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Cockroaches are by far one of the biggest pest control concerns in any home.  Regardless of where you live or how clean you keep your house, these little guys are always ready to invade with the slightest drop of a crumb.  There is no question that roaches are a nuisance, and no one will blame you for trying to kill any you might have the misfortune of hosting.  But they are also fascinating creatures which deserve at least a little appreciation.  Check out these 20 fascinating facts about cockroaches:

• There are more than 5,000 species of roaches worldwide.  The largest lives in South America and has a wingspan of one foot.
• Cockroaches have six legs and up to 18 knees.
• Roaches can survive for up to one month without food.
• Roaches can hold their breath up to water for up to 40 minutes.
• As they grow, roaches shed their exoskeletons—up to several times in a single year.  After they do they appear white for around eight hours.
• American cockroaches can run up to three miles per hour.
• Used in traditional medicines for centuries, roaches have been used to cure everything from indigestion to water retention.
• Blood moves freely through the roaches’ bodies, instead of through a system of veins.
• If you cut off its head, a cockroach can live up to a week—only dying because it doesn’t have a mouth with which to drink water.
• In old Europe, cockroaches were considered lucky and a tradition to release them into a new home.
• Cockroaches are thought to have appeared more than 200 million years ago.
• Roaches spend up to 75% of their day resting.
• Roach relatives can recognize one another by their smell.
• Roach blood is white.
• Cockroaches can survive exposure to radiation that is hundreds of times greater than those that would kill humans.
• In a complete reversal of the mating habits of most animals, female cockroaches often seek out the least powerful males to mate with.
• Roaches chew sideways.
• Roaches are not indigenous to America.  They were brought here by explorers.
• Cockroaches are linked to allergies and asthma in some people.
• Some female cockroaches get pregnant and stay pregnant for the rest of their lives.

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

When it comes to pest control, many families think they can take on the millions of critters invading their homes with a few jugs of chemicals and some traps.  But pest control is far more than this.  Professional pest control services are able to provide you with an objective, professional opinion based on experience and education.  They can help you to identify trouble spots in your home, and make you aware of potential concerns that you might have missed. 

If you do have a pest problem, the professional service will be up on the latest methods for controlling and eliminating them.  They can also work around your family’s unique needs such as allergies, environmental concerns and sensitivities.

When it comes to selecting your pest control service, look for a company that is well-established with excellent customer testimonials; and that is a member of the Better Business Bureau.  Ask friends and family who they use.  If the company provides references, be sure to contact them and get their honest opinion.

A good pest control service will also have reliable, friendly employees who do more than just show up and spray some chemicals on your baseboards.  You should expect these folks to be able to give you information on the pests around your home and the materials they are using.  They should be able to answer your questions intelligently and provide you with additional information if you need it.

While it’s true that a pest control service is an additional expense to your monthly budget, it is one very important thing you can cross off your “to do” list.  The cost is nominal and well worth it.  You’ll be able to rest easy knowing that your home and your family are being protected from pests that can cause serious damage or injury.

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

Today’s homeowner has begun to demand higher quality pest control which is more effective and safer for the environment.  Bora-Care is one of the best in a new breed of insecticides for use on interior and exterior surfaces.  It has been specially formulated to eliminate various breeds of termites, beetles and fungus.  The U.S. Department of HUD has approved Bora-Care as a preventative treatment against termites in new home construction.

Bora-Care is comprised of borates, which are compounds made of the elements boron and oxygen derived from mineral deposits.  They destroy the insects’ natural digestive process, making it impossible for them to digest their food, causing them to literally starve to death.  Additionally, insects are unable to develop a resistance to Bora-Care because it is not a poison—it’s a disruption to their enzymatic system.

Once Bora-Care has been applied to a wood surface, it will become bonded to it, making it a permanent barrier against insects for the lifetime of the wood.  Exterior wood needs to be sealed after the Bora-Care is applied to ensure the weather does not affect the absorption and retention of the product.

Bora-Care can be purchased and applied by the homeowner, but it is advisable to have your pest control provider apply it since they have experience and can do a thorough job with less materials.  Because there are no odor or toxic fumes, you won’t even have to leave your home while it is being applied. 

Don’t resort to toxic insecticides, costly fumigation and smelly poisons when you can use a natural alternative like Bora-Care.  Your family will remain safe, as will you’re your real estate investment.  If you are unsure whether you have a termite problem, ask your pest control specialist to come out and walk your property with you.  There is tell-tale signs which will help you decide if you need to take corrective action; or if you simply want to make take preventative measures to ensure your home stays safe from termites.

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

A pest can be anything that is unwanted or that causes damage and/or injury.  A lot of it depends on your perspective.  For example, deer are beautiful, graceful, gentle creatures that can be delightful to watch in the wild; but if you regularly find them in your garden eating the lettuce you’ve spent all season cultivating, they become a pest.

Most of the creatures that we consider pests belong in the great outdoors and as long as they don’t intrude on our homes, or invade our backyards to the point they threaten our health we don’t really give them a second thought. 

Depending on your location, the season and your pest control routine your needs can differ from season to season.  However, the majority pests fall into the following categories:

• Insects – Including spiders, ants, fleas, lice, and ticks
• Rodents – Including squirrels, rabbits, gophers and mice
• Reptiles – Including snakes and lizards
• Larger Mammals – Including deer and raccoons
• Birds – Including woodpeckers and blue jays

If any of these creatures have invaded your yard or home, you may be in need of pest control.  Professional pest control services are trained to deal with the specific animals or insects in your area and can help you to not only eliminate them; but they’ll teach you how to prevent these pests from coming back.  After hiring a pest control company, be proactive in staying in touch with them.  Let your service provider know what seems to be working or not working.  Ask questions and give feedback. 

Just because your neighbors don’t consider the raccoons that tear through your garbage every night a nuisance doesn’t meant they aren’t a pest.  If your life is being disrupted by outdoor critters, you need to find a way to take back your home.  Find out what a professional pest control service can do for you.

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

Bedbugs aren’t just a made-up critter that parents warn their kids about before they head off to sleep.  These lentil-sized creatures are well adapted to living in company with human hosts, often making their homes in furniture, mattresses and pillows.  They are active during the night and feed off the blood of unsuspecting humans and animals while they sleep.  Their bites may show up as small, irritating welts hours after they occur.

Many pest control companies have a hard time addressing bed bugs because the chemicals used to kill them in the past have been banned due to their toxicity.  Additionally, the public has begun demanding greener, healthier ways to do everything—and that includes pest control.   One way to address infestations is to increase the temperature in a room with industrial strength heaters and then suck the dead bugs out with a powerful vacuum.

Recently, however, an amazing innovation in pest control has been developed:  the use of dogs to sniff out bedbug infestations.  An experiment done at the University of Florida found that dogs were able to locate live bedbugs in hotel rooms 98% of the time.  Dogs have been used for years to sniff out termites, but only recently since there has been a rash of bedbug infestations in the U.S. have they been used specifically for these pests.

The dogs used can be almost any breed, including mixed breeds.  They must go through a training process, working with a handler that uses a food reward system.  The effort pays off, literally.  There are currently only around 100 bed bug sniffing dogs at work in the U.S. today and a dog with trainer can cost between $200-400 an hour.  But for hotels and other businesses it is worth it because it means foregoing harsh chemicals, closing down for fumigation, and replacing furniture that doesn’t need to be replaced.

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

Termites are one of the most destructive pests in the U.S., costing homeowners billions of dollars in property damages every year.  They have the ability to destroy your house; trees and plants on your property; and even in-ground swimming pools.  Once you’ve had them, your house is forever marred.  You may even have trouble selling your home at a future date if you’ve been infested with termites.

However, if you are able to detect them early, you can drastically minimize the amount of damage done.  It pays to have regular termite inspections done, and if you’ve had termites before you should be treating your property consistently.  You will be able to detect termites by looking for winged insects swarming around, termite droppings, bubbling paint, or wood that sounds hollow when you knock on it.

The first thing to do if you suspect you have termites is have a professional come out and look at your home’s structure to make sure they haven’t done any major damage.  If your infestation is in the early stages, you’ll want to take steps to eliminate any moisture around your home such as leaking a/c units or pipes, remove mulch or plants that are covering the ground, and seal any openings on the exterior of your house.  You also want to remove piles of lumber, old stumps or debris, and clear away anything like a shed that is leaning against your house.

Depending on the breed of termites and the severity of your infestation, treatment can vary from spraying liquid termiticides, painting on a liquid treatment, placing bait around the house or fumigating your property.  Some individuals may try to manage their termite problem themselves, but considering the affect termites can have on the overall value of your home, you would be wise to trust your investment to professional a professional pest control service.

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

If you live in the southern part of the U.S. chances are good you’ve come across fire ants at some point.  Most people in the southern states have actually been bitten by fire ants at least once; and it’s not something you quickly forget.  But fire ants are a fascinating species of insect.  That doesn’t necessarily mean you want to make them at home in your yard, but you might still be interested to know some facts about these amazing creatures:

1. Fire ants are not native to North America.  They were introduced to the U.S. in 1918 from South America.
2. The chances of fire ants spreading to the northern U.S. states is limited because the freezing soil during the winter months limits colonies from spreading in that direction.
3. The majority of the ants in a fire ant colony are female workers.
4. Fire ants are omnivores, eating both plant and animal matter.  They prefer high fat foods.
5. The workers that forage for food exit to the surface up to 25 feet away from the mound.
6. Adult ants cannot swallow solid food.  Instead, they carry it back to the mound and feed it to the larvae which digest it and regurgitate it up in a liquid form that is then shared by the adult ants.
7. It takes months for a colony to build up a mound large enough to be seen on the lawn. 
8. Fire ants can invade farm equipment and are actually responsible for more than $6 billion in losses from crop and equipment destruction each year.

As interesting as they are, fire ants can be dangerous to your pets and kids—at the very least causing pain and discomfort, and at worst causing death or permanent damage.  If you notice fire ants in your yard, call immediately to have our representative visit your home and assess the situation.

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

Just because the weather has grown cold does not mean you are finished worrying about pests invading your home. Mosquitoes and ants may be gone, but cold weather can actually bring many more pests indoors looking for shelter from the dropping temperatures and bad weather.  It is important to keep up your pest control service even after the cold weather has begun to set in.  Once these critters know there is nothing to stop them, they’ll be looking for any opportunity to make themselves comfortable in your house.

Two of the most common fall/winter pests include spiders and mice.  While spiders are generally friendly, both the black widow and brown recluse spiders have been known to hide out in houses when it gets too cold outside. These are both highly poisonous and can cause serious illness or even death to small pets or young children.   Mice present their own health hazard to your family, and they can contaminate your food preparation areas with droppings, hair and bacteria.

In addition to keeping your service up regularly, you’ll want to make sure that your outdoor spaces and your garage are free of clutter.  If there are any openings in your garage door be sure to seal them up or you might as well put out a welcome mat for the mice.  In the back yard, be sure to put away summer yard tools, toys, and containers where spiders or centipedes might take refuge.

In the southern states, the weather may cool off during the fall and winter but rarely is it so cold that it drives most of the pests into hibernation or kills them off.  That means you have to guard against pests like ants year-round.  Regardless of where you live, however, you can speak to your pest control service provider about the changes you need to make in order to address pests that are unique to your area.  They may be able to suggest alternatives for keeping your house safe from pests and keep you informed of what to look for as the seasons change.

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