Why Pests are a Problem

Everyone has experienced unwanted pests in their home. No matter what time of year or where you live, you should always be on the lookout for signs of pests. Whether it’s rodents taking shelter in your attic, or bees building a nest outside your home, finding pests in your home is never fun. However, an infestation of pests can potentially be more than just an inconvenience or annoyance.

While you may think that anything as small as most pests can’t cause any major issues, that certainly isn’t the case. If pests go unnoticed in your home for long periods of time, they have the potential to harm your home and the people living inside. Let’s look at two major problems that pests can cause.

Property Damage 

Damage caused by pests should be near the top of any property owner’s list of potential threats. In many cases, people are unaware that they have a problem with pests until damage has already been done. The extent to how much damage can be caused varies greatly with different types of pests, but many have the capabilities of creating major issues.

According to the EPA, termites alone cause billions of dollars’ worth of structural damage to home and business owners. Termites feed on wood, and if they go unnoticed for long, have the ability to seriously damage the structure of your home.

Other pests that have the ability to cause serious harm are carpenter ants and carpenter bees. These pests like to make their nests in wood, and the structure of your home can provide the perfect opportunity. Rodents present a different threat than most pests, as they tend to chew on wiring and can create fire hazards.

Cause of Sickness 

Pests can impact our health in a variety of ways that you may not be aware of. While it often takes a swarm or colony of pests to damage your home, it may only take a single pest to get you sick.

You’re probably familiar with one of the big health hazards surrounding pests: the ability to transmit diseases. We are currently seeing an extreme case of this with the spread of the Zika virus. Mosquitos bite an infected person or animal and the disease spreads as mosquitoes travel and bite uninfected bodies.

Pests are also able to pass along diseases to humans without coming in direct contact. Pests that carry bacteria can spread the bacteria by landing on our food. Consuming the food can cause intestinal issues and other sicknesses in people and animals.

An impact that you might not be familiar with is the effect pests can have on people with allergies and asthma. According to the New England Pest Management Association, dust mites are second to pollen in causing allergic reactions. Cockroaches can have similar effects on people. In both cases, droppings from the pests can also cause allergic reactions or asthma attacks. If you can’t seem to escape allergies but can’t figure out why, this might be the reason.

If you suspect you have a pest infestation or would like to have your home examined for any potential damage, give us a call today at (800) 229-2888 or visit our website.

Telltale Signs of a Rodent Infestation

A small mouse can be cute when contained in a cage, but thinking about a whole family of mice scurrying around your home is enough to send chills down your spine! Sure, to many, mice or rats may seem harmless compared to other pests, but the truth is a rodent infestation can lead to damage to your home and health risks to you, your family, and your pets.

You may have suspicions that you have a rodent or two inside your home, and where there is one mouse or rat there is almost always more. Here are a few of the telltale signs that you have a rodent infestation in your home:

Droppings: It probably goes without saying that droppings are a clear sign that there are rodents in your home. Though easily recognizable, if you aren’t looking for droppings you may not notice them for weeks or even months! Droppings are especially helpful evidence to exterminators, as they indicate what kind of rodents are in your home, the size, the age, the general amount, and the areas of your home in which they like to hang out (and where traps should be set most densely).

Urine odors: While not as easy to detect as droppings, rodent urine has a strong musty smell that you will start to notice in your home when there is an infestation. If you have pets, you may often mistake this smell as your cat or dog having indoor “accidents”, but if you continue to notice a problem, you should consider the possibility that you may have acquired a few more animal inhabitants in your home.

Gnaw holes: Depending on the size and type of rodents in your home, you may start to notice coin-sized gnaw holes through pages and boxes in your kitchen and bathrooms, and even along the bottom or your walls. These holes will appear with rough torn edges, and can lead to food contamination and eventually structural damage to your home if the infestation is not properly treated.

Scampering noises: Keep in mind that most rodents are nocturnal, so they’ll be asleep during the day and awake at night. If you have an infestation, you’ll see or hear rodents moving throughout your home in the evening.

Unusual pet behavior: Pets will often act unusual when there is a rodent infestation in your home. They may seem to bark or meow at nothing, be on high alert at all times, or start to paw under doorways and pieces of furniture. If you happen to notice your pet acting out of the ordinary or like they’re seeing something that you can’t see, they may have caught onto a few pests before you have!

If you are experiencing a rodent infestation, give us a call at (800) 229-2888 or visit our website to schedule an appointment. An infestation will only get worse and become more detrimental if not properly dealt with. Don’t delay in calling in the professional pest experts!

How to Know When it’s Time to Call in a Pest Control Professional

Perhaps you're concerned about the cost, having a stranger in your home, or you're unbothered by the idea of the occasional mouse or ant sighting in your home. Whatever the reason, we’ve heard plenty of excuses for why people tend to put off calling in a pest control professional. However, the truth is, pests can pose serious health and safety hazards to you, your family and your pets if not promptly taken care of. While you may be inclined to try to deal with these kinds of problems on your own, it's usually a job best left to the pros to ensure the extermination process is thorough and complete. Here are a few ways to tell that it's time to call in a pest control professional to take care of your pest problem.

1. Nothing you've tried has worked: Pests are frightening to some and no big deal to others, so if you're someone who isn't fearful of bugs or animals, it's possible that you've decided to tackle the infestation on your own. Full traps may indicate to you that the problem is being taken care of, but if you're still noticing signs of pests living in your home, there are far more pests in your home than a few traps can accommodate. Remember that killing the bugs or rodents you see is only a small part of alleviating the problem. If you've tried all of the DIY methods and still have pests in your home, it's time that you seek professional help to effectively take care of the problem. 
2. You've noticed mud tubes: Mud tubes are a clear sign of a termite infestation, and if you have termites in your home it's imperative that you don't try to handle the problem on your own. Termites can cause detrimental damage to your home, leading to costly repairs and safety concerns. Mud tubes are made of small pieces of soil and wood and are pencil-sized tunnels that can be seen on the foundation of your home. If you find mud tubes around the base or structure of your house, call in a pest control professional to assess wood damage and fumigate your home for termites. 
3. You can hear pests in your home: Just because you haven’t seen any bugs or animals doesn't mean they aren't in your home! If you can hear scurrying or buzzing in your home, it's likely that there are pests within your walls or crawl spaces of your attic or basement. Needless to say, if you aren't able to locate the pests, you won't be able to get rid of them. A pest control professional can identify where pests are entering your home and in what areas of your home they are nesting. 
4. You can see pests: Spotting the occasional spider in your home is nothing to be alarmed about, but when you start to see nocturnal pests scurry across your floor or counter, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Since many pests, such as cockroaches and bed bugs, sleep throughout the day, seeing them during daylight hours can be a sign of a heavy infestation. The few you spot are surely not the only ones in your home! 
5. It's getting colder outside: Though it remains pretty warm in our area throughout the year, as winter approaches we will be starting to see a drop in temperature. Like humans, most pests do not flourish in the cold weather and will inevitably seek shelter in warmer places such as your home! If you've experienced pest problems during the colder months of the year in the past, it's not a bad idea to be on high alert as the temperature starts to drop. At the very first sign of an infestation, call in a professional before the problem gets out of hand. 

If you're experiencing an infestation, or are worried about the potential threat pests pose to your home this winter, give us a call today at (800) 229-2888 or visit our website. We've been serving homes in Orange and Los Angeles Counties for over 20 years.

Rodent & Animal Control: Our 4 Step Program

For many, there is nothing more shriek-inducing than the moment you see a mouse or rat scurry across your kitchen floor! We understand that coming to find out that you've got a few extra residents in your home can be a frightening realization. The mere thought of rodents in your home is enough to send shivers down your spine! However, there's no need to fear once you've found an experienced and professional exterminator to help eliminate the unwanted rodents or animals from your home.

With more than 20 years of experience, our team at Blue Chip Pest Control, Inc. has established and perfected a 4-step system to getting rid of rodents and other animals in your home. Whether you’re dealing with a current infestation, or are simply curious of the proper steps to take if you were to encounter a pest problem in the future, here's an overview of our 4-step rodent control program:

Step 1: In order to properly eliminate rodents from your home, we need to first determine what type of animals we're dealing with! The first step of our program includes a thorough inspection of your property in order to identify the specie or species of animals in your home, determine where they're nesting, and figure out what factors are attracting them into your home. This can be things like food, old boxes or newspapers, and piles of clothing.

Step 2: Once we've established the types of pests and where they're living in your home, we can start to eliminate the factors that are drawing them into your living space. This includes thorough cleaning of your home, eliminating hiding spaces, getting rid of old boxes or furniture, and removing any food items that have not been properly stored.

Step 3: Now that we've removed the factors enticing rodents and animals into your home, we still want to make sure that any new pests have no way of gaining access! The next step in our program is eliminating all potential entry ways. You'd be surprised how small of a hole a mouse or rat is able to squeeze through! During our initial inspection, we'll identify any entry ways, and after sanitation, we'll go in and make sure that all of those entrances have been blocked up to prevent any new pests from entering your home.

Step 4: We've inspected, cleaned, and blocked off your home from new pests. The only thing left to do is ensure that any rodents or animals remaining in your home are taken care of. During the final step of our program, we reduce the pest population by applying poison, bait, and traps. This last measure helps to ensure that your home will be pest free moving forward.

If you find yourself in need of rodent or animal control in Orange or Los Angeles County, give us a call today!

How to Prep Your Home for Fumigation

If you’ve got a pest infestation on your hands, fumigation might be the best solution to remove any unwanted visitors and keep your family and pets safe in your home. In order to prepare for a professional fumigation, there are a few steps that you should take before your appointment. We've outlined the most important below, but we strongly encourage you to contact us for specific instructions, tips, or if you have any questions about how your fumigation will go.

Make arrangements for a place to stay

Keep in mind that you will not be able to be in your home during the fumigation, and you won't be able to reenter your home until your fumigator lets you know that it is safe to do so. This means that you'll need to find a place to stay during the fumigation process. The same goes for your pets - if you can't find a pet friendly place to stay, don't forget to reserve a pet sitter or make a boarding reservation!

Open all interior doors

Keeping all of your doors open allows for your fumigator to walk through your home with ease, not having to worry about opening and shutting doors behind him as he goes. It's a simple step, but it will make your fumigator's job much easier! It is also helpful to open cabinets, drawers, appliances, and safes. For all things that have a door in your home, do your best to make sure that they are open!

Turn everything off

Since you won't be home, you'll likely have already turned off all lights and televisions in your home, but don't forget to also turn off and unplug all heat sources and appliances. This includes your kitchen appliances, such as your refrigerator and oven, and water heaters.

Seal Food Items and Consumables

When it comes to your food and other consumables, you have two options - you can move everything offsite or your fumigator can provide you with special double-sealed bags that will keep your food protected. Keep in mind that this includes items such as a medicine, pet food, tobacco and toothpaste.

Allow Home Access to Your Fumigator

You will want to make sure that your fumigator has access to your home, so leave them with a copy of your house keys so that they are able to safely enter and exit. If they need any security or gate codes, provide them with those prior to the fumigation. Your fumigator will also use an additional locking system while he works to prevent anyone from entering your home during the fumigation. Your fumigator and his team will instruct you as to when it safe to reenter your home.

Fumigating your home is an important decision, and we want to help you keep your home pest free and make the fumigation process as simple and easy to understand as possible. If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to give us a call at (800) 229-2888 or visit our website.

About Blue Chip Pest Control

Blue Chip Pest Control, Inc. was founded in December 1985 and has provided quality termites and pest control services to thousands of homes, condominiums, apartments, churches, warehouses, restaurants and shopping centers in Orange County and Greater Los Angeles areas.  Blue Chip Pest Control, Inc. has a full time entomologist on staff and a great team with a combined experience more than fifty years.  We provide a high quality service and we take a great pride doing what we do best.  Just take a look at our customer testimonial section and see what customers said about us.

We’re proud to be members of the Pest Control Operators of California and strive to uphold that organization’s high standards of conduct and performance on each and every job we do.