Pest Control, Pesticides
Do-It-Yourself Pest Control Backfires on Pizzeria
An attempt to eliminate a bug infestation within a pizzeria using do-it-yourself pest control products resulted in an explosion that caused extensive damage to the front entrance and back roller doors. Although the interior damage was minimal, the overall repairs for the restaurant are at an estimated $100,000.
The blast occurred about 1 yard away from the pizzeria owner, who fortunately was unharmed. The owner used ten pesticide cans while the establishment was closed for renovations. A spark from the fridge ignited the vapors from the fumigation cans causing a significant explosion. The pressure from the blast forced the front and back ends of the unit outwards.
The front wall was forced out into the sidewalk but no one had been walking past at that moment – No injuries were sustained. The mishap has created an awareness within the community for proper use of do-it-yourself pest control products.
Inaccurate application of pesticides will not only leave pest infestation unscathed but pose a potential threat to your home and family. It is strongly urged to follow any instructions for DIY pesticides rigorously.
There is logic to the requirement of having professional pest control technicians trained, certified, and licensed. This way it is ensured that the pest problem is eliminated and your home and family are protected.
It is recommended to consult a pest control professional before any attempt at eradicating pest infestations in your home or business. Licensed technicians have the experience to provide tips and guide you through the process.
Having a licensed and insured pest control company take care of your pest problem is the best route to safety.
Here is the video news report for the fumigation can explosion in Melbourne:
Ants, Cockroaches, Mice, Pest Control, Rats
Why You Should Continue Your Pest Control Service In The Winter
Gloomy skies and dropping temperatures have many homeowners in San Diego, Riverside, & Orange County putting their guard down on pests. Residents have concluded that pests have been kept at bay and are no longer a threat to their household.At this time of year, the activity for common pests in our region has reduced significantly – making a discontinued pest control service seem like a sensible choice.
But all is not what it may seem…unforeseen bugs and vermin are lurking within the vicinity for a stealthy opportunity to invade an unsuspecting home.
Here are a few reasons why you should not withdraw from your pest control efforts in the winter. And possibly even giving your current pest control plans a boost at this time.
Winter Pests
Surprisingly, not all pests are hibernating or remain inactive during the winter season. Rodents, roaches and ants are common winter pests. Rodents will seek shelter indoors to remain protected from outdoor elements. Ants and roaches work year round collecting food.
A regular pest control service will help deter these winter pest infestations.
Prevent A Pest Problem
Pests are furtive and often difficult to spot when infesting your property. The problem has sually grown too large before it is noticed. That’s where your pest control technician comes in!
With every service, your technician provides a thorough inspection and identifies any potential pest problem before they begin. Any possible nesting grounds on your property are located and are monitored closely to make sure your home remains pest-free.
Be Prepared For Pest Primetime
Regular pest control treatment provides your home with perpetual protection from pests around your property. This barrier of protection keeps bugs and insects at bay year round.
Letting your guard down for any period of time significantly increases your chance of pest infestation. You won’t need to worry about the disease and problems associated with pests with an effective pest control plan in place.
Continuing your pest control service is not only a logical decision, it’s a great way to save money by not having to spend on ignored pest problems that have grown uncontrollable and created costly repairs.
And if you don’t have a pest control service in place, call us today for a free inspection & recommendations for a pest-free property around the clock!
Ants, Cockroaches, Mice, Pest Control, Property Managers, Rats, Silverfish
Properly Stowing Christmas Items To Prevent Pests
The joyous season has come and gone and our living rooms are left with the remnants of shredded wrapping paper and wilting trees. Soon Christmas decorations and memorabilia will be collected and put away in attics, sheds, or closets until next year.
But before you confine what was displayed in your home for the holidays into storage space, there are preliminary steps to perform to optimize your pest control efforts.
Piled up boxes with wrapped trinkets and strings of lights inside are ideal nesting areas for rodents and other pests. Here are some tips to keep nuisance vermin and pests away so your holiday collectibles are perfectly intact and preserved for next December.
– Clean Storage Space – Dust and sanitize the area where you plan to store Christmas boxes. Rodents and insects prefer a dingy area to nest since the accumulated dust particles represents a location with low activity. Removing the dirt particles and odorous scents will make pests feel less comfortable and discourage them from nesting.
– Use Plastic Containers – Although cardboard boxes are ubiquitous and economical after Christmas, they are not impenetrable to rodents. Rats and mice can gnaw through garbage bags or cardboard boxes, making nesting materials of the ornaments and packaging inside. Secure plastic containers prevent pests from accessing your storage boxes.
– Do Not Store Edible Items – If Santa didn’t finish his cookies, don’t save them for next year. Popcorn string and garlands made of fresh, edible material must be disposed of properly. Storing these items with the rest of your collectibles will keep the persistent pests around.
– Store Holiday Candles Separately – The scent from a candle can attract unwanted guests. Placing the candles in an area that is not exposed to extreme heat (e.g. attics or sheds) will resolve this problem. Wrap candles in cellophane to prevent them from melting together or transferring color in warm conditions.
– Store or Dispose Of Tree Properly – Fake trees conveniently fit into their boxes. Make sure the box is sealed so rodents cannot enter. Real trees should be chopped up or taken to a Christmas tree collection or recycling center. Contact your city for details on recycling and collection. Placing your tree curbside is not recommended as this can attract rodents.
Putting away all your decorations and ornaments may not be the most exciting part of the holidays but it sure does pay off doing it the right way. You will avoid attracting unwanted pest infestations and be able to maintain your Christmas décor.
Now you are that much more protected from invasive winter pests and rodents – Happy Holidays!
Pest Control, Pesticides, Rats, Spiders
Is Your Christmas Tree Causing Pest Problems?
The holiday season is time for celebration and reflection of yesteryear. Family and friends gather for gift exchange and hearty feasts. But the one element that significantly contributes to the festive season can put a damper on your Christmas events.
Many residents are spotting small pests in the vicinity of their Christmas tree. The unwanted holiday guests were aphids that can be spotted by carefully inspecting on the leaves of the trees or where the branches meet the base.
The infestation size can be from a few hundred to thousands. These tiny, green sap-sucking pests do not pose any health threat to you or your family but can stain carpets or like materials when smashed. And since your seasonal tree is a temporary, disposable home décor you won’t have to worry about the effects on the tree.
Farmers usually treat for aphids and other similar pests before placing them on the retail market, so these instances of pest problems are rare. Nevertheless, there are occasional circumstances that allow an aphid infestation to prevail.
Replacing the tree is a solution to eliminating the pest infestation in your home but will require temporarily taking down your decorations and transporting the infested tree to receive a new one.
An effective approach without evicting your current tree is to use a quality vacuum with a crevice tool extension. Do a thoroughly vacuum and inspect the tree afterwards. Spraying pesticides on the tree is not recommended. The treatment can pose a health risk to pests or children and leave you with hundreds of aphids dead on your floor – creating a huge mess!
Fake Christmas trees are also not a sure solution to avoiding pests. Artificial trees are ideal nesting locations for rodents and spiders. A thorough inspection is required of these trees as well.
Overall, this is a time to relax and enjoy your invited holiday guests. Don’t let bug problems stress you out.
Pro Pacific Pest Control wishes you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!
Ants, Cockroaches, Fleas, Mice, Pest Control, Rats, Silverfish, Spiders, Ticks
The Complexities Of Pest Control For Apartment Complexes
The complexity of exterminating bugs in apartment complexes stems from a pest’s ability to easily move to other units. When treatment is applied in a specific area bugs can avoid baits by moving to other areas. Common or thin walls with shared plumbing and electrical wires are a pest control company’s kryptonite and a pest’s escape route.
Pests can congregate to only a few particular units within a complex because of accessibility and abundance of food and water supply. Small crumbs and leaking pipes are a perfect meal for nuisance pests like German roaches or mice. Inspecting pipes for leaks and thorough daily cleaning can lower your risk for pests invading your apartment unit.
But in most situations as the pest population grows within the complex, the infestation becomes more evenly distributed. Pest exterminators typically take one route to handle bug problems in multi-unit buildings.
A one-time treatment in the vicinity with a heavy pest infestation does not offer a lasting solution. As stated previously, bugs are able to avoid treatment by evacuating the treated area through shared walls. Only bugs in the immediate area will be eliminated, but the bugs that escape will eventually return.
To effectively eliminate bugs from each individual unit, the perimeter and outdoor areas must be treated first. This will eliminate bugs nesting outside the structure and in the landscape. The residue from the treatments will also help eradicate insects when they venture outdoors.
As the pest population thins out, the exterminator can narrow down the possible locations of the pest problem. The focus will be shifted to apartments still experiencing pest problems after exterior treatments. Affected units will receive indoor treatments and are inspected to identify potential pest entries. Sealing up the cracks and crevices with durable materials will prevent pests from entering your home. Your apartment home will be like a sealed box, unaffected by outside elements like bugs.
Remember, simple routine tasks like dusting and vacuuming go a long way in pest management. Pest control professionals are not the only ones that can prevent bugs from invading your home. You can contribute to not only keep bugs out of your home but also the homes around you.
Ants, Cockroaches, General Rodent, Mice, Pest Control, Rats
How To Have Thanksgiving and Unpack Holiday Boxes Without Attracting Pests
With all the foot traffic and holiday cooking in homes for the festive season, pests can easily invade properties unnoticed. Ants, mice, rats, and pantry pests are the most common pests during this time of year in San Diego, Riverside, & Orange County.
Here are a few simple pest control techniques to ensure a pest-free holiday season:
1. Inspect pantry and storage boxes
Before the preparation of your Thanksgiving feast, thoroughly inspect your pantry for any signs of pests. Also, examine storages boxes containing Christmas décor for chew marks from rodents or unnoticed pest infestations. Remember to open boxes outdoors. Pack decorations in sealable, chew-proof plastic containers. Knowing the source of a pest infestation is the first step to a pest-free home!
2. Don’t buy damage food or gift products
During the holiday season, products are flying off the shelf. Pests can travel far with an expedited transfer from the manufacturer to its final destination: your home. Avoid purchasing products with damaged packaging from the grocery store or retailer. Invasive pests can nest inside the packaging and conveniently flourish when brought inside your home. Common items that attract pest infestations are flour, powdered milk, dry dog food, corn meal, cereal, and macaroni.
3. Cleanliness is next to pest free-ness
Discarded and leftover food items attract pests. Bugs and rodents can live off the smallest crumbs so it’s important to thoroughly clean areas where food is prepared, cooked, or eaten. Wash dishes and vacuum or sweep kitchen and dining areas after every meal. Throw out any food waste in a secure trash receptacle. Without being able to access a food source, pests will look elsewhere.
4. Seal holes or crevices on exterior or home
Colder weather causes rats and mice to seek shelter indoors, with your attic being a desirable nesting location. Sealing holes or crevices on the exterior of your home creates a shield that rodents can’t penetrate. Rodent prevention is the best technique to keep rats and mice off your property!
Pro Pacific Pest Control wishes you and your family a joyous holiday season. Follow these tips to leave you enjoying the holiday fun without worrying about pest infestations. Bring in the holiday spirit while keeping pests away!
Pest Control, Property Managers
Prevent Pest Infestations In Communities By Buying Local Firewood
The demand for firewood increases when temperatures drop in Southern California. Fireplace chimneys and campfires puff that familiar and reminiscent smell of burning pine or oak firewood. But the act of buying or gathering firewood to warm your homes or cold hands could be doing more harm than good.
Bringing firewood from more than 50 miles from where you plan to store it can introduce new invasive pests to your community. These non-native forest insects, like emerald ash borer and red bay ambrosia beetle, can spread rapidly by inhabiting firewood logs and being transported to communities previously unexposed to the destructive pests. Damage can occur to community trees and structures.
Consumers can unknowingly bring new pests to a community since invasive insects and diseases can remain hidden underneath the layers of wood. Even firewood that appears healthy can harbor tiny insect eggs or microscopic fungal spores that will start a new infestation of forest pests. Buying firewood from providers up to 50 miles away is an effective solution.
Don’t Move Firewood, a non-profit organization, has started a campaign to stop the spread of costly pests and to save community trees. The organization encourages consumers to buy locally harvested firewood and to communicate the message to friends and neighbors.
Using a fireplace as a primary heat source for a household is a great way to conserve fossil fuel and natural gas resources. But if the firewood used is not from a local forest, you put the community and your property at risk of costly damage and decreased property value.
Here are some local firewood providers in San Diego County, Riverside County, & Orange County that sell locally harvested firewood. Before purchasing, ask which types of firewood are from the area to prevent firewood moving.
San Diego County:
Olson Firewood
15243 Highland Valley Road
Escondido, CA 92025
760-480-9901
Riverside County:
Boucher Tree Care
6840 Akderpoint Court
Riverside, CA 92506
951-784-6296
Orange County:
Woodhill Firewood
17001 Bake Parkway
Irvine, CA 92618
949-837-9663
bed bugs, Cockroaches, General Rodent, Mice, Pest Control, Rats, Spiders
Haunted Houses & Spooky Activity Caused By Pests
Ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, or people fascinated by the supernatural would love to pin a definitive culprit to the spine-chilling events in haunted buildings. But with minimal proof of lurking spirits being the reason for the terrifying events, a more substantial explanation should be accepted: Pests!
A thriving pest population on your property can make your home easily resemble a haunted house. And bugs and rodents are the best at hiding so they can’t be seen – just like ghosts. Their unnoticed behavior can easily be translated into a false haunting.
Here are some occurrences that may seem like paranormal activity but are really pests making your home feel eerie this Halloween:
Disappearing Food On The Counter – It can be strange leaving some perishables on the counter and the next morning they have vanished. This mysterious happening can be attributed to rodents.These furry creatures are nocturnal. Most of their activity is done at night while you’re sleeping. If you are hearing scurrying in your attic or objects falling over, the culprit is probably a rat or mouse. So, don’t be alarmed if fruit you left out on the table is gone – blame it on the rat!
Blood Spots On Your Bed Sheets – Nothing is more spookier than waking up to find small blood spots on your bed sheets. But before heading for the hills, there is a logical explanation for this finding. The most common cause of this type of occurrence is bed bugs. Blood spots can be created on your mattress from rolling over bloated bed bugs in your sleep. This rapidly reproducing insect is creepy by itself. But an overlooked bed bug infestation can be even creepier. So, you don’t have to contribute this shocking find to vampires. To identify these blood-sucking pests, inspect bed seams or around the tags on your mattress.
Cobwebs In Every Corner Of Your Home – If you didn’t set up any Halloween decorations, then you have the real deal. Spiders are active around the Halloween season and they could be making their home in yours. These dual-fanged arachnids hide in the dark corners of your home. And while they don’t cause much commotion, the webs they spin definitely insinuate a haunted house appearance. Plus, what can cause more of a cringe than walking directly into a spider web. Dual bite marks and ghoulish webs are most likely caused by a spider infestation, unless you have up your seasonal decor.
Bacteria Lurking In Every Crevice – Although you may not be able to see it with the naked eye, it still does exist – creepy, huh? Bacteria is all around us, but cockroaches seem to spread it around like wildfire. The diseases and filth that a roach can possess will intimidate even the most vile zombie. A roach can probably spread around harmful bacteria faster than any other living (or dead) creature. Stop the zombie apocalypse by eliminating roaches from your home.
Noises In Your Attic– Have you ever awoke to scurrying or high-pitched squeals coming from your attic? While this seems like almost a guarantee that your place is haunted, again there is an easy explanation to all the ruckus. Bats, opossums, raccoons, or rodents of all types can be attributed to the disturbance from above. Although this doesn’t leave you at ease, we can now definitely rule out paranormal activity. If you are squeamish, a pest management professional can help “exorcise” the problem. Bat, often compared to vampires and Dracula, these flying rodents have a laundry list of myths stated about them. Although, bats do hang upside down and some feed on blood, it is unnatural for a bat to attack a human. However, bats can roost in your attic and are nocturnal mammals like rodents so any commotion you hear at night can be bat, rodent, or wildlife activity.
Hopefully this article provides some explanation and relief for the disturbing things going on in your home. Maintaining a pest-free home will not only reduce the scare factor in your home but create a healthy environment.
Fleas, Pest Control, Pesticides, Ticks
Tips To Prevent Flea & Ticks On Pets & Properties
Contrary to the popular belief, ticks & fleas are still a prevalent pest problem in the fall and winter months of San Diego, Riverside, & Orange County. You or your pets can be affected by these parasitic bugs year-round and will have difficulty handling the problem yourself without professional treatment.
As a responsible pet owner and sensible homeowner, you want include flea & tick prevention techniques into your routine to avoid dreaded infestations. Don’t let your home or pets be a host for these blood-sucking bugs. Here are some tips to prevent and identify potential tick & flea problems:
- Inspect Pets – Thoroughly inspect your cat or dog for any signs of fleas or ticks. Signs include constant itching and numerous blood spots on skin. Check underneath hair for any visible bugs.
- Apply Repellent Year-Round – Apply parasite repellents and products to pets year-round. Don’t stop in winter months.
- Speak With Veterinarian – Consult your veterinarian for effective flea and tick control products
- Flea Collars – Use flea collars for outdoor pets and clean bedding and play areas often
- Clean Yards – Reduce leaf litter and tall grass in yard as these are common areas for bugs to hide
- Thorough Inspections – Inspect your clothing and skin after walking through wooded areas or tall grass
- Clean Pets Often – Wash pets often with shampoos that contain D-limonene and natural citrus extract
- Vacuum – Vacuum regularly and throw the vacuum bag away always if pests are known to be present
- Remove Potential Problems – Throw away pet bedding if your companion is hosting fleas or ticks
It is important have a preventative plan that deters fleas and ticks from being a parasite on you or your pet. Ticks are known to transmit Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Fleas are the cause of tapeworms, skin irritation, and anemia in kittens and puppies.
Ensure that ticks and fleas stay away from your property with thoroughly inspections from pest control technicians. Pro Pacific Pest Control offers inspections that catch pest problems before they begin.
Contact our office if you notice a flea or tick infestation on your property. Effective Tick Pest Control, Flea Pest Control, & Free Estimates are offered!
Ants, Bees, Birds, Cockroaches, Fleas, Mice, Pest Control, Rats, Silverfish, Spiders
Pest Control Tips To Maintain A Pest-Free Home
Keeping pests away from your home doesn’t have to be rocket science. You can prevent pest infestation with a few simple steps & household products.
If you already have a severe pest infestation, you may want to consider a professional pest control company. But if you’re looking to maintain and prevent pest problems, you can do this yourself!
Here are some pest prevention tips to keeping nuisance insects, rodents & birds out of your home:
•Use Door Sweeps & Screens – Install door sweeps on exterior doors and repair damaged screens.
•Use Screens On Structure Openings – Apply screens on vents and openings to chimneys to make it impossible for pests to enter.
•Seal All Cracks & Crevices – Seal all holes (areas where electrical wiring and pipes enter structure) and crevices on the outside of the home.
•Put Foods In Secure Containers -Keep food concealed in airtight containers and dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles.
•Thoroughly Clean Areas With Food – Kitchens and dining areas should be free of food crumbs and particles (food left on dishes are a perfect meal for rats)
•Inspect Structure’s Exterior – Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the basement foundation and windows.
•Fix Water Piping – Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains.
•Keep Coverings Away From Base of Home – Maintain wood and mulch piles and keep them preferably 20 feet away from the house; keep shrubbery well-trimmed.
•Trim Overhanging Branches – Pest can easily climb from tree branch to your roof and gain access through roof openings.
Continue to thoroughly inspect screens and sealants for damage & keep an eye out for any signs of pests (droppings, smells, etc). Effective pest prevention requires including some of these tips into your daily routine.