“Hot, longer days, and especially warm nights, do make insects more active,” says Efrain Velasco, Lloyd Pest Control’s Technical Director and a trained entomologist. Everything from ants to flies to roaches to earwigs love the heat and humidity of summertime in SoCal, when insect eating and reproductive behavior go into overdrive. Bugs also love warm evenings—so look out for swarms of pests after the first string of 75-degree nights, which kicks insect activity into high gear. More of those pests means more of the bugs that eat them, like spiders. “The longer the heat sticks around, the more insects you’ll see,” Velasco says.

The best way to be ready? Lloyd Pest Control’s BrandSecure services, which knock out pests and keep them gone. We worry about the bugs, so you can worry about more important things—like keeping the AC bills paid.

We’d love to chat with you for just nine minutes about how BrandSecure can work for you and your business. The program includes a wide range of services, including:

• Guaranteed response within 1 business day.
• Dedicated business support managers with veteran pest control experience
• A personalized online portal for viewing service slips and reports – and for requesting service 24 hours a day.
• Triple-check reassurance: We keep coming back until the bugs are gone, and check in regularly to make sure they don’t return.
• 7/24 online service requests.
• Client web portal for access to logbooks, service history, Ask the Bug Guy & more
• Pest activity monitoring and sighting logs.
• Documentation & certifications for compliance standards.
• Our 100% Money-Back Guarantee – try us for 90 days and, if you are not ecstatic with our service, we’ll refund every penny that you’ve paid us.
• Billing and online payment options to accommodate multiple locations and master accounts.

The post Intense Summer Heat Makes Bugs Go Crazy. We Can Help. first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Fleas are found all over the world. In fact, fossil records have been found dating their ancestors back to the Jurassic period. It’s safe to say all humans are at risk of dealing with fleas. But how do you identify fleas? What do you need to know about how they spread and what dangers they present? And most importantly, how do you get rid of fleas? 

What Do Fleas Look Like?

Fleas and bedbugs are often confused for each other. Makes sense: both are tiny, flat insects that suck blood, and both are a reddish-brown color. But pay attention and you’ll see some differences. An adult flea is smaller than a bedbug, at approximately 2.5 millimeters (only a bit bigger than the head of a pin) long versus the bedbug’s 5-7 millimeters body length. 

You can also tell the difference by where the bugs are found. A bedbug most likely resides in the piping of your mattress and only comes out at night. A flea is most likely to be found outdoors in tall grass, on your pet, your pet’s bedding, or carpeting inside your home. Bites from a flea resemble a cluster of mosquito bites and begin to itch within an hour. Bed bug bites look like large, flat welts and can take several days to show up.

How Did I Get Fleas?

The most common way for fleas to get inside your home is on your pet. Fleas live outside, often clustered together in the tall grass. They are attracted to the body heat, carbon dioxide, and vibrations that mammals emit as they move around. 

“Your backyard can seem totally empty and fine, and then in one area suddenly they’re hopping all over, jumping on you or your pets,” says Efrain Velasco, Lloyd Pest Control’s Technical Director and a trained entomologist. “They want to be on an animal.”

Once a flea has hitched a ride on a pet, they use their specialized, straw-like mouths to drink its blood (which they later defecate as small, dark pellets). They also often lay eggs on their host. Those eggs are loosely attached and it’s just a matter of time until they drop off your dog or cat brings them indoors. Once inside, they fall off and hatch in dog or cat beds, furniture, and carpets, where they lie in wait for their next victim: you. Most of the time, fleas don’t live on humans—we’re not sufficiently furry enough for that—but they will happily take a blood meal from you. 

Can I Get Fleas If I Don’t Have Pets?

Yes. Though fleas often ride into a home aboard Fido, you can get fleas even if you don’t have pets. Fleas often enter yards and homes via wildlife. Last year, one of our veteran pest control technicians visited a home multiple times: the woman kept getting fleas. She had no pets, and the technician only discovered why her flea problem was happening after looking under the home’s foundation. They found a family of flea-ridden raccoons sleeping the day away. Removing the raccoons took care of the flea problem.

How Dangerous Are Fleas?

They’re certainly not fun. Besides the “ick” factor, their bites can spread nasty diseases like murine typhus and parasites, such as tapeworms. That’s why it’s important to catch flea infestations early, take care of them, and make sure they’re gone for good. 

How Do I Get Rid of Fleas?

Administer flea medication to your pets. Veterinarian-approved flea collars, oral medications, and topical treatments all work well to halt the growth and reproduction cycle of fleas that hitch a ride on your pet—helping to take care of the problem at its source, before fleas can gain a foothold in your home. You should also eliminate yard debris and waste where fleas live. This includes leaf litter, rock piles, wood piles, overgrown hedges, and long grass.

Additionally, keep wild animals away from your home. Don’t feed feral cats or other animals that might be carrying fleas, and make sure your garbage cans are securely covered to keep foraging raccoons at bay.

How Do Pest Control Professionals Kill Fleas?

Unfortunately, flea eggs that hatch into larvae enter a pesticide-resistant cocoon where they can lie in wait as a pupa for months. This makes them a tough pest to get rid of. If fleas become a problem in your home, your best bet is to seek help from flea professionals in Southern California. 

When they find fleas, Lloyd Pest Control’s veteran technicians make sure you’re taking care of your dog’s flea problem, while we treat the exterior of your home with a low-intensity pest barrier. We’ll treat for eggs, pupal stage fleas, and adult fleas indoors in all the places they hang out: carpet, furniture, and common pet areas. For immediate assistance with fleas, give us a call, or request a quote for our flea control services today!

The post How Did I Get Fleas In My House? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Which rodent pests live in Southern California?

In the fall, mice, rats, and other rodents are among Southern California’s most common pests. Specifically, homeowners can expect unwelcome visits from Mus musculus, Rattus rattus, and Rattus norvegicus — that’d be house mice, roof rats, and Norway rats. These pests are commensal, which means that just like cats and dogs, they’re entirely comfortable sharing living spaces, food, and water with humans. Mice and especially roof rats are prolific pests, and in warm climates, they breed year-round. “Which means SoCal is like rat heaven,” says Efrain Velasco, Lloyd Pest Control’s Technical Director and a certified entomologist.

How did a rat or mouse get into my house?

Even though SoCal’s weather remains more temperate than other areas of the country, cooler temperatures in autumn and winter drive mice and rats to search for warmth, food, and water. Each varmint has its own stealthy approach to entering your home. House mice can squeeze through incredibly small spaces — including entryways larger than a quarter of an inch. That means windows, ceilings, and gaps in your home’s foundation are fair game. Roof rats, on the other hand, get their name from their talents: they’re adept climbers, known for scaling walls, eaves, roofs, and even trees. Oftentimes they find gaps in ceilings and tiny entrances to your attic. The brown or Norway rat keeps closer to the ground. Like the much-meme’d Pizza Rat, their game is largely scavenging in subterranean areas, like your home’s crawl spaces, which they can enter through tiny access points. (Rats, like mice, can also squeeze through unbelievably tight spaces.)

How can I keep rodents out of my house?

There are three main reasons mice and rats enter residential homes: warmth, food, and water. Identifying your food and water sources is an important start to staying pest-free. Where is your food stored? Where do you keep your pet food? Did half your takeout Pad Thai end up under the couch? (No judgment here.) Are your pantries secure? Is open food being kept in secure containers? Do you have moisture problems under your floors? What about water bowls that fido might knock over daily? If food and water are hard to access, mice and rats might be less likely to visit.

How do I remove a rat or mouse from my house?

Unfortunately, because they’re such talented burglars, mice and rats do frequently find their way inside even the most well-guarded homes. If you see signs of them — like droppings, holes in food containers, and holes or rub marks in walls, ceilings, and floors — we’re here to help evict them. Lloyd Pest Control’s trained and experienced technicians follow a well-proven battle plan when servicing homes with rodents. The goal isn’t just to get rid of these particular rodents. The goal is to keep them gone. First, our technicians inspect the exterior and interior of your home to determine vulnerabilities. This includes a diagram of your home, highlighting potential entry points for sneaky rodents, and identifying whether your pests are mice, rats, or otherwise. Next, the tech will think like a mouse, identifying food and water sources, which they’ll help you make rodent-proof – and stat! Ditto those tiny gaps and holes in your home’s structure that may have allowed rodent entry in the first place. Trapping and removal is just the icing on your (un-nibbled) cake. Call us today – or use our online form for an instant free quote!

The post How to Protect Your Home Against Rats, Mice, and Other Rodents first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

That impact isn’t limited to just people, either. As our habits and routines change to deal with the virus, common pests are finding new ways to insert themselves into our homes. Vacant buildings, increased time at home, and more opportunities for unchecked growth can lead to pest infestations and health concerns. To make matters worse, these pest issues can exacerbate existing respiratory problems or help create new ones.

At Lloyd Pest Control, our focus is on keeping you and your family safe from pests and the common problems they cause. Let’s look at some major impacts that pest infestations can have on your home—and how COVID-19 could make things worse.

Pandemic Pest Problems at Home

Given that most Californians aren’t venturing out of their homes as often, people are experiencing much more quality time indoors. From cooking up meals in the kitchen to spending long periods of time in common areas, increased household activity means making more messes than we’re used to. And, if those messes aren’t cleaned up in time, pests can pick up on even the smallest traces. 

Cooking, Crumbs, Cardboard, and Cockroaches

One major pest issue that can occur with heightened activity around the house is a cockroach infestation. The increased presence of food for them in the form of crumbs, grease, or oil stains makes for an attractive environment. That’s why it’s key to quickly clean up after every meal; sweep up crumbs wherever possible and wipe down kitchen counters. If you haven’t checked behind your stove or oven in a while, it’s worth a look to mop up any grease spills there, too. (Because really, roaches will feed on just about anything.)

Of course, cockroaches don’t just thrive in dirty kitchens. The increased reliance on shipping and mailed package delivery mean there might be a lot of cardboard in your home. Make every effort to regularly break down boxes and put them in a recycling bin as they arrive. Leaving stacks or piles of cardboard boxes—even broken down—is an invitation for cockroaches (or other pests that thrive on clutter) to take up residence.

Roach Respiratory Risks

The main reason to ensure cockroaches aren’t building a colony in your home? Molting roaches can cause breathing problems in young children and people with respiratory diseases. If you or your loved ones are asthmatic at best or—at worst—recovering from COVID-19, the presence of these pathogens can make things even worse.

If you think you have a major cockroach problem, contact Lloyd Pest Control immediately. Our essential services are important for maintaining a safe home.

Worrisome Wildlife and Other Outdoor Invaders

Cockroaches aren’t the only potential pests you might find around the home. With greater levels of outdoor activity, such as barbecues and picnics, come the potential for unwanted wildlife encounters.

Leaving unfinished food or garbage outdoors can encourage critters such as raccoons and other rodents to sniff out leftovers and congregate around trash cans in search of things to eat. If you’re regularly entertaining the family outside, be sure to clean up promptly and never leave food unattended.

Creating conditions that are pest-friendly isn’t just a hazard for outdoor activities, of course. When you don’t put a quick stop to incursions from animals and other pests, they will eventually get adventurous and start looking for more resources like food and water. That usually leads to them trying to get into your home, where they can cause even more problems. Common pests that we see during cooler weather include:

Rodents

Rodents present a multitude of hazards, from damage to structures and electrical fixtures to contamination of the area with urine and feces. Mice and rats will also chew through food containers to eat what’s inside. Because they can carry fleas, ticks, lice, and other parasites, they’re known as disease vectors.

Allowing rodents to take up residence in your home could lead to costly property damage as well as unsafe and unsanitary conditions in your kitchen, bathroom, basement, or attic. 

Birds

The presence of birds around your home isn’t necessarily dependent on outdoor activity, but these nuisance pests can still cause plenty of problems. Bird droppings can carry diseases and corrode surfaces, and their nests can clog up gutters and downspouts—leading to water damage when rain accumulates and overflows.

To avoid birds making a mess of your home’s exterior, drain all birdbaths and remove any bird feeders from nearby. Just like with rodents and other wildlife, don’t forget to clean up after yourself when entertaining outdoors.

Flies

Flies multiply quickly if left alone. They can carry many microorganisms and parasites, and they contaminate foods as they crawl around, vomit, and defecate on both food sources and previously clean surfaces. Flies are a common nuisance at backyard barbecues and around the house. Where there’s food, flies can be found.

To avoid allowing flies into your home and breeding in common areas, ensure your window screens are in good condition and that all trash cans have lids. Tie off trash bags tightly when throwing them into cans, and clean up any messes around the kitchen—especially if they involve meat or sweet, sugary spills. Fruit flies in particular are small enough to sneak their way inside and rapidly reproduce before you even know it, so it’s crucial to store your produce properly, consuming or disposing of any ripe fruit or vegetables in a timely manner. 

Dealing with Pest Problem inside Your Home

If you’re spending significant time at home due to COVID-19, pest management is a serious and ongoing concern. At Lloyd Pest Control, our focus is on providing expert pest control strategies to help kick unwanted bugs, birds, and other invasive pests off your property. To learn about how our essential services can help keep you, your family, and your home safe, contact us today.

The post How COVID-19 Can Attract Pests to Your Home first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

At Lloyd Pest Control, the last thing we want to do is to add more assignments to your docket—but we need to remind you of one task that sometimes gets pushed to the back burner until it’s too late: pest control.

In Southern California, pests don’t seem to take a break throughout the year. As new pests roll into town with the changing seasons, they are on the hunt for safe places to shack up, eat, and mate—and your home can provide the perfect conditions to do so.

While professional pest control can help remedy an ongoing infestation, scheduling regular pest control treatments throughout the year can keep you proactively protected while preventing the gamble of DIY pest control. (Fewer chores and less stress? Time for a big sigh of relief.)

But just how often should pest control be done at your house? And what pests should you be worried about throughout the Southern California seasons?

Is Quarterly Pest Control Worth It?

When it comes to regularly scheduled pest control, we suggest having your home treated once a quarter or every two to three months. And for good reason! General pest control—including treatments for pests like ants, spiders, rodents, roaches, silverfish, earwigs, and fleas—can become ineffective after a few months go by, which could leave your space exposed to incoming pests.

With quarterly treatments from Lloyd, you’ll be in a better position to safeguard your house from pests no matter what type of property you have or its location.

What Do Quarterly Pest Control Treatments Include?

During each treatment, one of our field-experienced pest technicians will monitor hot-spot areas for changes in pest activity. Even if pests aren’t directly visible, we will create environmentally-friendly pest control barriers—including sprayed applications and/or rodent traps that are pet-friendly—to guard your home against common pests all year long.

Ongoing Termite Prevention

If you’ve experienced a termite infestation in the past, our Termite Protection Plan is an annual program that will ensure termites don’t find their way back into your home. Available to customers whose properties received a whole structure treatment or a clean bill-of-wood-health from Lloyd, our protection plan is a transferable drywood and subterranean termite guarantee that lasts the lifetime of your home and includes:

• A free annual inspection to ensure we’re keeping termites away.
• Early detection of termites and wood-destroying invaders so we can help stop problems before they take hold of your home.
• Prompt eradication treatments for any termites that try to settle in your home. Even if it becomes necessary to fumigate your home again, we will provide this service at no charge.

Note: Our Termite Protection Plans are policies that include an annual premium.

Seasonal Pests in Southern California

Every year, a multitude of pests converge in Southern California. Depending upon the weather, some pests are more prone to infest your home or business due to their specific breeding season or need for man-made shelters for food and survival.

January through March

At the beginning of the year, pests are searching high and low for warmth and easily accessible food sources. Without professional pest control in place from Lloyd, your home could be a haven for cold, hungry insects and wildlife. Additionally, as we move into spring, certain pests become more active as they seek out areas to colonize with nearby food sources.

The most common pests calls we receive from January through March include:

• Rodents
• Spiders
• Silverfish
• Subterranean termites

Note: Subterranean termites begin to swarm in early spring.

April through June

With spring in full swing and summer right around the corner, pests in SoCal have gained a foothold establishing their numbers in the warmer weather. As they seek out food sources to feed their colonies, they can easily make their way into your home if it’s not protected.

The most common pests calls we receive from April through June include:

• Ants
• Fleas
• Earwigs
• Spiders

July through September

As the hottest three months of the year, July, August, and September continue to provide the perfect climate for a plethora of pests. Many pests we see from April to June are still thriving, and their drive to nourish their colonies hasn’t waned.

Pests we frequently treat from July through September include:

• Ants
• Fleas
• Earwigs
• Spiders
• Drywood termites

Note: Drywood termite swarmers begin to take flight in September.

October through December

During the final three months of the year, temperatures start to drop again—meaning pests will begin seeking out a comfortable place to survive through the winter. During October and November, drywood termites are still out and about, too, searching for any exposed wood to sink their teeth into.

Autumnal pests we commonly treat from October through December include:

• Spiders
• Drywood termites
• Ants
• Fleas
• Earwigs
• Rodents

Year-Round Pests

On top of all the seasonal pests we treat, there are a few outliers that are just as likely to infiltrate your home any time of the year, including:

• Bed bugs
• Roaches
• Nuisance birds

Prevent Pests All Year Long with Quarterly Pest Control Services

With so many pests trying to knock down your door all year long, quarterly pest control services from Lloyd will help to keep your home protected—no matter what pests are in season. Give us a call today to discuss unique, annual pest control programs built for your property type and location. When you choose Lloyd Pest Control, the bug stops here!

The post How Often Should Pest Control Be Done at Your House? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Whether you’re receiving packages from a meal subscription plan or you’re temporarily handling child care, you’re probably focusing on getting out and about as little as possible. But, as you continue to use your living environment more than ever before, your day-to-day activities are likely attracting some unexpected guests: pests.

Here at Lloyd, we want to make sure your time at home is smooth and safe—which is why we are here to help you keep your home pest-free. With an increase in the amount of food we are eating, trash we are creating, and the life we are living in our spaces, all sorts of pests are catching on to our new routines.

From rodents searching for food in your kitchen to wildlife preying on your food deliveries, our team has a few pointers on what you can do to prevent unwanted houseguests during quarantine.

How to Prevent Pests During Quarantine

Unfortunately, the stay-at-home orders are happening during the spring and summer months, which is a prime time for pest activity here in Southern California. That means pests like rodents, roaches, ants, fleas, termites, and more are on the move in search of food and shelter. If the proper precautions aren’t put in place now, your space can become a pest paradise in the ensuing months.

Accept Package Deliveries Promptly

With an influx of package deliveries at your doorstep (especially grocery and meal subscription deliveries), your chances of attracting pests to your home increase drastically.

Because cardboard is a food source for cockroaches, these insects can get inside packages during the shipping process and lay eggs. If boxes are improperly disposed of in your home or garage, it could potentially lead to the beginning of a roach infestation. Cockroaches aren’t the only pest attracted to boxes on your porch, either. Rodents, ants, and squirrels can catch wind of grocery or food deliveries if these packages are left outdoors for too long.

Make sure to get your packages indoors promptly, dispose of cardboard boxes properly, and ensure your outdoor trash cans are sealed with a tight-fitting lid to prevent these pests from thinking your home is an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Clean Your Common Spaces Frequently

Whether you’re cooking more at home or ordering take-out frequently, food waste inside your space can draw in pests quickly. After cooking and eating, make sure you’re cleaning your countertops and dishware promptly. Dirty dishes in the sink, dried spills on your counters, and loosely sealed indoor trash cans can provide ample food sources for pests like ants and rodents.

If you have children home with you, there might be dirty dishware or snacks located in places they shouldn’t be. Be sure to inspect common areas regularly—including basements, bedrooms, coffee tables, playrooms, and breakfast bars— as even the smallest crumbs of food can attract unwanted bugs.

Inspect Your Outdoor Vehicle

If your car sits outdoors in your driveway or on the street, it’s important to check under your hood at least once a week—especially if you haven’t been driving much recently. When cars sit outside for too long, rodents like mice and squirrels can easily take shelter inside your engine bay, chewing on wires, cables, and even air filters in search of food.

To ward off these pests from being attracted to your vehicle, make sure all food bags, coffee cups, and spilled fries are picked up and properly disposed of. In addition, seal all openings—such as cracked doors or sunroofs—to the best of your ability and try to keep your car away from bushes, trees, or foliage. 

Call Lloyd to Stay Pest-Free at Home

While we are still under the stay-at-home order, it’s important to remember that pests are attracted to your house the more you live in it.

From consuming or cooking more food to creating more waste inside your space, you need to take the proper precautions to ensure pests don’t start sheltering in place with you and your family. And, if you want to truly implement an effective pest control strategy, the team at Lloyd Pest Control is waiting in the wings to kick bugs to your curb.

At Lloyd, our technicians work alone in the field and employ personal protective equipment—including wearing gloves and medical-grade respirators while we are inside or around your property. So, no matter what pest you are dealing with while you are staying at home, we will make sure you stay shielded while we take care of your infestation.

Don’t hesitate to give us a call today for minimally invasive, low-intensity pest barriers around the interior and exterior of your home.

The post Quarantining at Home? You Might Not Be Alone. first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

From ensuring your yard is secure to choosing the healthiest pet food at the market, your pup or kitten (or fish, or lizard, or bird…we could go on) deserves the best—and that includes living in a pest-free space.

Pests aren’t just a danger to you and your home, but they’re also (and sometimes even more of) a danger to the wellness of your animal companions. Insects like fleas and mosquitoes can lead to conditions such as Lyme Disease, heartworms, tapeworms, or bacterial infections in addition to poor quality of life by causing uncontrollable discomfort, pain, and itching.

Even if you are giving your pets anti-heartworm or anti-flea medication, having a pest infestation around your property is a risk you shouldn’t be willing to take.

But is there such a thing as pet-safe pest control that still gets the job done? And if so, how does it work? Here at Lloyd Pest Control, our Southern California pest control experts explain what pet-safe pest control is, how it works, and how we do everything we can to ensure our customers and their pets are protected during our pest control treatments.

What Is Pet-Friendly Pest Control?

At Lloyd, we want to put your mind at ease about our professional pest control services and the health of your pets: Our pet-friendly pest control solutions (and responsible pest control technicians) both ensure insects around your home are eliminated and that your pets stay safe during the application process.

To adequately eradicate pests without harming the surrounding environment, we take a modern approach to pest control that minimizes the use of pesticide applications. This means that we’ve searched high and low for elements that disrupt the life cycle of pests without disrupting the health of you or your pets. (Talk about a win-win!)

Pet-Safe Treatments with Low Concentration Levels

Pet-friendly pest control treatments are designed to be applied at low-level concentrations, meaning they are just high enough to eliminate unwelcome insects without posing a risk to humans or pets. For example, topical flea medications used on the necks of cats and dogs contain the same active ingredient as our ant treatment!

Peace of Mind with Manufacturer Safety Data Sheets

To give you peace of mind about the pet-friendly pest control products we use during our treatments, we are more than happy to provide you with manufacturer safety data sheets (MSDS). With these sheets, you can cross-reference their efficacy with your veterinarian to prove our continued approach to the safety and well-being of your pets. 

How Are Pet-Safe Pest Products Applied?

As the initial step to treating your home for pests, our pest control technicians focus on preclusion first and foremost. We will inspect your property and discover what is attracting pests, notifying you of any areas that need to be cleaned or sealed off to prevent their access.

We will address all sources of the infestation prior to treating your space—from leaky plumbing to torn vents or screens. Depending upon the type of infestation you are dealing with, our technicians have a number of treatment types to safely and effectively eliminate present pests.

Gel Baits

If we are treating a roach infestation indoors, we will apply a dime-sized amount of our advanced gel bait to targeted areas such as the inside corners of cabinets or moldings. These gel baits are less toxic than a standard tube of whitening toothpaste, but they pack a punch to roaches. 

Sprayed Applications

When treating pests like fleas or mosquitoes, we will power-spray a low-intensity wettable powder that creates a general pest barrier to the exterior of your home. When treating fleas indoors, we will directly apply our pet-safe treatment to targeted areas where these insects thrive, such as carpet, upholstery, and any area your pets like to hang out. 

Do I Need to Keep My Pets Away from Treated Areas?

Although our treatments have extremely low concentration levels, your Lloyd Pest Control technician will recommend your pets stay away from any treated area or surface until the product is dry. Our sprayed applications are quick-drying and dissipate from the air rapidly, minimizing exposure for both you and your pets. 

Call Lloyd for Pet-Friendly Pest Control in Southern California

Your pets are your family, and keeping your family (even its four-legged members) protected from harmful pests is crucial for their well-being. With professional pest control from Lloyd and the proper medications regularly administered to your pets, your entire household will stay shielded from insects and rodents. Plus, with pet-safe pest control from the pros, you’ll avoid the dangers of potent DIY treatments (such as Raid or Black Flag) that introduce airborne pesticides into your living space.

Contact Lloyd Pest Control today for the best pet-friendly pest control in Southern California!

The post Pet-Friendly Pest Control in Southern California first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

If you find yourself asking, “Is a landlord responsible for pest control?” it’s important to know that it depends upon the habitability of the property. Regardless of whether you own a multi-family property or a single-family home, California law requires landlords to keep their properties in livable condition. This means that you (with the help of your friendly pest control professionals at Lloyd) are responsible for ensuring adequate pest control is performed so your building remains habitable and your tenants stay safe.

So, just what exactly does California law state in terms of a landlord’s responsibility to prevent pests? And how can you ensure pests stay out of your property all year long? At Lloyd, our team of pest control professionals is here to help by weighing in on what types of pests gravitate toward rental properties, the lawful duties of property managers, and the importance of developing a proactive pest control plan from the get-go—both to ensure that your current tenants stay healthy and that your reputation doesn’t become tarnished.

Is a Landlord Responsible for Pest Control in California?

Yes. According to the California Department of Consumer Affairs, landlords or property managers must keep their buildings in livable condition. A current or ongoing pest infestation—including an infestation of rodents, insects, birds, or any other type of pest—will render your property uninhabitable. This means it’s your responsibility to handle all pest control initiatives (using the proper protocol as determined by a licensed pest control service) to ensure your living quarters are clean, healthy, and safe for all your tenants.

Tenant-Caused Pest Infestations

Even if a pest infestation takes place after your tenant has moved in, it is still your responsibility to ensure these pests are swiftly, safely, and thoroughly eliminated. This also includes infestations caused as a result of your tenant’s living conditions. Under this circumstance, however, the tenant can be held financially accountable for pest control services required to eliminate the infestation.

Pest Control Addendum

To avoid confusion about pest control responsibility between you and your renters, it’s important to have a pest control addendum in your rental agreement. Signed by both you and your tenants, this document will clearly identify what your obligations are should a pest infestation arise, as well as detail the steps you take to proactively prevent pests during their rental period.

This document should also detail the tenants’ financial responsibility for pest control services should there be proper evidence that their actions—including improperly disposed of food waste or secondhand furniture use—caused the problem.

What Types of Pests Can Infest Your Properties?

Whether you manage an apartment complex, an Airbnb, or a rental home, human-made shelters—and the people or pets that live inside them—will attract pests no matter how pristine they are. (Although, having a messy living space will certainly increase your chances of an infestation.) Many pests rely on us humans for survival, as we unintentionally provide them food sources, moisture-rich spaces, and a safe place to hide from predators as they propagate.

Pests that frequently invade California rental properties include:

• Cockroaches
• Rodents
• Ants
• Bed bugs
• Birds
• Spiders
• Termites
• and many others

While some of these property-crashing pests are considered a nuisance, others—such as roaches, rodents, bed bugs, and termites—pose a serious threat to your tenants’ health and to the infrastructure of your property.

What Can a Landlord Do to Prevent Pest Problems?

Proper, proactive pest control starts with prevention, especially in the case of preventing pests in rental properties. In order to ensure your property remains pest-free for tenants, a licensed pest control professional must inspect and treat your livable spaces regularly. Before a tenant moves in, a pest control technician should examine your property to identify problematic areas and apply any necessary pre-treatments. If an infestation is found, these pests must be eliminated prior to the scheduled move-in day.

If one of your current tenants is dealing with a pest infestation and has notified you or your management team, time is of the essence. Rather than having a member of your management staff waste valuable time and resources with DIY pest control solutions, our team at Lloyd can swoop in with professional pest control treatments and eliminate the problem at the source. With more than eight decades of experience treating pests in Southern California residential properties, we administer targeted strategies with fast-acting results.

A Partner in Pest Control You Can Trust

When you partner with Lloyd to handle your property management pest control needs, we do everything we can to ensure insects or rodents are eliminated promptly and that your living spaces (and tenants) remain pest-free with regularly scheduled follow-ups. In addition, we assign your property management company to a dedicated account team that ensures faster service response times as well as documentation and certification for compliance standards.

Keeping Your Business BrandSecure

From online reviews to word-of-mouth referrals, your reputation is of the utmost importance to our team at Lloyd. With BrandSecure, you’re able to remove your liability in the event of a future pest infestation on your properties.

100% Money-Back Guarantee for Property Managers

We guarantee our pest control services will get the job done. That’s why we’ll refund 100% of your service fees if we don’t deliver on our promise in 90 days.

Call Lloyd Today for Property Management Pest Control

When you manage rental properties in Southern California, keeping pests out of your living spaces is crucial for the health of your tenants and the infrastructure of your buildings. Rather than waiting until your renters are dealing with a pest infestation, it’s important to take a proactive approach to pest control initiatives from the get-go. With regularly scheduled pest control inspections from Lloyd, you can evict unwanted pests and prevent them from moving back in. Contact us today to put pests in their place!

The post Is a Landlord Responsible for Pest Control in California? first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Most roach infestations in homes or businesses are of the German variety. German roaches are small, about half an inch long, and yellowish-brown. There are other types of roaches, such as the much-larger American and Oriental roaches (which can be up to 2 inches in length), but they are natural outdoor bugs that usually stay there. Not the German roach, though.

So, why do these German cockroaches infest anywhere and everywhere indoors? What are they seeking? And is there anything you can do to avoid an infestation? Lloyd Pest Control is here to equip you with the information you need to remain roach-free.

What Do Roaches Want?

Like any good scavenger, roaches seek out food – and they aren’t picky about it. In addition to foods people would eat like bread and meat, roaches can eat things like glue, book bindings, and even toothpaste. They aren’t outdoor roaches so will naturally seek buildings containing their meals.

In addition to food, one of the defining traits of roach behavior is their preference for both moisture and heat. As a result, you won’t often find them in dry, cool areas.

Roaches in the Home

You might think roaches only infest dirty, poorly-kept homes. While it is true that a lack of readily available food will prevent extreme breeding from happening, roaches can infest even clean homes. The safe, predictable indoors is much more hospitable to roaches than the harsh outdoors, and if there is a way in, a roach population will be more than happy to make themselves welcome.

Two rooms are particularly susceptible to roaches: kitchens and bathrooms. Kitchens are great sources of food and home to plenty of warm, dark corners (like behind the fridge and under the stove). Bathrooms are usually the wettest rooms in the house, so roaches are perfectly fine hanging out there.

Roaches in a Business

Restaurants and hotels are the two businesses most often infested by roaches, as they provide scrumptious meals and ample warm nooks. Places of business that do not practice satisfactory sanitation are most prone, but roaches are resilient creatures and can make their way to clean businesses as well.

Non-service businesses are also vulnerable. Roaches can hitch a ride with employees or in shipments of cardboard boxes, which are favorite hiding places for the critters. And since roaches can multiply quickly, offices and high-rises certainly aren’t immune to an infestation either.

Why Are Roaches So Prevalent, and What Makes Them a Problem?

Roaches wouldn’t be as much of a nuisance if not for their prevalence and their hazards to health. Unfortunately, roaches are hardy, and they can also pose multiple health problems.

Roaches Are Hardy – and Great Parents

Cockroaches are surprisingly crafty creatures. They’re relentless in their pursuit of inside spaces and get creative in finding routes indoors. This can include pipes, cracks in the wall or foundation, and the tiny spaces underneath your garage doors. Roaches are great hitchhikers, too.

Another reason German roaches are so prevalent is because of their parenting skills. Unlike many other bugs, roach mothers will carry around their egg sacs until they are about to hatch, which helps optimize their birth location and keep them away from danger. When combined with their low bar for what they need and want to eat, roach populations can rapidly get out of hand.

Roaches and Negative Health Impacts

Roaches Are Disease Carriers

It’s commonly known that rodents and mosquitoes carry disease, but cockroaches are equally dangerous in this regard. Roaches can carry bacteria and viruses on their bodies in addition to spreading disease via their droppings. Some of these diseases include:

• Cholera
• Dysentery
• Salmonellosis
• E. Coli

Although cockroaches won’t directly contaminate you with a disease like a mosquito, a population of roaches can quickly contaminate large swaths of your house or business. This is problematic because they don’t even need to be in sight for their diseases to reach you.

Decaying Roaches Are Respiratory Nightmares

Even in death, roaches pose a health risk. Like many other insects, they shed their skin. This old skin is made up of a protein called chitin, which eventually breaks down and becomes airborne. This protein is an allergen for many, causing itchy eyes, a runny nose, rashes, and other symptoms. Furthermore, exposure to cockroaches has been linked to the development of asthma in children.

How You Can Combat Roaches

Sanitation, Sanitation, Sanitation

The single best thing you can do to combat roaches is sanitation. Yes, roaches can eat lots of things, but if there isn’t ready access to food in your home or business, it will be very difficult or impossible to maintain a strong population.

Close Off Outside Entrances to Your Building

Even if your home or business is perfectly clean, roaches could enter and give someone a scare if there is a way in from the outside. Do some investigating (and caulking work) and see if there are any potential entry points.

Roaches Ruling Your Home? Lloyd Has Solutions

If roaches crawling up and down your wall is driving you up the wall, let the professionals step in and help. Lloyd proudly uses sustainable cockroach control tactics with the lowest toxicity materials possible. In many cases, low-impact baiting works excellently, where our technicians will use sticky traps to identify hot spot areas in which to deploy the baits. Our expert technicians are experienced in both business and residential settings and are prepared to help kick out those unwanted guests. Don’t delay; contact Lloyd Pest Control today!

The post Far from Picky: Why Roaches Infest Anywhere and Everywhere first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but commensal rats and mice (wild mammals that thrive in and around human habitations in Southern California) can be riddled with disease and contaminate your food sources.

While pet rats might be cuddly and cute, commensal rodents—including roof rats, Norway rats, and house mice—that infiltrate your home or business aren’t doing so to become your new kid brother. Rather, they are seeking out warmth, shelter, and a veritable smorgasbord of food to survive winter and propagate their species.

Unfortunately, once rodents have moved into your space, you can’t simply call up a Lyft and send them on their merry way. Adopting a new cat probably won’t work in your favor, either. (Just ask Tom.) Thankfully, our team at Lloyd Pest Control can help you learn how to bait and set a mousetrap properly, as well as guide you on the types of traps that can end up doing more harm than good.

The Best Mousetrap for Your Home or Business

Snap Traps

As the classic saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In business since 1898, Victor® has provided snap traps that are simple, utilitarian, cost-effective, and get the job done fast. An efficient way to get rid of rodents without using poison, snap traps feature spring-loaded pedals and arm bars that are triggered once a mouse encounters the bait.

Setting Snap Trap Bait

Contrary to popular belief, mice and rats prefer high-protein, oily baits—such as peanut butter—rather than cheese. Additionally, peanut butter works best when you sprinkle a small amount of dry oatmeal on top of it, as rodents will be attracted to both the smell of peanut butter and the grains of the oatmeal.

Avoid Poisonous Rodenticides

When it comes to indoor rodent infestations, using poisonous baits can cause more problems than they solve. When a rodent ingests poison, they will journey back to their nest—oftentimes within your walls—and die.

Because it’s extremely difficult to source these dead rodents, their stench can emanate throughout your space for days on end. If you have pets or children in your home, poisonous baits can also pose a great deal of danger to their well-being, so it’s best to avoid them at all costs.

Snap Trap Placement

Traditional snap mouse traps should be placed perpendicular to walls or baseboards, ensuring a mouse can be caught no matter which direction it’s coming from. Mice have poor eyesight and use their whiskers to feel around, hugging the walls to keep their bearings as they scavenge for food or seek out shelter.

Note: When setting traps throughout your building or home, look for droppings or oily brown streaks (from the oil on rodent fur) along the base of your walls and place your stations in areas with noticeably high traffic.

Other Types of Non-Poisonous Rodent Traps

While classic snap traps are a great and cheap way to deal with indoor rodent infestations, there have, over the past century, been a few other attempts at building a better mousetrap. Other types of non-poisonous rodent traps include:

• Glue Boards/Sticky Traps – These are pretty much what they sound like—a small, cardboard dish filled with the stickiest gel imaginable. These work best for mice. The rat ones are big and have been known to catch dogs and cats. One time, our technician had to respond to a rattlesnake that was caught in a rat glue board. (These work. But here is the all-caps CAVEAT: Ironically, they are far less humane than the snap traps. Rodents die horrible deaths in glue boards—most often through suffocation or heart attacks. Some customers have reported that they have heard horrid sounds when employing glue boards. And, very often, a homeowner will return to a placed glue board only to find a rodent body part that was gnawed off by the rat or mouse. If you are planning to use a glue board because you want to make things better for yourself and the rodent… this is not your best bet.) Sometimes, though, glue boards are really the only viable option in a given situation, and you have to steel your heart.
• Live Traps – Humane traps that allow you to capture mice and release them back into their natural habitat, all without having to see or touch a mouse. (These work…but…releasing rodents back into the wild is not strictly legal…nor particularly advisable. So…maybe give your newly-caught rodent to one of your more callous friends…who will lie to you and tell you that he sold it to a traveling rodent circus…and that your rodent is now a big star in Europe.)
• Scent Repellents – Featuring peppermint oil—a scent that’s despised by rodents—scent repellent stations are a non-poisonous way to ward off rodents from entering your home or business. (We like the idea of this…because scent repellents can be strong deterrents. Deer really do avoid rosemary bushes, for example…but we haven’t seen these work with rodents. Like…ever.)
• Ultrasonic Sound Repellents – Much like scent repellents, ultrasonic sound repellents are a humane way to keep rodents out, as they emit high-frequency sound waves that create an unpleasant environment for mice or rats to live in. (People really believe in these things. They swear by them. They tell their friends, “Man! These things really work.” You should know that these are the same people that told their third-grade class that they stayed up and saw Santa Claus. #fail.)
• High-Voltage Traps – Electronic traps that provide a high-voltage shock, facilitating a humane, quick kill. (Not recommended. Just…no.)

Glue boards and live traps (if you are up to the challenge of doing the legal and right thing) are your best snap trap alternatives. Are they better than snap traps? Meh. But sometimes—in certain settings—glue boards and snap traps can be the only viable solution.

Catch Rodents in Southern California Once and For All

Rodent infestations can feel never-ending, especially when you’ve gone the extra mile to eliminate them and they just keep coming back. Rather than carefully covering every square inch of your floor with snap traps, our rodent control experts at Lloyd Pest Control can step in and help.

When you call us for rodent control, one of our technicians will inspect your home from top to bottom, taking notes of any evidence—such as mouse droppings, nest materials, gnaw marks, or oil streaks—and making exclusion recommendations to prevent additional rodents from easily getting indoors.

Then, utilizing trusty snap traps, glue boards, and self-resetting live traps, a supervisor will strategically place these rodent snares in areas that see the most traffic. In some severe cases, we will also utilize child- and pet-resistant bait stations to help cut down on rodent numbers around your property.

The post How to Set a Mousetrap first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.