A variety of pests can infest Riverside County homes and lawns throughout the year. Homeowners dread pests, as these home invaders are both a major nuisance and threat to the well-being of your garden, the aesthetic value of the home, and your family’s health.
Preventing pests is the best way to maintain a clean, sanitary, and beautiful home all year long. Homeowners can take many steps to prevent pests like cockroaches, fleas, ants, and bed bugs from infiltrating their living spaces, but sometimes no matter how much energy you devote to prevention, a pest-related problem can still arise.
Pests will often enter your home in search of food, shelter, and reprieve from the harsh elements, including California’s blazing summers. Once these pests gain entry, extermination won’t be an easy task. More often than not, homeowners need Riverside County pest control professionals to resolve the pest infestation. Professionals know what it takes to rid a property of pests, including those pests indigenous to the Riverside County area. If you’re a Riverside County resident, you’ll likely encounter the following pests:
Ants
Ants live in colonies with hundreds of other hungry ants. Though only a select few ant species are known to bite, all ant species are quite the hassle for homeowners. Ants thrive in the kitchen and other eating areas where delicious snacks are stored and loose food crumbs are abandoned. Ants munch on a variety of different foods and snacks, but it’s no secret that ants prefer to lug sweet treats back to their colonies.
Remember, ants are social creatures who work together to find food and shelter. Eradicating the entire ant colony is essential for the complete elimination of this type of pest.
Cockroaches
Roach spray is the most common treatment against cockroaches, despite its high cost, potentially dangerous effects, and overall ineffective nature. Regardless of the method employed, ridding a home of cockroaches isn’t an easy task. Smart homeowners should entrust professional pest control providers with the responsibility of cockroach extermination.
If left untreated, cockroaches will leave excrement behind that releases an unpleasant odor throughout the home. Along with emitting a pungent odor, this cockroach excrement can carry life-threatening diseases that may be transmitted to the human residents of your home upon contact.
Silverfish
Silverfish thrive in moist environments such as basements and bathrooms. Using a dehumidifier in these rooms can reduce the risk of infestation. Typically, these silverfish will hide in food and seek refuge in everyday household clutter. As a preventative measure, declutter your home to keep silverfish (and other pests) at bay. Tightly seal jars and food containers to prevent these disease-carrying pests from slipping into an unsuspecting jar of jam.
Centipedes
Centipedes are actually on the same pest-elimination mission as you are. They’ll eat cockroaches, ants, and other household pests. Despite their pest-fighting properties, most homeowners don’t want unsightly critters crawling around their home.
Because centipedes feast on other household pests, the first step in centipede elimination is exterminating existing prey. To eliminate the cockroaches and ants centipedes feast upon, contact your local pest control provider for guaranteed results.
Gophers
Gophers dig underground tunnels that can cause extensive damage to your lawn. Any lawn in the Riverside County area is at-risk of gophers, as these pests scavenge for grubs, earthworms, and other tasty lawn pests to survive. Although gophers are seemingly harmless, they’re a nuisance to any homeowner who prides themselves on a well-kept lawn.
To exterminate gophers, gopher traps will suffice in the case of most infestations. If your household is suffering from an infestation of larger gophers, there are other options available.
Moles and voles
Moles and vols bear a striking resemblance to gophers, but they’re often much smaller in size. Much like the gopher, moles and voles are carnivores who will devour pests that threaten your garden. Both types of garden pests thoroughly enjoy a meal of earthworms or grubs. Sadly, this comes at a cost to homeowners. Moles and voles dig holes in the ground in search of prey, causing extensive and costly lawn damage.
Scorpions
Scorpions worm their way inside your home through open doors, windows, and other holes and crevices in walls, baseboards, etc. A scorpion will usually enter a home in pursuit of food sources like spiders and crickets.
Scorpions bite their victim with a powerful, but non-lethal venom. With an impending risk of bites that can cause sweating, nausea, and twitching, scorpion prevention is essential. The best way to protect your home against this type of pest is professional pest control services. These professionals can treat existing infestations and prevent future infestations.
Bed bugs
DIY bed bug treatment is often proved ineffective to the dismay of the homeowner suffering from bed bug infestations. Despite the inability of DIY methods to resolve this type of infestation, quick and effective bed bug control is possible, even if it may require the insight of professional pest control providers.
Mitigating a bed bug infestation is important, as these tiny pests bite their victim during the middle of the night when your loved ones are fast asleep. Bed bug bites can cause severe discomfort and will leave behind a painful, itchy welt that physically indicates the presence of bed bugs.
Spiders
Of all pests that can invade your home, spiders may very well be the most intimidating. Most spiders are capable of biting, but a large majority of these bites are completely harmless. Even with this knowledge in their back pocket, most homeowners agree that spider control services are vital based on the simple principle that this particular pest terrifies them.
Routine spider treatment can keep your home pest-free and can resolve current infestations. Due to the harsh weather conditions, most spiders rush inside your home during the winter. To gain access, spiders will enter your home through any small crack or crevice and will stake their claim shortly after.
Fleas
Fleas are small, jumping pests that live in the fur of household pets like cats and dogs. With dog ownership gaining rapid popularity, many homeowners will experience a flea infestation at one point in time. While owning a pet can be extremely rewarding, a pet owner will have to accept the good along with the bad. Any responsible pet owner should recognize their risk of flea infestation and treat their pets for fleas on a weekly or daily basis.
If your pet has fleas, you’ll need to contact a veterinarian and a pest control provider, as soon as possible. In the meantime, wash your dog’s bedding in hot water to prevent flea multiplication. Even homes without pets may experience flea infestation if you or your children associate with pet-owning neighbors.
Conclusion
Don’t settle for a pest-infested home. Provide a safe, pest-free living space for your loved ones by contacting a local pest control provider.
