North Hills, CA Pest Control

Do Cockroaches In North Hills Spread Disease? 

It's not a secret that cockroaches don't belong inside your home. They are also something you never want to see. However, does that make them a danger for spreading disease? The answer: absolutely! Cockroaches are suspected to be carriers of a range of diseases such as: 

Keep your property safe from cockroaches with the assistance of the technicians at Ventura Pest Control. Reach out to us today to get started with our cockroach control service.

Why Do Bed Bug Infestations In North Hills Increase In The Summer?

Bed bugs are hitchhiking pests that can get into North Hills homes any time of the year. During the summer months, when people tend to travel more and spend time doing stuff outside, they tend to spend the night away from home. Whether you stay in a hotel, motel, five-star resort, or the home of a friend or family member, you could pick bed bugs up. Always be cautious and take steps to keep bed bugs from coming home with you.

Here are some suggestions from our on-staff bed bug experts:

• Before you spend the night somewhere, perform a quick inspection. Check pillowcases, sheets, bedspreads, baseboards, and outlets for black streaks or fecal spotting. Look between the mattress and the box spring and see if there are any black specks, shed skins, white eggs, or bed bugs.
• While away from home, keep all laundry items in a sealed plastic bag. Bed bugs are attracted to the scent of skin oils on the clothing you've worn.
• Refrain from hanging clothing over chairs or on beds.
• Consider putting your luggage in sealed plastic bags or spray the outside of your luggage with a nice smelling lavender spray. Bed bugs don't like the scent of lavender.
• When you return home, run all your clothing through a hot wash and a dryer cycle.

If you ever find bed bugs in your North Hills home, reach out to Ventura Pest Control for a professional bed bug treatment. Our licensed technicians know what is required to get rid of these bugs.

Five Easy Ways To Keep Ants Out Of Your North Hills Home

If you walk around your home and consider where you're seeing ants and why you might be seeing them, you may be able to locate and address conducive conditions before ants get into your home. Here are five ways you might be encouraging an ant infestation:

1. Many ant species eat nectar. If you have a weed problem in your lawn, and some of those weeds have flowers, you're going to have trouble with ants. First, they may start making mounds throughout your lawn. After this, they'll start making mounds in your landscaping. This brings them close to your home and can increase ant sightings on the inside of your home. Address weeds to prevent ant problems.
2. Many ant species have a strong attraction to honeydew, which is produced by aphids, whiteflies, and scale insects. If you have any of these plant-damaging insects in your landscaping, you need to address them. We recommend using colored sticky traps and routine washing of your landscape plants.
3. Many ants are drawn to rotting organic matter. If you have a trash receptacle that has acquired an odor, it is a good idea to wash and deodorize it. That scent can attract ants from a distance.
4. Many ants are drawn to leaf litter. Under leaves are insects, both dead and alive. These are food sources for ants that prefer protein. Blow leaves out of your landscaping and rake leaves up to reduce ant activity.
5. Ants get in because they can. Seal potential entry points in your exterior. The tools for this job are a caulking gun, expanding foam, weatherstripping, door sweeps, and screens.

If you need more protection from ants, remember that year-round pest control from Ventura Pest Control provides routine barrier treatments that help to keep ants out. Connect with us today to get started with our ant control service.

Three Reasons Gophers Get Into North Hills Yards

Gophers are super annoying pests. Before you start to see gopher mounds, you may be able to remove attractants that bring gophers onto your property. Here are the three top reasons gophers will enter your yard:

1. Proximity - You may have gophers in your yard because you're near a suitable habitat for gophers. We have lots of those in North Hills.
2. Plants - These pests eat many different types of plants, including flowers. If you have lots of vegetation, your yard is going to be attractive to gophers.
3. Soil composition - Gophers will prefer your yard if the soil is easier to excavate. These little furry pests prefer sandy soil that is easy to displace.

While there are three primary reasons gophers may come into your yard, there is only one way to get rid of them effectively, and that is to hire a trained gopher control professional. We have a few of those on staff here at Ventura Pest Control. We can help you get rid of gophers.