Pinpoint Pest Control Blog

If someone asked you what the most dangerous animal on earth was, what would you say? It may come to a surprise to know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the mosquito to be “one of the world’s most deadly animals”.

Mosquitoes may look like your average, annoying pest, but they are not. In fact, they can be quite dangerous at times. Let’s take a closer look at mosquitoes and the dangers they pose.

Male vs Female Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are different from other insects because males and females go after different feeds. They both require water and will feed on nectar. However, when females go through the reproductive cycle, they seek out blood to supplement their diet with more protein.

Pests that invade your home will have a high priority on reaching your food supply and eating it. This is why it’s so important to properly store your food, so pests will have a much harder time getting to it. The following are the best methods for storing food away from pests.

Invest in Plastic Containers

The cardboard boxes that most dry food comes in is fairly easy for pests to break into. Store any dry food such as cereals, rice, crackers and beans in a sealable plastic container. There are plenty of cheap options for plastic containers that will prevent pests from getting into your food.

Keep Your Kitchen Dry

Pests thrive off of environments that are high in moisture. Kitchens are notorious for accumulating moisture in ways that you wouldn’t expect, such as humidity from cooking with heat, leaky refrigerators and sinks. After cleaning up your kitchen, use a dry mop on the floor and wipe off your stoves and sinks to remove any moisture.

A fumigation is a big job that you will need to prepare for to get the most out of it. You may not know what to expect. Read on to see what you have to anticipate when it comes to a fumigation. It will be a busy time, so it is better do the most you can to prepare.

Biggest Preparation Steps

Fumigation involves harmful gases so it is important to do everything you can to prepare. First and foremost, everyone and all the animals and plants will need to be away from the house while it occurs and for some time afterwards.

See ahead of time where you can bring your animals. Ask friends or professional pet sitters if they can board you, or find animal friendly accomodations.

Now that we are getting into the fall, you may be noticing that change in allergies that a lot of us are having here in sunny Southern California. With the changes in weather, we also see a change in the behavior of pests and bees in the San Diego area.

What’s interesting is that due to the warm climate that we experience throughout the fall, bees behave differently in Calfornia than they do throughout the rest of the country.

Bees in Southern California

What is different about bee populations and behaviors in San Diego and other regions of Southern California when compared to the rest of the country? If you are used to having bees around your house and your property, you may have noticed that your bee population is growing, and not shrinking.

For many, the onset of fall is the best time of the year. The leaves change into crisp, golden colors and spread themselves along the ground. Football games, bonfires, pumpkin spice-flavored anything, it’s all here. As we adapt and change with the seasons, however, so do our arachnid friends. Spiders change their habits just as any species does when summer turns to fall, and some of those habits aren’t thought of too fondly by humans. Let’s take a look at what spiders are up to when autumn arrives.

Mating Season

While not the true mating season for all arachnids, the San Diego area has a couple of types of spiders that seek to lay their eggs during the fall. This includes orb weaver spiders, California Ebony Tarantulas and San Diego Bronze Tarantulas as well as house spiders. Male spiders will emerge from their burrows looking for a mating partner. For the tarantula species, the females will actually sometimes attempt to eat the male spider after mating, forcing the males to flee quickly. The orb weaver females typically die within months of laying eggs, so they are alone till hatching in the spring. If there are more spiders around your home in the autumn months, it’s probably because they are looking for a mate.

It’s Not the Cold

Most people think their homes are invaded by spiders because the temperature is dipping outside. This is a common misconception. Spiders are cold-blooded creatures, therefore getting to a warmer spot indoors is not a priority for them. Again, they are simply looking to partake in mating season, which is where you will see the influx of arachnids in your home. Fortunately, there are ways to limit the invasion.

Pest evaluations can be nerve-wracking. Not only are you going to have a stranger look through your house, but you also have to worry about what the verdict will be. However, if you have a pest infestation, it’s better to have someone take a look at your problem as soon as possible, then try to delay the inevitable. When a pest control specialist visits your house to look for signs of pests, here is how the process will go.

The Evaluation

When the pest control professional comes to your house, they will usually make a brief introduction and give you some time to voice any concerns. Then they will begin their search of the home. They’ll often start with an entry point inspection, as this is the most important part of defending your home from pests. The professional will check around doors, pipes, windows, crawl spaces and any other places where the outside meets the inside.

Then they will do a yard examination and search for overgrown lawns, branches touching the house, and other potential opportunities for pest infestations. They will conclude with a moisture check, using a humidity sensor around the darker, less aerated parts of the house to see how much water is in the air.

Those of us with pets are more susceptible to fleas and ticks. These pests attach to your pet, which then enters your home. Once the pests are inside, it takes much more effort to get rid of them. You can take some preventative measures to ensure that fleas and ticks do not enter your home.

Flea and Tick Pet Medication

The first step in preventing fleas and ticks from entering your home is stopping them from getting on your pets. There are a couple of different pet medications that can help deter these pests. You will give the medication at the same time every month to keep its effectiveness. One type of medicine is a chewable tablet. Another type is a liquid which you place on the skin of your pet along the back. Another common treatment is a flea and tick collar. The collar contains the medication which soaks into your pet’s skin. You can purchase any of the medications from a pet store or your vet.

If you want to ensure that your pet is flea and tick free, you may want to use a combination of the liquid or chewable tablet and the collar. You will also want to check your pet frequently for fleas and ticks, especially during the peak season.

Clutter will eventually spring up in just about any home. Most of the time, this occurs in places like basements, closets, attics, and other areas that we use for storage around the house. Since these are places that we keep clothing, furniture, and seasonal items for the home, it is easy for clutter to build up in these areas, not being touched for months at a time.

The downside to having packed storage areas like this in the house is that pests can often be attracted to these spaces. Here are a few of the top reasons that clutter can attract pests in your home.

1) Shelter

Pests love to seek shelter in clutter. They usually nest or hide in dark, cluttered spaces in piles of clothing, boxes, papers, or furniture. Since they typically like to huddle clutter-filled areas of the house that aren’t used by us that often, it can be months or years before we realize that we have a pest infestation.

Summer will soon be here in sunny San Diego. With summer comes hot days and ants. The heat has ants clamoring for water sources which evaporate quickly in the dry, warm air. So pesky ants send out patrols to find the best water source. The source usually means your home.

There are many myths about what you should do.

Here are the proper steps to take in protecting your living spaces against invading ants.

Few things can ruin time spent outdoors as much as being stung by bees or wasps. Stings are painful and uncomfortable. If you have an allergy, stings can quickly escalate into a serious medical issue. Put these tips to use to do your best to avoid being stung by bees and wasps.

Reduce Scents

Bees and wasps are pollinators. They seek out flowers for pollen, and they find flowers largely based on scent. Avoid wearing strongly scented body spray, perfume or cologne and opt for using unscented body lotion and deodorant.

Food can also entice bees and wasps to come around, so be careful if eating or bringing a drink outside. Sweet smelling sodas and juices attract bees, so pay attention to cups and opened bottles or cans.

In San Diego there are two spiders that you need to watch out for, the Brown Widow, Black Widow and the Desert Recluse. If you’ve ever stumbled across these creatures and managed to walk away unscathed then consider yourself lucky. While their appearance is frightening their bite is much worse.

These are the spiders you want to avoid at all costs.

The Brown Widow

Surprisingly, this spider was not normally in our area until around 2000 but since there has become a common site in many areas. Similar to the Black Widow the Brown Widow Spider has its hourglass marking is on the underside of its abdomen and is orange in appearance. With a muted brown color to its body it’s easy to tell the difference between this spider and the Black Widow.

Are there good bees and bad bees? The answer is yes, but it depends on the situation. If you are talking about honey bees pollinating flowers for the benefits for nature, there is no doubt that bees are good. But if you have a nest in or around your home, the answer is that not all bees are bad.

Good Bees

When bees are alone in the wild, they are good. Bees work to pollinate the flowers and trees. They help make the flowers and plants bloom. Through the pollination process, bees produce that sweet honey.

Bad Bees

When you are dealing with stinging insects, you need to approach the situation with caution. Not only do bees sting, but they can also create havoc on your home. Many people do not know how much damage occurs when a nest is in or around your home.

At Pinpoint Pest Control, we have been helping our North San Diego County neighbors get rid of pests for over 40 years, which means we have seen a few things! We pride ourselves on being skillful, efficient and quick at removing all types of pests. Here are a few of the common pests we see in coastal climates.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are common in California due to the high volume of tourists that carry bedbugs unknowingly in their luggage. Some people don’t react at all to the bites while others develop blisters and painful, itchy red spots. Bites don’t have any long-term effects, but serious or recurring infestations have been known to cause anxiety, stress and insomnia. They can survive for up to a year without feeding, so you may not realize that you still have them if you try to get rid of them yourself. It’s important to protect yourself and your family from the physical and mental effects of bedbugs.

Ants

Carpenter ants are not very common in our area, but we do see issues with them occasionally in the foothills in Ramona or Julian. Commonly thought to eat wood (they do not), they actually tunnel into wood to make their homes. They are a challenge to control because their nests are hard to find. Many pest companies will kill the scout ants but not the nest, leaving the home open to more attacks.

Throughout history, humans and rats have coexisted together to the benefit of vermin everywhere. As people moved around the world and started colonizing different parts of the globe, rats followed suit as an easy way to get plenty of food and shelter on our behalf.

These days, rats are everywhere, and they are just as much of a nuisance today as they were hundreds of years ago. However, while having rats in your home is undoubtedly an unwelcome idea, today we want to talk about some of the hidden, unknown dangers that can come from having an infestation take hold.

Property Damage

Knowing that rats are hidden within your walls is one thing, but once you realize how much damage they are doing to those walls, it can be a nightmare.

When people see a spider crawling across the bathroom floor, they usually don’t think of it as a natural part of a home’s ecosystem. Instead, the immediate reaction is often to kill it with the first object they find. However, spiders are not the problem people see them as. They rarely bite, they don’t destroy property, and generally, they keep to themselves. Not only that but left to their own devices, spiders can actually help you take out the pests in your house which cause the real damage.

Spiders in Our Homes

Spiders have been living in human-made structures since humans have been making structures. Spiders have been our roommates for centuries, therefore when someone catches a spider and brings it outside to put it in 'its natural habitat,' they are actually taking it out of its natural habitat and bringing it into a foreign location, as since spiders have grown accustomed to indoor environments. Spiders should not be thought of as intruders. In fact, spiders are critical for keeping your home free and clear of pests such as earwigs, mosquitoes, moths, roaches and houseflies, creatures which can cause tangible harm to you and your household.

While spiders make great and helpful guests, it is understandable if you don’t want to pass by them on a daily basis. Instead of squashing them or throwing them outside, you can create designated areas for spiders in places where you don’t have to look at them. Just clean out cobwebs in cabinets, under furniture and around lamps and blinds, delegating them to more discreet locations such as basements, garages, attics and crawl spaces. Also, caulk any openings near main entrances where spiders may be able to get through and repair broken window screens and doors. This way, you can experience all the benefits of spiders without having to deal with them directly.

If you’ve noticed pests in your home, you’re likely uneasy with their presence. While it’s common knowledge that insects, rodents and other intruders can carry health impacts, most people don’t consider the financial implications that pests can have on your home.

F&W Pest Control would like to tell you that you’re not alone in ridding your home of dangerous, damaging pests. We can help you remove existing infestations as well as develop a regular maintenance schedule that will help prevent a recurrence.

Read on to learn how common pests can end up costing you a lot more than your peace of mind, and then contact us today for a consultation. We take pride in our excellent customer service and look forward to helping you protect your family and your investment.

Mice and rats have several traits in common. These nocturnal creatures eat a wide range of foods and frequently gnaw on building materials. Nevertheless, the two rodents also differ in multiple ways. They don't look identical or engage in all of the same activities.

Appearance

An adult rat measures about 10 inches longer than a mouse. It has a thicker body and tail. Big rodents typically cause more damage and create sizable messes. However, a mouse can infiltrate your home or business with greater ease.

Mice have tiny triangular heads and pointy snouts. They also feature comparatively large ears. You might find them cute if they weren't trying to raid the pantry or shred your socks. On the other hand, most rats have big heads with a chunky appearance.

If you are the victim of a bee's sting, you may notice that the area becomes red and swollen. The stinger may cause you to feel sudden pain in the area where you were stung. Provided that you are not allergic to the toxins emitted by bees, an occasional sting should not cause you to experience any serious medical issues.

In the case of a honeybee sting, the sting is more dangerous to the bee. After a honeybee stings you, the bee dies. The honeybee loses its life because its tiny digestive tract, nerves and muscles are intricately connected with the stinger. Consequently, the bee suffers from a rupture in its abdomen resulting in death.

If you are stung by a bee and break out in hives or experience severe itching, you are suffering from a severe allergic reaction requiring immediate medical attention. If you start to vomit or have diarrhea, go to the nearest emergency room right away. If you only experience a mild reaction, you may find relief by using one or more of the following home remedies:

Although bugs can be a big-time nuisance, they are often quite fascinating. Like some animals, certain insects are currently on the verge of becoming extinct. Let’s take a look at some of today’s endangered insect species.

Goliath Bird-Eating Spider

As its name suggests, the Goliath bird-eating spider is a monster-sized spider. No other spider on the planet has a larger stature. In fact, you’ll need two hands to even hold it. From mice to small snakes, this humongous spider can be seen chowing down on a variety of different animals. Unfortunately, its population continues to dwindle with each passing year.

Kauai Cave Wolf Spider

Found in Hawaii, the Kauai cave wolf spider is a bit different from the typical wolf spider. Because the Kauai cave wolf spider lives in extremely dark environments, it doesn’t need to see. However, special sensory organs enable this eyeless spider to easily locate prey. Humans have now taken over the Kauai cave wolf spider’s habitat, which has caused it to become endangered.

If you are looking forward to spending a fun and exciting summer with your friends and family, you are likely wondering what steps you can take to keep pests away from your Fourth of July party. Allowing pests to strike during your event will affect your guests in a negative way, and some of them might feel tempted to leave early. Since nobody wants pests to ruin the party, striving to keep them at bay is critical if you would like to keep everyone happy. You can discourage pests and secure your Fourth of July event without much trouble when you follow a proven path.

Clean Your Yard

A dirty yard makes it easy for pests to strike because they will have many places to hide. Cleaning the clutter from your yard, mowing your grass and removing standing bodies of water will reduce the number of pests that will crash your party. Mosquitoes won't have stagnant water for reproduction, and other pests will leave to find environments more favorable to their survival. If you want to get positive results when you use this step, you must clean your yard several days to a week before you plan to host your event.

Dealing With Bees and Wasps

Not many things will spoil the fun as much as getting stung by a bee or wasp when you are trying to enjoy the day. Pain, itching and skin irritation are the symptoms you can expect if you become the victim of a bee or wasp sting, but those who are allergic to the venom will have an even bigger problem. Cutting off the tops of 2-liter bottles, filling them with sugar water and replacing the top upside down creates the perfect bee and wasp trap. They will smell the tasty treat and want to get inside, but the bottle will trap and drown them.