Most Common Pests That Infest Coastal Homes

Southern California’s beautiful climate is perfect for its many residents, but that same great weather attracts an abundance of nuisance pests. Here at Premium Termite and Pest Control, we’re called out to area homes and businesses daily to eliminate a variety of unpleasant creatures. These are just a few of the most common pests that we encounter.

Roof Rats

While both the common house mouse and the Norway rat may turn up in area homes, the roof rat has proved to be a significant problem. This big rat is greatly attracted to high places and has no difficulty climbing up to the roof and gnawing a hole right into your attic space. Once inside, this rodent has been known to start house fires by chewing through electrical wires, and your attic insulation is likely to be completely destroyed because it’s an excellent nesting material. This rat also poses a significant health risk to humans and domestic pets because it can spread rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, leptospirosis and typhus with a bite or through contact with its urine or feces.

Cockroaches

Oriental and German cockroaches are both frequent visitors to even the cleanest homes in the area, and their rapid breeding habits can leave you with an overwhelming infestation in a very short time. These insects may give you a nip while crawling over you while you’re trying to sleep, but the real problem is that they’ll get into any open boxes or bags of food, run across your kitchen counters and explore all of your cookware and silverware. Their feet are covered in bacteria that easily spreads disease, and you could be exposed to listeriosis, salmonellosis, gastroenteritis, dysentery and typhoid fever. These cockroaches may also cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Ants

Argentine ants are this area’s biggest nuisance ant, and these insects boast massive colonies with hundreds of queens and thousands of workers. While they typically live outside, that doesn’t stop the entire colony from marching into your home in long lines to descend on a single drop of chocolate milk or a piece of leftover dog or cat food. Other troublesome ants include carpenter ants, odorous house ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, fire ants and thief ants. The carpenter ant is of special concern because it destroys wood and may cause significant structural damage to homes.

Termites

Homes in this area that have not been treated for termites are sure to experience a problem with this wood-destroying insect. It’s important to understand that termites are a threat to all types of homes because every home has wood areas that can be devoured. In serious cases, a home may suffer so much structural damage from termites that it’s no longer inhabitable.

Quality Pest Control Available

If you’re experiencing problems with these pests or any other nuisance creature, then contact us here at Premium Termite and Pest Control for assistance. Call 888-464-5564, and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free estimate for our services.