Predictable Behavior

Pests, like the seasons, are predictable.  We know month-to-month and even week-to-week, which pests are going to be a problem for the people of the Sacramento area.  This time of year, we are handling termites.  Since pests act on instinct, they are more active during times that benefit them or require them to act for survival, such as scavenging for food in colder months or mating when conditions are right.

These patterns are predictable and repeatable.  Normally.  The problem is that we are not living in a normal time right now.

Some things will not change.  Termites will be most active this time of year and swarm when conditions are right, generally after it rains.  For other pests, such as rodents, their routines have been turned upside down since the regular and predictable pattern of humans has been interrupted so drastically.

We have talked about how rodents have lost a significant food source, the dumpsters and garbage from restaurants, hotels, and catering halls, which are all closed or have extremely reduced business.  Since their food is gone, rodents that have come to rely on that food now have look for food in other places.   As food becomes more difficult to find, rats will venture into areas that they would generally stay away from.

While not drastic, we have seen more rodent activity this time year than we have in the past.

Many other behaviors have changed as well, thanks to social distancing.  One of those is that many people are using services like Instacart to buy groceries.  For many of these services, there is now an option for a no-contact delivery, which means food is being dropped off at your door and being left outside.

Food that is left outdoors attracts pests from all over the neighborhood in search of a meal.  Even if you do a no contact delivery, keep track of the delivery time and make sure to grab your groceries as soon as you can.  Even if you bring them in just after they are delivered, check everything to make sure that no critters are being brought into your home.  This is especially true for produce, which could have bugs straight from the store.

For families that have kids at home and doing school lessons from home, life has become more hectic than ever.  Between parents working from home and kids doing their work, most homes are in a state of chaos.  Lunch only happens when people can take a break, and often lunch is eaten while doing work.  Kids are not as careful when it comes to crumbs or cleaning.  Writers note: I checked my son’s room and found 5 juice boxes in the garbage can in his room.  Just lucky the bugs were not attracted to the juice as some of those boxes were there for 3 days.

This is not only a problem for school-age kids.  College kids who are home are just as bad when it comes to leaving food in their room.  Having food all over the house and crumbs on the floor and juice boxes in bedroom garbage can attracts all sorts of bugs looking for an easy snack.

With all of this, we see an uptick in general pest control calls.

When it comes to termites, you need to have Pinnacle Pest Control come in and protect your home.  If you do not have termite protection, it is just a matter of time before you have termites.  We also handle General Pest Control and offer regular service.  We also handle rodent control as well as offer Rodent Exclusion services.  This is where we come to your home and look for the possible entry points and suggest remediation of any issues before they become a problem.

Regardless of the particular pest issues, you are having, Pinnacle Pest Control is here to resolve your problems and keep you safe.