The first indication a home or property may have a termite problem is when the homeowner notices a springtime swarm of termites. In our north-central California pest control region, the two types of termites responsible for most property damage are the subterranean Reticulitermes termite and the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor. The latter is California’s second most important termite pest after the subterranean termite, is native to the state, and is the most common species of drywood termite, according to University of California’s Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. Luckily, it’s a prime candidate for treatment using a “green” pest control solution—orange oil.

The type of termite infesting a home or business property, and the degree of infestation, determine the most effective and cost-effective treatment. Historically termite infestations have been treated by whole-house tenting and fumigation—a major expense and disruption for homeowners, who have to move their families and pets elsewhere for the duration of treatment and sometimes replace landscaping. In our Sacramento-based pest control practice, we treat whole-house fumigation as a solution of last resort. Fortunately, an ecologically friendly orange oil treatment, XT-2000 Orange Oil, has been proven effective against drywood termite infestations, with minimal disruption to family routines or business operations.

Orange oil derives its termite killing properties from d-limonene, which is part of an essential oil found in the rinds of oranges. In addition to giving oranges their characteristic citrus aroma, d-limonene is also a solvent found in many over-the-counter stain removers and cleaners. The same properties that help d-limonene dissolve tough stains also attack the termite’s exoskeleton and internal organs to eventually kill them.

A structure may be infested with multiple termite colonies, all of the same species or of different species. An experienced pest control technician will inspect your property inside and out to locate and identify any existing termite colonies or other types of wood-destroying insects or fungi and advise you on the best course of action. Orange oil is best suited for drywood termites from the Kalotermitidae family of termites, less effective in combating subterranean termites that nest underground.

Drywood termites are killed by direct contact with the orange oil, in the presence of its fumes, and by eating the treated wood. Based on where the termite infestation has occurred, the exterminator may have to drill into wood or through walls to effectively treat the area. Because of the organic nature of orange oil, it will diminish in strength over time, potentially requiring another application. A follow up inspection may be necessary to confirm if the initial treatment was successful and reapply the orange oil if the termites have reappeared.

A side benefit to orange oil is that it is effective in controlling ants as well.

Orange oil’s high terpene content allows it to dissolve many oils, and it can cause paint to peel, which is problematic for do-it-yourself application. Our experienced pest control technicians use a drill and injection method, in which they drill a series of small holes into the infected wood timbers, then inject the holes with XT-2000 Orange Oil to reach the infected wood, killing termites on contact. Once the holes are sealed and painted over, the treatment is invisible to the naked eye, leaving behind only the faint scent of fresh oranges.

While orange oil is lethal to drywood termites, it is an environmentally safe product that poses virtually no hazard to children, pets or wildlife. One tremendous benefit of using orange oil for the eradication of drywood termites is that you don’t have to leave your home or close your business during the application. As with any pesticide application, a trained professional pest control technician will help ensure you get the best results

Every year about this time, the phone starts ringing in the Pinnacle Pest Control office with requests for termite home inspections and sometimes reports of swarms.

The subterranean termite species most common in our Sacramento region causes extensive damage that can remain hidden for years inside the walls and crawlspaces of your home. Historically “Delta Victorians” and “high-water bungalows” were built with crawl spaces and raised first floors as a defense against Sacramento’s historic floods. High water carried mud into the crawl spaces. Subterranean termites nest in the mud and build mud tunnels up the foundation walls and into the wood-frame home, where they burrow into the interior of boards, chew up and digest the wood from the inside. Termites eat 24-7—they never stop, unseen while the structure of your house grows steadily weaker. Winter rains leave the crawlspaces damp and muddy. In spring, temperatures climb to the mid-70s, leaving the crawlspace warm and humid, which triggers the termites to develop wings, drill an exit hole through the wall, and take off to establish new colonies. Often the swarm is the first sign a homeowner has that he or she has termites.

The damage caused by termites is extensive and economically significant. Termite damage cost estimates range from $5 billion to $16 billion nationwide, with the pesticide cost only a fraction of the total. By far the largest cost is for structural repairs, estimated at roughly five times the cost of pesticide control measures.

Customers who don’t see a swarm often have no idea they have a termite problem until the time comes to sell their homes, when they are required by law to have the homes professionally inspected for termites—potentially adding thousands of dollars to the cost of selling.

The first line of defense against termites is to get that all-important inspection. Catching a termite problem early can result in significant savings. A qualified pest control professional will conduct a thorough inspection of your property, inside and out, including your crawl space or foundation. In addition to termites, the pest control profession will also identify any dry-rot, water damage and other conditions that may make your home more susceptible to future termite infestation. The inspection may take from 45 minutes to one-and-one-half hours, depending on the size and condition of your property. Once the inspection is completed, you should receive an official report along with an estimate for any termite removal and damage repairs needed.

Termite are the stealthy menace of the pest control world, silently eating into the hearts of our homes while we eat, sleep, work and play, blissfully unaware. Be vigilant. It’s much better to invest in a professional, expert inspection today than be socked with thousands in repair bills tomorrow and a damaged home tomorrow.

The unseasonably warm weather we are having in Sacramento and Northern California has tricked lots of plants and trees into an early bloom, from daffodils to almonds. Such springlike weather may also mean another, less attractive early season—namely termite swarms.

Last March we got a frantic call from one of our pest control customers: she had just had a panicked call from her teenage daughter, who had arrived home from school to find the living room carpet swarming with termites. Our customer acted quickly—she told her daughter to get out the vacuum and start sucking up the bugs, then got on the phone to us.

Three types of termites are active in our Sacramento pest control region—dampwood termites, drywood termites and subterranean termites.

Although dampwood termites, which live only in wet or moist wood, can be found anywhere in California, they are more prevalent in damp, cooler coastal areas. When we do see them in structures in our area, it usually is an indicator of a moisture problem such as a leaky hot water heater or water line.

Drywood termites attack dry, sound wood, everything from dead trees and fencing to structural timbers and even furniture.

Subterranean termites, which are common throughout California, live in wood that has contact with the soil, such as fallen trees, or the structural wood in our buildings.

The most common species of termite in the Sacramento area is the Western Subterranean Termite. Although it is smaller than drywood or dampwood termites, it is the most destructive termite in California, according to the University of California Statewide IPM Program, due to the huge colonies it forms. A 2,400-square-foot home, for example, could sustain several termite colonies, each containing hundreds of thousands of individual termites. Because subterranean termites live below ground and inside wood, they are often impossible to detect unless a swarm occurs or a “shelter tube”—a mud tube formed by worker termites by mixing saliva with dirt, wood or bits of drywall—is spotted.

One reason the number of termite complaints goes up as the days grow warm in the spring is that warm weather triggers many termite species to swarm, which is how they reproduce and spread from structure to structure. In large termite colonies, a small number of termites, called alates or swarmers, develop wings, fly off in a swarm, mate, nest and form new colonies. Sometimes the sight of swarming termites is the first sign a property owner sees of a termite infestation.

Each type of termite—dampwood, drywood and subterranean—must be treated differently, and do-it-yourself remedies generally are not effective. Pesticides used in termite treatment are strictly regulated, and most are restricted to use by pest control professionals. At Pinnacle Pest Control, we offer a complete package of termite solutions, including detection, identification, prevention and elimination, each targeted to the specific type of infestation, customized to each location, and aimed at minimizing the environmental impact. So just in case warm spring weather brings a swarm of unwelcome guests to your home, don’t panic; just give us a call.

When customers call this time of year, the question we hear most often when we pick up the phone is, “What is that noise in my attic?” Chances are, if it’s winter and it’s Northern California, the answer is, “It’s a rat.”

Rats are a common problem in our Greater Sacramento region, especially during the cold, rainy months of winter. Usually it is roof rats, or rattus rattus, but occasionally we also get Norwegian rats, often in garages or basements. When the weather gets cool, rats are instinctively driven indoors for shelter, to nest and raise their young. They come into any type of home, any type of commercial building, in any neighborhood. The best way to prevent them is to keep them from coming in to begin with, and to make your home or place of business as inhospitable to them as possible. More about this here…

Once in a great while, we find the problem is not a rat but another type of critter. Birds—pest pigeons, jays, crows or even mockingbirds—can make a tremendous racket. In some areas, squirrels, raccoons or opossums may try to move in for the winter. Here are a few hints to help you figure out what type of critter is making those mysterious, alarming sounds:

What Time of Day
Do you hear noises during the day or only at night? Often rats begin their evening travels right around dusk. Raccoons also are active at night. Homeowners often don’t notice any sounds until everyone is in bed for the night and the house is quiet, then they lie there sleepless wondering what is crawling around above their heads.

If you are hearing noises during the day, it’s possible your problem may be squirrels or, occasionally, birds.

What Kind of Noise?
Do you hear scratching or gnawing noises? Loud scratching and chewing sounds are typical of rats and sometimes mice, which can be surprisingly loud for such small animals. Rats are notorious for chewing through electrical, telephone and home alarm wiring, creating fire hazards and costly repair bills. Very soft scratching could be an indication of bats; although bat colonization of attics is rare, it does happen occasionally, particularly in large structures.

Rats and mice rarely squeak or chirp loudly enough for you to hear them, unless they are trapped. Squeaks and chirping sounds may point to baby raccoons (only in the spring), birds or even bats.

Flapping or rustling noises are the most common indicator of a bird infestation—again, a rare occurrence, but it can happen.

If you are hearing quick, scrambling noises accompanied by rolling sounds, you may have squirrels in your attic—the rolling sound is them rolling nuts or perhaps your dog’s kibble around the crawl space. Jays, magpies and crows also sometimes roll acorns or nuts across the roof—in that case, although the noise you’re hearing is coming from outside, it often sounds like it’s right above you.

Loud thumps are more likely to be made by raccoons than by rats or mice. However, keep in mind that animals caught in traps may make a range of loud noises that are otherwise uncharacteristic.

It can be hard to identify exactly what type of noise you’re hearing, and even harder to explain it to someone else. Our team of experienced pest control experts will be glad to help answer your questions or do a quick, preliminary inspection of your premises. Once we’ve confirmed that rats are making themselves at home in your home, we can help, with a full range of effective services to remove them, restore your space to a sanitary condition, and prevent the critters from coming back.

When you call us with a rat problem, the first thing our licensed pest control technicians do is inspect the area to determine how big the problem is and identify the travel routes, nesting and feeding areas the rats are using, and, most importantly, how they are getting in. This will help us determine the quickest, most effective way to remove the rats, how much damage has occurred, and what remediation will be needed to restore your home or business to a healthful, pest-free condition.

Once we’ve eliminated the rats, we’ll get to work cleaning and sanitizing the area. If damage is minimal, we can simply vacuum up rat droppings, hair and nesting material, using a HEPA filter vacuum to prevent air contamination, and clean the area. If the damage and waste contamination is extensive, we also decontaminate the area. The decontamination process not only significantly reduces or eliminates odors caused by dead animals and rodent feces and urine, but also eliminates the health risks associated with the various diseases transmitted by rodent droppings.

Once the area is clean, our trained pest control professionals will perform an inspection to identify any damage to wiring or wood structures created by rodent gnawing and seal up any openings in your ceiling, walls or roof where rodents can enter. The blown or fiberglass insulation used in many Sacramento-area homes is prime nesting material for rats and other rodents. Often we find rat damage has destroyed or rendered ineffective much of the insulation material in the area.

This is where our new attic insulation service, which we are able to offer for the first time this year, comes in. We can replace your old damaged, contaminated or ineffective home insulation with TAP® (Thermal Acoustical Pest Control) Insulation, an energy efficient, environmentally friendly insulation product that will both save you money on heating and cooling and repel pests. Buildings insulated with cellulose-based products such as TAP Pest Control Insulation, which bears the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® rating, have been shown in tests to use 20% to 40% less energy than buildings with fiberglass insulation.

But the secret weapon that really sets TAP apart from its competitors is that it is infused with pest-repelling boric acid, a naturally occurring, environmentally friendly substance that is deadly to insects but is not harmful to people or pets. Insects cannot build up a tolerance to TAP as they do to some organic pest control treatments. Its effect is permanent, and the insulation never needs to be retreated. TAP also is noise-reducing and fire-retardant.

Our Pinnacle Pest Control technicians are already fully trained on the use of our new BioShield sanitation and TAP Pest Control Insulation services, and all of us are so glad we can now not only get harmful rats and other rodents out of your home or business, but also restore your property to a clean, healthful and energy-conserving condition. We can’t wait to get to work!

To learn more about our Attic Decontamination service visit: https://pinnaclepest.com/attic-decontamination/

In our Sacramento region, rats often move into your home or place of business without you even knowing it, according to the experts of the University of California Integrated Pest Management program. “People don’t often see rats, but signs of their presence are easy to detect,” according to the UC IPM Rat Management Guidelines.

In our professional experience, home- and business owners all too often do realize they have a rat problem, usually when they hear noises from overhead and sometimes after extensive damage to their property has already been done.

In our pest control region, two types of rats are predominant, the Norway rat and the roof rat, and the one we receive the most calls about is the roof rat. Roof rats love the fruits, nuts and berries that grow in many of our Northern California yards. “When feeding on a mature orange, they make a small hole through which they completely remove the contents of the fruit, leaving only the hollowed-out rind hanging on the tree,” according to the UC IPM program. “They’ll often eat the rind of a lemon, leaving the flesh of the sour fruit still hanging.”

If only they stayed out of doors. Roof rats do not like to nest at ground level; rather they prefer to be off the ground, in overgrown bushes or trees, or, if they can find a way to get in, the attics of our homes and commercial buildings. They get into our attics by means of the trees and foliage in our yards, drain spouts, pergolas, then as their name implies, onto our roofs and into any tiny opening they can find into our attics. As the weather grows cooler and wetter with fall, roof rats are more and more likely to seek shelter indoors.

Once inside, the damage they can do is extensive. In addition to contaminating and spoiling any people food or pet food they may have access to, they gnaw on nearly anything, including electrical and telephone wiring, wooden doors and woodwork, and drywall, and they shred insulation for use as nesting material. The number of litters they have annually varies with food supply and conditions, but UC says they generally have three to five liters per year, with five to eight rat “pups” per litter.

The danger goes beyond electrical fire danger and property damage. All rats, including our local roof rats, are known carriers of typhus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis (food poisoning), ratbite fever, and even plague.

Controlling rats involves a three-pronged approach: elimination of the existing rats; repair and sanitation of the environment; and sealing off any points of entry into your structure. We at Pinnacle have recently expanded our menu rodent control services: We have always offered our customers a money-back guarantee to remove rats from their premises—but too often, a lot of damage was already done. Now we can take the additional steps of cleaning your attic and removing any rat waste, food hoards, and nesting material; repairing structural damage and sealing all points of entry; and reinsulating your attic with an environmentally friendly insulation product. By the time we leave, the rats are gone, and your attic is restored to its original clean and secure condition.

Have you laid awake at night, as many of our customers have, listening to the scrabble of feet overhead? We’d love the opportunity tell you more about our rat remediation services. We can promise you a better night’s sleep.

Although we’re enjoying (or cursing) unseasonably warm weather in Sacramento this fall, eventually cooler weather and rain (if we’re lucky) will set in for the winter. The cooler weather drives rats and mice indoors, looking for a warm, dry place to nest and raise their young. That’s why at this time of year calls from customers who suspect they have a rodent problem skyrocket.

Scientists characterize urban rodents—in particular the house mouse, Norway rat and roof rat, or black rat—as among the world’s most “successful” mammals, right up there with humans. As noted rodentologist Bobby Corrigan wrote recently for PCT Magazine, rodents are successful for six reasons: 1) they adapt easily to different types of structures and environments; 2) they reproduce quickly when conditions are good; 3) they can raise whole families in very small spaces; 4) they are secretive, elusive, active at night and alert to danger; 5) their body shapes and colors help them to hide; and 6) they are relatively smart. “Rats, for example, are considered to be highly intelligent,” Corrigan writes for PCT, “because research has proven they can learn and perform new tasks — an important asset when entering a new building or area for the first time.”

Corrigan cites several qualities of roof rats that have allowed them to adapt so successfully to civilization:

• They navigate easily in high spaces above the sightline of humans and other natural predators, such as dogs and skunks.
• They nest in difficult-to-access spaces—attics, ceiling spaces, dense foliage and treetops.
• They range 500 feet or more to find food, often crossing multiple property lines. Where do you begin to treat?
• They move in and out of homes and buildings, living indoors for a few weeks or months, then moving outdoors into trees or bushes.

But we know from experience, that colder, rainy weather tends to move them inside—often into your attic or crawlspace.

A rodent problem is not one that can be left untreated. Not only do rats and mice cause significant property damage—chewing through wires and cables, gnawing woodwork and other structures, creating fire hazards—they carry a number of diseases harmful to humans. If left to nest comfortably in your attic, basement storeroom, or backyard shed, a few rats will quickly become an army. According to the University of California-Davis Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, “The average number of litters a female roof rat has per year depends on many factors, but generally it is 3 to 5 with 5 to 8 young in each litter.”

In order to effectively protect your home from rats or mice, the first step is to determine where the pests are most active and how they are getting in, and treat those areas first. (For a list of signs you have a rat or mouse infestation, check out this UC Davis Integrated Pest Management publication: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html.) The second step is to clean and sanitize the area, removing rodent droppings and urine stains, repair any damage to wiring, wall board or woodwork, and replacing dirty and damaged insulation, preferably with an environmentally friendly insulation product containing a pest repellent. The final step is to rodent-proof your space so that you won’t have a repeat of the problem the next time the weather takes a turn.

Your licensed pest professional is trained to inspect your home or business; determine where the rats are coming in; where the rats are active now versus old, inactive sites; and how much damage has been done. Our company’s service also includes cleanup and sterilization, repairs, reinsulation with a “green” product that rats don’t like, and rat-proofing the area to prevent the critters from coming back in.

With cooler fall weather on its way—we hope!—perhaps with some much needed rain, many of the pests most common and dangerous in our Sacramento region begin to look for warm, snug places to ride out the winter. One of those most likely to move into your home or commercial building is the roof rat, otherwise known as Rattus rattus.

Neither Rattus rattus nor its relative, the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) are California natives; both originated in Asia and spread over most of the world centuries ago. The roof rat is smaller than its Norwegian relative, weighing 5 to 10 ounces, and is light gray or near-white in color, with a pointed snout, long ears and a long black tail the length of its body. The Norway rat larger, averaging 7 to 18 ounces, is darker in color, with short ears and tail.

Many of us think of rats as ground-dwelling creatures who scurry along alleys and under the bushes. But Rattus rattus is a climber, and your cozy, insulated attic looks mighty inviting as a place to nest and raise a litter of baby rats. The roofs of many buildings harbor handy entryways for these resourceful, smart and dangerous critters—unscreened ventilation vents, bent or torn flashing around chimneys and pipes, even missing or damaged shingles. Likewise, overhanging tree branches, pergolas and rain gutters offer rats an easy climb to gain access. One local homeowner we know saw a rat scurrying off her roof and over a backyard pergola around twilight one evening, only to lose sight of him in some tree branches. A flashlight revealed the rat’s destination: It was hanging upside down from a tree branch by its back claws, munching on a bird-food bell hung from the same branch.

Signs you have rats can include droppings near pet bowls, food containers or recycling bins; signs of digging near fences or around sheds; the sight of a rat traveling a utility line or tree branch at dusk; or even a rat carcass presented to you by the family pet. But often, particularly in the case of roof rats, you will hear them: scurrying or scuffling sounds, even squeaks or squeals, coming from overhead as you lay in bed late at night.

Disney cartoons aside, Rattus rattus is no laughing matter. Rats eat and contaminate human and animal food and are prodigious chewers fond of electrical wiring. They have been known to chew through phone wires and have been blamed for electrical fires. Roof rats carry many diseases dangerous to humans and pets, including typhus, leptospirosis, trichinosis, salmonella, ratbite fever and plague. Insulation material makes great nesting material, and they often leave it shredded and fouled with urine and feces.

Our pest control company has been assisting homeowners and business owners in eliminating rats for many years. But until recently, there was little we could do to mitigate the structural damage and unsanitary conditions left behind. That’s why we will be rolling out a brand new service, just in time for cool-weather rat season, that will include repair of any structural damage, removal of all contaminated insulation and rat waste, sanitization of the area, and replacement of insulation with a new, environmentally safe blown insulation product that will actually deter rats, insects and other pests from taking up residence in your attic in the future.

Our pest control technicians are already undergoing training in this new product line, and we’ll be telling you more about this new service soon. It is a service our customers have been requesting for some time, and we’re glad to be able to respond—not only in getting the rats out of our customers’ attics, but in returning their homes or commercial spaces to safe, sanitary and healthful conditions.