a cleaning crew who can sweep up crumbs and clean away spills. The goal is to remove as many potential food and water sources for the ants as possible.

Maybe you’ll be lucky and find that the house has no real ant problem to speak of, but you don’t really want to take a chance. Have a pest control company like Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control, Inc., treat the house before you start showing it to potential buyers. You want the buyers to look at the features and design, not the unwelcome houseguests on the counter.

The post Prevent Ants from Taking Over Your Open House appeared first on Craig & Sons Termite & Pest Control.