Premium Termite and Pest Control Blog

Ants are often the first insects that pop into people's minds when they hear the word ‘pest.’ They’re so common that it’s easy to assume we know everything there is to know about them. However, ants actually have a multitude of secrets, making them one of the most fascinating creatures in the animal kingdom. Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about ants. Stitch Up Wounds Years before modern medicine, certain African tribes had discovered that ants could be used as makeshift stitches. All you had to do was find a couple of large ants, have them bite both sides of your wound at the same time, and rip off their bodies, leaving just the heads. These ‘stitches’ could last for days. Dispose of Their Dead An interesting custom that ants perform is the disposal of their dead. For sanitary reasons, when an ant has died, its body is removed...

Whether you own a home or a business, at some point you’ll probably need the services of a pest control company. So how do you choose the right pest control professional? We’ve put together some tips to help you with your search. Do Your Research Ask friends and work colleagues for recommendations. If that’s not possible or fruitful, look for businesses that service your community. Websites can offer valuable company information and highlight expertise. After you’ve selected a few possibilities, be prepared to get an estimate. Generally speaking, pest control companies offer free initial estimates and consultations. This meeting is a great time to ask questions and get to know more about the company and its business practices. Most businesses are happy to provide you with their credentials and references. Once you receive their estimates, don’t rely on cost alone when choosing a company. Quality service, professionalism and experience are also...

Do you think that you may have silverfish in your home? If you have noticed small, long-bodied insects in moist or wet areas around your home, there is a good chance that you may have a silverfish problem. What are Silverfish? Silverfish are small insects that are aptly named for the silver or grey color of their bodies, and their fishlike movements. Though silverfish do not live in water, they are attracted to moisture, which is why we commonly find them in our sinks, showers, and other areas of our home that tend to gather or collect moisture. Since they are small insects, there is a chance that you might not notice them immediately. If you suspect that you may have a silverfish infestation or may be at risk of one, there are a few signs that you should be aware of. Signs of Silverfish Feeding One sign that you might...

At one time or another, almost every homeowner has been confronted by an unwanted invasion of ants. Maybe you left the dishes in the sink overnight or forgot to take out the garbage. In the morning, countless ants are in your kitchen to greet you. It’s obvious that food is an attractant for ants. Like any houseguest, they also need hospitable shelter and water. Let’s look at these three most common reasons ants are in your home and how to discourage them. Food Strong food scents, especially grease and sugar, can bring ants running. And once in your home, anything on your counter tops or floors becomes a tasty feast. In your cupboards, honey jars or syrup bottles are favorite targets. Perhaps you have kids who snack in their rooms, or your family eats in a separate dining room. Anywhere food and food spills go, the ants go marching, too. Soon...

Pest infestation is a serious problem that can put you and your family in harm's way while also posing a threat to the safety and security of your home. However, there are several small steps you can take to prevent such an infestation. Tidy Up Pests are just about always on the search for food. If you can successfully eliminate their food source, you can also remove the pests. Different pests eat different things but keeping your home clean is generally a good way to prevent an infestation. Routinely clean your kitchen and wipe down all surfaces to remove spills and crumbs. Make it a habit to clean hard-to-reach spots like around and under large appliances, such as your range and refrigerator. Don’t leave food out for extended periods of time. Also, make sure garbage is contained and taken out when necessary. Cleaning up outside of your home can also aid...

Termites have voracious appetites and literally eat non-stop. Think about your house. That’s an amazing amount of damage that can be done in a short amount of time, depending on the size of the infestation. Termites have strong, saw-like jaws allowing them to chew wood at a rapid speed. Each colony has a king and queen who mate for life, and the queen can live for more than 20 years. Her primary function is to produce more termites on a daily basis. Are you concerned? Every state in the United States has termites except Alaska. There are three main types of home-damaging termites in the USA — Subterranean, Drywood and Dampwood. Depending on where you live, one or more types of termites are present. How to Identify a Problem Often homeowners will miss some of the initial warning signs. Though they live in colonies, termites are tiny and often go undetected....

Unfortunately, if you've just seen a cockroach scurry by in your house and have arrived here after Googling what that means, the answer is yes - you likely have an infestation. Roaches aren’t loners. By laying down pheromones as they scamper around eating garbage and rotten food, they attract many others and provide themselves with plentiful breeding opportunities. How many buddies they may have roaming around with them can be hard to tell without help from a professional, but there are a few indicators of how large the colony growing inside your home may be. Live Bugs Roaches are nocturnal, meaning they prefer to do most of their moving when the sun is down. If you’re seeing live roaches during daylight hours, it could be an indicator that you have so many calling your place home that there aren’t enough hiding places left to cover them all. If the population is...

We’re not saying that your house isn’t clean, we have no doubt that you do your best to maintain your home in the most sanitary conditions possible. It’s just that at Premium Termite and Pest Control, with our service areas in Southern California, we see things from a different point of view, and we understand how relentless some pests can be in finding a way to survive in even the most sterile environments. So, if you’ve found yourself battling a pest infestation that you just can’t seem to shake, it’s not your fault, and you’re not alone. If these invaders were easy to avoid and remove, they wouldn’t be called pests. Just contact-us. We’ll help you restore your home to a pest-free state quickly, professionally and on a schedule that fits your life. Let’s look at a few reasons why your home might have attracted pests to begin with. You’ll probably...

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. All the food you feed your family comes from the kitchen, so it is important to keep it clean. Pests in the kitchen are unappealing and downright dangerous. If you want to keep your Southern California kitchen looking great and pest free, keep reading for some practical tips on keeping pests out of your kitchen. Pests Like Dirty Kitchens The cleaner your kitchen is, the less likely you will have pest problems. Mice, ants and cockroaches are looking for tiny bits of food to eat. If you have already cleaned them up, there is nothing drawing them to your kitchen. Make a habit of sweeping up crumbs and wiping down counter tops frequently. Enjoy Cracks, Crevices and Unsealed Food Unsealed windows or doors are a pest’s best friend. Any small crack or crevice that an insect or rodent can crawl through is bad...

It has happened to all of us – you walk barefoot into the kitchen at night only to hear a crunching sound under our feet. Yuck! It is – or was – a roach. If you’ve had this gross experience, you probably are wondering what you can do to get rid of roaches in your home. Here’s how. Remove Food Sources Roaches, either German Cockroaches or Oriental Cockroaches, like to be anywhere there is food. Crumbs in the kitchen or even food particles in the sink or dishwasher are all food sources for these nasty bugs. Be sure to wipe down the outside of jars and bottles of syrup and jellies because roaches will otherwise be attracted to the sticky residue. These bugs are also attracted to meat juices, so be sure to wipe down all counter tops after preparing meats. It might be time to deep clean your kitchen. This...

When you have a pest control issue that requires the services of an outside company, it's natural to want to get more than one estimate so you can compare them before choosing the one that's right for you. The problem is that sometimes sorting through multiple bids can be a daunting and confusing process. How, exactly, can you know which company is actually offering you the most bang for your buck? What should you look for to know that you're making the right choice? These are very important questions that you need to ask before choosing. Thankfully, we can help you sort through the mess to pick the right bid for your fieldwork. 1) Focus on the Services -- not the Bottom Line Of course, when you start to look at bids, it's natural to focus on how much it's going to cost. But only looking at that bottom line is...

Spiders are more than just the creepy crawly creatures that you might want to kill as soon as you see them. They are sometimes beneficial to have in the home because they like to eat insects. While many people think that spiders are insects, they really aren't. They are arachnids. They have two body parts instead of three and don't have wings like many insects have. They also have eight legs and up to eight eyes. When you think of a spider, you probably think of a spider web. Only about half of spiders spin a web while the rest of them live in the ground or in other places either outside or in buildings of some kind where they can get food and feel secure. Most spiders don't attack just because they want to contrary to what some people believe when they see them in the home. Spiders usually only...

It's no secret: Rodents transmit diseases. These pests constantly reproduce and invade homes and businesses throughout the year. They require shelter for protection and places with enough food to feed their young. Your home is the perfect shelter for rodents as it has ample hiding places, food and water. If you're inspecting for mice and rats, it pays to know their favorite hiding spots. 3 Common Rodent Hiding Places Inside the Walls Rodents gnaw every day to keep their teeth from growing too long and causing health problems. Sometimes they gnaw on baseboards and walls, creating holes and sneaking inside to build nests. If you hear scratching in the walls at night or during the day, it could indicate a rodent infestation. In the Attic and Basement Rodents prefer to come out at night and will hide during the day. They seek shelter in out-of-the-way places like attics and basements where...

If you're like most Americans, you'll probably have to deal with a bed bug infestation at some point. While bed bugs may not pose a threat to your health, they're a nuisance that's difficult to eradicate. Here are a few helpful tips to keep bed bugs out of your home. Change and Wash Linens Every Week Doing the laundry on a regular basis is the easiest way to prevent the establishment and spread of bed bugs. If you have guest bedrooms in the house, wait until company arrives before putting comforters, sheets and pillows on beds. Bathe Your House Pets Regularly Cats and dogs are particularly effective at transferring bed bugs from tall grass to the inside of your house in a hurry. Giving your furry friends frequent baths during the summer with a shampoo specifically formulated to kill insects is a smart move. Quarantine Clothes After Traveling Hotels and motels...

If you think that you have a termite problem, it's possible to confirm it without calling a professional. Look for frass. Understanding this term and how to identify frass can help you determine whether or not you need pest control services. The Definition of Frass People who raise butterflies and moths describe caterpillar waste as frass. When it comes to termites, frass also refers to droppings or feces. However, frass can be the result of destructive insect activity too. How to Identify It The frass that termites leave behind differs depending on the species. It's also important to be able to tell termite waste apart from carpenter ant activity. Drywood Termite Frass Drywood termites leave few indications of an infestation in homes. When a couple of swarmers establish a nest, they seal the hole in which they entered and don't leave. They have everything inside of the wood to survive. As...

The sight of an earwig indoors can be unsettling. Many people wonder what this slender, flexible insect even is, with its fierce-looking pincers and its propensity to appear in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Alone or in numbers, they immediately have a slightly threatening air, but can they really harm people with those pincers or anything else? Naming the Earwig While scare mongers love to cite the myth that earwigs will tunnel into your ears, a more likely explanation for the name comes from one of the insect’s characteristics that is rarely seen. Mature earwigs of many species have wings. Most of the time, they keep their pleated, fan-shaped hind wings neatly tucked beneath short, leathery front wings. However, when both wings are fully spread, the shape resembles a pair of ears. The name may also be rooted in the Anglo-Saxon ear wicka, which refers to their presence on ears of...

If you want to have a great Memorial Day barbecue without being visited by ants, preparing your yard in advance will help you reach your goal. Allowing ants onto your property during your big day will give them a chance to get into and taint your food, which is a problem you will want to avoid. Ants can welcome themselves to your barbecue without warning when they detect a food source, but you can keep yourself and your guests safe from these insects when you have a proven plan in mind. Vinegar Most people have the needed tools to keep ants away and don't even know it, and you can go to your kitchen and grab vinegar when you want to create a natural repellant. Mixing the vinegar with water to create a 50-50 solution is a good way to keep ants at bay. Before your Memorial Day barbecue, spray the...

Termite Awareness Week, which was the first full week of spring, aims to educate homeowners and the public on the importance of controlling termites and the dangers created by them. If you have a home, apartment complex or another type of building, keeping the most important takeaways at the front of your mind will keep you and your property out of harm's way. You won't always detect the warning signs during the first stages of a termite infestation, and that oversight can result in costly repair fees. Learning as much as you can about the invaders will improve your odds of containing the threat before you face long-term damage. Early Detection is Key Termites will instantly start consuming your wooden floors, walls and support beams when they get inside. Inability to detect and remove termites during this stage will give them plenty of time to spread, and your problem will grow....

Spotting a roach in your home should always raise an eyebrow. If you aren't careful, you could be facing a serious infestation in only a short period of time. These unsanitary insects have a reputation for breeding extremely quickly. Here are some of the tell-tale signs your roach problem has spiraled out of control. You Happen to See Roaches During the Daytime Typically, roaches are nocturnal insects that like to hide in dark areas. They prefer to do their dirty work while you are comfortably sleeping at night. If you happen to encounter a roach during the day, this is a surefire indication of a major infestation. Waiting to take action will only allow the problem to become worse. You Discover Dead Roaches in Your Home Many people consider a dead roach to be a frightening sight. Finding multiple dead roaches should cause even more concern. Expect dozens of other living...

Do-it-yourself pest control is common these days as more websites pop up with products and treatment methods for combating pests at home. Unfortunately, people who want to save a few bucks and tackle the job themselves are often left with more problems and less money than they had in the beginning. If you're thinking about eliminating pests without professional assistance, Premium Termite & Pest Control has a few things for you to consider. Why You Should Avoid DIY Pest Control 1. Chemical Exposure Pest control products contain numerous chemicals, putting your family and pets at risk of toxic exposure. If you handle the products or apply them improperly, you can create hazardous conditions inside or outside of your home. Pest control professionals are trained to apply pesticides responsibly while reducing the risk to people and animals. 2. Costly Treatments Depending on the infestation, you may have to buy more than one...