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Let’s face it – rats are gross. Rats are probably the one pest infestation that sends a shiver up the spine. If you have rats, you want to get rid of the problem fast. So, how do you get rid of rats? Here are some easy steps:

Clean Up – Rats love to have a messy space – it gives them more room to hide. Whether you have a room with clothes lying on the floor, a cluttered garage, basement or crawlspace, you could be providing a perfect nesting and hiding spot for rats. Get rid of that clutter and get rid of rat hiding spots.

Control the food source – Rats are looking for food and scraps. If you make that access easy, you are likely to attract rats. Keep food in air-tight containers, throw garbage into sealed cans, clean up counters, don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink or counter. But make sure you look for other spots with food – vacuum crumbs, and make sure that dirty plates and glasses make their way into the dishwasher right away.

Seal up access – You’ll be amazed at the small spaces rats and mice can slip into. Make sure that your home is sealed up, especially around foundations, so that rats and mice do not seek a nice, dry place to live – your house.

A good inspection will spot all the areas that are potential welcome mats to rats. When you know what’s attracting the rats, you can take steps to get rid of them from your home. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

Are you concerned about trying to control ant infestation with harsh chemicals? If you do a search on the internet, you’ll find literally thousands of suggestions for controlling ants – some effective, but more often than not, some that are simply old-wives tails. Let’s take a look at some alternatives:

Spices – Believe it or not, many people say that ants will not cross over a path of some common kitchen spices – pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cloves, cream of tartar, and mint are all spices or herbs that are reputed to cause ants to turn around and walk away. 

Cleansers – Many believe that the use of powdered household cleansers, like Comet or Ajax will keep ants away. We know that Borax (another cleanser) has proven to be a powerful combatant of ants and other insects. The only problem with laying a path of cleansers is that children or pets could come in contact with the cleansers and become quite ill.

Homemade sprays – Some people recommend using a liquid spray whenever you spot ants, or in the path of the ants. A spray bottle filled with white vinegar will keep ants away. Another option is to mix liquid dish soap with water or Windex to create a spray that keeps ants from coming back.

Do you notice any common elements to these solutions? All of the recommendations are strongly scented. The scent from these alternative treatments disrupts the ants ability to track food. They will try to get away from the strong smelling materials.

A good inspection will track down how ants are getting into your home. You can take care of the ants at the source of the problem. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

Have you experienced the frustration of putting on a favorite sweater, only to find a hole in the garment? There’s a good chance that your clothes have been the victim of moths. These frustrating pests can do a lot of damage to clothes, or any other fabric, such as favorite linens.

Adult moths don’t actually feed on clothing, fabrics or fibers. But the larvae from their eggs do a lot of damage. The larvae will look for food sources until they enter the cocoon stage. This makes your clothes and other fabrics at risk for moth larvae food supplies.

There’s one popular method of controlling moths in your home, and it doesn’t even involve using harsh chemicals.  Instead, you can control the moth population with two favorite essential oils – lavender and cedar.

The smell of lavender and cedar will not kill the moths or their larvae. But, the scent of either of these two oils will mask the male moth’s ability to scent female pheromones. So the males can’t find the females to mate, and the population dies out.

Before you start using the essential oils, wipe out all drawers, closet surfaces and storage bins with a damp sponge. Shake your clothing items and linens out to get rid of any eggs. If you have access to a clothes line, hang your garments outside to dry out in the sun.

Once you’ve cleaned out the existing moth population, use satchels filled with either lavender or cedar shavings to keep moths from coming back. These satchels will maintain their fragrance strength for about two years. After that, you’ll need to replace them. On average, a satchel filled with lavender or cedar will be effective for a radius of about five feet. An average closet will require several satchels to keep moths from breeding.

We’re happy to provide more tips on how you can control the pest population around your home. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

There’s nothing more frustrating than cockroaches in your home. These critters are so hard to get rid of, and they are a huge health problem. Cockroaches infect food-sources, bring in bacteria and disease, and leave behind their feces. You need to get cockroaches out of your home and keep them out of the house. Here are three tips for eliminating them from your home:

1. Prevention is the best cure. Make your home completely unattractive to cockroaches. That means being extremely vigilant in cleaning. Keep counters free of food crumbs, clean out your sink, make sure there isn’t grease in the pipes, and fix any dripping or leaky pipes. Make sure your trashcans have been cleaned so that no food residue is sticking to the trash can. Tightly close all trash bags. Don’t leave dirty dishes in your sink or on your counters. Store foods in airtight containers, or in the fridge.
2. Sometimes simply cleaning will not control the cockroach population. If cockroaches have already found a way into your home, they are unlikely to leave willingly. That’s where good traps come into play. When you are being extra careful about cleaning, cockroaches will investigate traps for food sources. Once they are in the trap, its goodbye cockroach.
3. If you still find yourself chasing cockroaches, the next step is to use a chemical treatment to kill them once and for all. A pest professional will help you determine how the cockroaches are getting into your home, point out any possible food sources that keep them active, and finally, spray to get rid of the cockroaches. We’ll also recommend repeated treatments to keep them from coming back.

Cockroaches don’t have to be a part of your home. With an inspection, we’ll recommend how you can get rid of cockroaches permanently. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

When the weather cools down in fall, winter and spring, the cricket population sees this as a great time to look for alternative locations – specifically your house and yard. Not only do you have to deal with cricket carcasses, you also have the incessant noise from the cricket chorus.

1. Like most pests, getting rid of crickets can be fairly simple. Most crickets enter houses through the foundation or crawl space of the home. The first step to get rid of crickets is a thorough inspection, finding those spots that are allowing them to come in.
2. When we locate all the cracks and holes, we seal them up so the crickets (and other pests) can’t come into the home.
3. Next, we recommend spraying around your foundation and crawls space. Because the chemicals will dissipate with rain and exposure to the air, we recommend repeated applications.
4. Keep your gutters free of fallen leaves. Crickets love to feed on debris – you need to be vigilant about keeping debris picked up, like yard waste.
5. Keep grass neatly trimmed around your home. Crickets love to gather in tall grasses. Again, the grass acts like a food source. Get rid of their food source and you control the problem.
6. Another option is to use cricket traps. Cricket traps entice the cricket into the trap, and they can’t get out. Eventually, this helps control the cricket population.

Crickets are more than mere annoying and noisy pests. They can do quite a bit of damage to clothing, books, shoes, and purses. They are not a pest that you want to ignore, especially when it’s so easy to control their population.

For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

Do you hate spiders? Even if you don’t fear suffer from a phobia related to spiders, they are still an annoying pest to have hanging around your home. No one likes the feeling of walking through a cobweb, or the dust that accumulates on the web. So, how can you get rid of these eight legged monsters? It’s actually pretty easy.

1. The first step is to have your home inspected. We routinely check for spiders – looking for webs on the corners of interior walls, around the foundation, and up in the house eaves.
2. When you come across spiders webs, knock the web down with a broom.
3. What should you do with spiders when you come across them? You can either return them to the wild – take them outdoors, or you can kill them.  If you release them outside, don’t be too surprised if they show up again. If the spider found a way in, it will continue to come into your home.
4. As part of our inspection, we recommend closing up access to your home, such as cracks in foundations and small holes. That will help keep spiders from re-entering your home.
5. Remember that spiders will get rid of some of the other pests that make your life miserable. A few small spider webs outside can help keep mosquitoes, gnats, and moths at bay.

Using the steps above, you will help reduce the spider population from your home. While you might not be able to ever completely rid your home of spiders, you can minimize them.

For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

Are you looking for an alternative pest control that doesn’t involve a lot of toxic chemicals? There are many alternatives pest control methods that will keep your pest population at bay, without the use of harsh chemicals.

If you are interested in trying non-conventional pest methods, here are a few suggestions of where to begin:

• Consider asking for semiochemicals – semiochemicals disrupt pests normal behavior patterns, such as breeding or access to preferred feeding supplies. While these chemicals don’t immediately result in the death of pests, over time they disrupt the pests life cycle to the point that they die out or seek alternative breeding grounds.
• Use traps – whether you are working with bugs or rodents, traps are an effective way of eliminating the pests. Many traps can be bated with chemicals that attract the pests and the trap prevents them from leaving. Some of the most popular traps feature sex pheromones that attract mating adult insects, while a sticky residue keeps them from leaving.
• Moth Balls – traditional moth balls are great for killing a number of pests. Simply place moth balls inside closets, drawers or at the back of bookshelves. You will kill a number of pests and keep your clothes and books free from damage.
• Wood Treatment – treating wood that has insect damage, such as termite damage, can eliminate future damage to your wood. Bora Care is a great solution for treating wood damage and preventing future termite or wood borer damage.

We are proud to use a variety of methods that control pests and limit toxicity. For more information about our alternative methods, give us a call. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

Southern California may seem like a paradise, especially during the winter when we enjoy warm weather. But this paradise isn’t free of some annoying little creatures – namely pests of all kinds – bugs, insects and rodents. To keep these pests out of your home, you need a pest professional.

Lots of people try to conquer the problem themselves, with a few bottles of insecticide. Unfortunately, this doesn’t treat all the pests or solve your problems. A pest professional will treat all the pests and rid your home of the pests. Not all pest professionals are created the same. When it comes to a really good pest service, you should expect the following:

• Trained and certified professionals who examine your home and determine a plan based on your needs.
• An assessment of infestation and damage done, with solutions to remedy these problems.
• Suggestions for changes you can make to your home to eliminate pests – cleaning solutions, blocking entrances, etc.
• Pest solutions based on the best product to get rid of your pests. When possible, recommendations for the use of non-toxic or low-toxicity pest control. If not possible, a recommendation that safely minimizes your risk to toxic chemicals and permanently eradicates pests.
• Follow-up plans that include repeated treatments, further inspections, and long-term plans for eliminating pests from your environment.

Good pest control demands knowledge, training, expertise and vigilance. That’s the kind of service you can expect from AccuracyPlusCalifornia.com. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.

Houseplants bring a home to life. Those beautiful green leaves freshen the home and make a house feel warm and cozy. But those same houseplants could be bringing something else into your home – insects.

Whether you start your plants from seeds, or you buy plants at a nursery, you have the same potential for insect infestation. There are a few very common insects that love to infest houseplants. While most of them aren’t dangerous, they certainly affect the appearance of your houseplants and can damage the plant themselves. If you see these bugs, you need to decontaminate your plants:  

• Aphids – These small green and brown insects are often found on the underside of plant leaves. Aphids feed on leaves and make your beautiful plants look worn out and beat up.
• Mealy bugs – This small white insect is found on the stems of plants, or underneath the leaves.
• Red Spiders – These tiny little spiders are hard to spot. Often, the first sign of red spiders is a small web woven between the stem and the leaf of the plant.
• Scale Insects – These bugs are dark brown or black and don’t move much once they have found a plant they like. While these bugs can be difficult to find, the only way to get rid of them is to pick the bugs off.
• White flies – These flies resemble small moths and are often found around flowering plants such as Geraniums.

Many insects that infest houseplants can be eliminated with a simple spray of water and a damp cloth. If the insects are persistent, they will require a mild insecticide to kill the bugs. With a few simple steps, you can enjoy your houseplants, bug free. For a free inspection, give us a call at 888-675-0258 or go to http://www.accuracypluscalifornia.com/.