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The pleasantness of warm climates has always attracted people who are looking to escape the inconveniences of cold weather. Unfortunately, bugs and house pests are also attracted to the warmer climates. Houses located in these warm areas have a particular challenge when it comes to controlling house pests.

Having spiders around your home is almost unavoidable, no matter what part of the world you live in. They can even be helpful by controlling the population of other pests in your home and garden. However, these pests can be a nuisance and sometimes dangerous. Deciding whether you need to call an exterminator depends on the type, number, and whether children and elderly people are in the home.

Black widows and brown recluses are two types that are commonly found in the United States, especially in the warmer areas. Both of these are poisonous and complications may arise from a bite. Black widows are spotted by the distinctive red mark on their black bodies. Brown recluses are small, brown, and have a dark violin shape on top. If either of these is found in the home, an exterminator may be necessary to safely get rid of them. Attempting to remove these types on your own will agitate the spider and may result in a bite.

Calling an exterminator for poisonous pests is especially important if there are children or elderly people in the home. Because of their weakened, developing, or compromised immune systems, they may be more susceptible to complications and infections from a spider bite.

Infestations are another instance where an exterminator is needed. High humidity levels, dark hiding places, cardboard boxes, and food sources such as other pests will attract spiders and may cause an infestation. If a large number of these pests and their webs are spotted, chemical measures may be necessary to eliminate them. Another sign of an infestation is large amounts of young spiders of the same size. This may indicate eggs have hatched in the home.

Calling an exterminator is not needed if only the occasional eight-legged creature is spotted. Populations can be controlled by vacuuming webs and eggs, repairing holes in screens, and keeping the house clean and sanitary.  However, since their presence can be disturbing to many people, if you live in the greater Los Angeles area and are interested in a free consultation and estimate, reach out to the professionals at Accuracy Plus today at (888) 675-0258.

Eliminating pests such as ants, dust mites, bed bugs and others can be an extensive process. This is especially true if you have pets. The last thing you want to do is to treat your home with pesticides that end up hurting your pets in any way at all. This is where pet safe pest removal becomes key. There are several ways you can guarantee the safety of your pets while eliminating pests.

Start by examining the inside of your home for cracks. These cracks may seem small but they are large enough for pests. Pay special attention to the baseboards, moldings, cupboards, pipes, ducts, sinks, toilets and electrical outlets in your home. Seal these up with silicone caulk to keep pests from getting into your home in the first place. Make sure to seal heating and cooling vents with screens to get pests out of these areas for good.

This should help a lot but it is unlikely that it will completely eliminate your problems. Store fly swatters throughout the house to attack any insects. If the insects are too fast for you, buy several hand held vacuums and place them around the home. Watch carefully for pests that may be flying through the air or sitting on your counters. Suck them up with the vacuum to trap them inside.

Lay traps throughout the house in areas that are away from your pets. These can include fly traps, jar traps, pheromone traps, mouse traps, light traps, death free traps and any other traps that you want to use. Again, make sure these don’t use chemicals that are unsafe for your pet. Never place these on the ground or near counters where your pets might wander.

If these methods aren’t working, consider using low risk pesticides that are unlikely to attract the attention of your pets. Sprinkle a light boric acid on the cracks and crevices where you suspect your pests are invading. This will slowly poison the pests. Boric acid isn’t as dangerous to your pets as many pesticides and the small amount you sprinkle shouldn’t effect them should they ingest it. Just to be safe, only add this pesticide where your pets won’t go.

These methods of pet safe pest removal should be all you need to get rid of your pests for good. However, you may have to be more persistent than with other more poisonous methods. If you have any questions or concerns along the way and are in the greater Los Angeles area, call the professionals at Accuracy Plus at (888) 675-0258 for a free consultation and estimate today.

When you experience problems with pests in or around your home, it may seem like a good idea to save money and treat the problem yourself. While this method may work in some situatioms, in others professional help is preferred. If you are experiencing problems with pests, it is important to evaluate whether you need an exterminator.

Hidden Issues

In some situations, what you see on the surface is only part of the problem. If you treat only what you can see, the problem can quickly return. Professionals know how to find and treat the root of the problem, thus reducing the risk of recurrence. This saves you time and money in the long run.

Guarantees

Many professionals provide clients with a guarantee for their services. If they use treatments to get rid of the pests in your home and they return within a specified amount of time, they will return and take care of the problem for no additional charge. If you attempt to take care of the pests yourself and fail, you will either have to pay for a professional anyway or pay for a different type of treatment to try again.

Maintenance Programs

If you use an exterminator that provides you with the option of purchasing a maintenance plan, you can end up spending less and keeping pest problems away. In many cases, a simple inspection once or twice a year can help identify problems when they start and allow you to treat the problems for less than if you waited until you noticed the issue yourself. These maintenance plans may even include the cost of some minor treatments.

Safety

When you deal with pesticides, it can be hard to maintain the proper level of safety, especially if you have young children or pets. Professional pest specialists have access to pesticides that the general public does not. They will be able to tailor a treatment plan that works best for your company.

Experience

While the Internet is available to help you figure out what type of pest you are dealing with and what treatments work, information on the Internet isn’t always completely reliable. You may find yourself trying multiple treatments with no effect. A professional has the experience needed to determine what is causing your problem and how to fix it right the first time.

Choosing to hire an exterminator will help ensure that your problem is fixed the right way. While you may be able to do the work yourself, it can be difficult to fix the entire problem with the right treatments that won’t cause harm to your family or home. A professional can give you many advantages over attempting to remedy your problem yourself. If you are in the greater Los Angeles area, call Accuracy Plus at (888) 675-0258 for a free consultation and estimate today.

Pests in and around the home can be annoying, destructive, and expensive to clean up. That’s why it’s always better to prevent a pest infestation before it starts. With a few simple ideas and a little preventative pest control, it’s simple to remain pest free for 2012 and beyond.

One of the easiest and most sure-fire methods of remaining pest free is a dose of prevention. Call a local pest specialist and schedule an inspection and treatment session. Sealing cracks in the foundation of your home, both inside and outside, can help greatly with preventing infestations. Trained professionals can spot and seal holes you didn’t even know existed, and help prevent anything from ants and spiders to termites and mice.

If you’re worried about pets or children, or simply just don’t want potentially harmful chemicals sprayed into the environment, most pest control professionals will offer safe, non-toxic solutions. They can also localize their treatments to specific risk areas, as opposed to full foundation work. These solutions are just as effective as other pesticides.

For a dose of home prevention you can do yourself, take a look at your daily habits. Try to limit where you eat, sweep or vacuum often, and clean up spills. Open containers of food, especially pet food, can be a huge draw for ants, mice, and other pests. Garbage needs to be disposed of frequently and not allowed to build up. Open containers of leftovers, garbage, or anything else a pest can eat is a draw for them. If you make a habit of keeping things clean, you limit the attraction pests have to your home.

If you have an existing pest problem, there are plenty of ways to deal with it. Termites can be destructive, but a professional exterminator can help you get rid of them quickly and easily. If you think you may have such a destructive pest in your home, call for an inspection. The destruction they can cause builds up and can become very expensive over time. Other pests like mice, bees, or fleas can be just as bad, and proper pest control is a must.

A simple and inexpensive inspection, a few healthy habits in the home, and a bit of preventative treatment are all that’s needed to make sure you can remain pest free in 2012.

To ask any questions or request a complimentary inspection and estimate in the greater Los Angeles area, call Accuracy Plus today at (888) 675-0258.

Educating yourself about pests is one of the best measures to protect yourself and your home from them. A perfect example is termites. Many people don’t think about them until it is too late. However, some simple knowledge and an annual inspection by your pest control professional is a good way to prevent major damage.

The holidays are the time that most of us travel at some point to see our family and friends. For many, that involves a night or more in a hotel. In order to make sure you don’t bring home any unwanted “gifts” from your trip, there are several easy things you can do to check your home away from home for bed bugs.

The first thing to realize is that bed bugs are not exclusive to a certain type of location. They have been found at hotels ranging from economy to upscale so spend a few minutes at the beginning of your stay doing a quick check of your room. The first place to check, and the most obvious, is the bed. You can pull back the comforter and sheets and check by the seams of the mattress. Bed bugs are flat, oval shaped and reddish brown in color. They are visible to the naked eye so if you see any insects matching this description, bring it to the hotel manager’s attention immediately.  Because bed bugs are small and like to hide, you should also look along the bed frame and the nearby baseboard and furniture.

Bed bugs are also nocturnal so it might be tough to catch them out during the day. If that is the case, then there are also other warning signs to look for. One thing to look out for is tiny spots of red blood or black excrement stains on the sheets, comforter or surrounding furniture. This can be a sure sign of infestation. Another thing you may notice is a sweet but unpleasant smell. The last warning sign is something you may realize after it is too late. When bed bugs bite, they often leave itchy welts on the skin. If this happens to you, then you should inform the hotel manager at once.

These few tips will help keep you happy and pest free during this busy holiday season. For any other pest control needs closer to home in the greater Los Angeles are, call the experts at Accuracy Plus at (888) 675-0258 for a free consultation today!

They are only five to seven inches long from the tip of their nose to the end of their tail, but they can cause major problems inside your home. The house mouse is small and slender but destructive. It can spread disease, contaminate food and also destroy property.

House mice are usually light gray and are difficult to keep out of the home because they are able to squeeze through holes the size of a dime. Because of this, it is best to seal all holes, cracks and gaps in the exterior of your home and garage that are larger than a quarter of an inch. Another tip is to install weather stripping at the bottom of all of your exterior doors. There are several other things you can do around the exterior of your home such as removing firewood or debris piles near the foundation and trimming any branches, plants or bushes that hang over your home.

Mice are normally found where water and food sources exist. The kitchen is a common area to see evidence of mice such as droppings. Normally, mice contaminate much more food than they actually consume. To try and avoid this situation, it is best to store all food in secure containers. Small tears and rips in boxes and bags can be a sure sign of a mouse infestation. You should also not let dirty dishes or cooking utensils pile up.

Mice have also been known to carry fleas into the home. Fleas spread various types of diseases such as Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) which causes symptoms such as a headache, fever, chills and muscle aches. It can cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems and women who are pregnant.

Don’t let the house mouse cause a problem in your home. For a free consultation and estimate, contact your neighborhood Los Angeles pest control professionals at Accuracy Plus today at (888) 675-0258.