Do you have a pesky ant problem and are wondering why they are invading your home? How do the ants continue to find their way back to the same food source? You may be surprised to know that ants are one of the most successful creatures on earth in terms of adaptability and survival. They are equipped with keen senses that help them find food and they leave chemical trails for other ants to follow, which is why ant control is so difficult.

Although ants are usually outdoor insects, they can enter your home through cracks, crevices, and other small openings in your exterior. You may also notice them more in the summer, spring, and fall, during which time they will enter your home in search of food and moisture. However, in some states, they may be present year-round.

They like to eat many of the same foods as humans, which is why they are commonly found inside our dwellings.

Some ant species build their nests outdoors, but they will then travel inside your home to find food. If, while inside your home, they find a food source that they like, they will gather the food and then transport it back outside to their nests. They will also continue to make subsequent trips back to the food source as long as it is still available.

Meanwhile, some ant species, such as carpenter ants, pavement ants, odorous house ants, acrobat ants, thief ants, and pharaoh ants, will build their nests indoors where they will remain until they are eliminated.

Once inside your home, ants will usually be found near food sources, as well as in damp areas, such as near sinks, bathtubs, and dishwashers. They can also be found in various hidden areas, such as under appliances, under floors, behind window frames, and in empty spaces behind the wall.

Ants have a great sense of smell, which they use to lead them to sources of food.

Once they have picked up on a food's scent, the worker ants will set out in search of it. As the ants make their way toward the food, they release pheromones behind them, creating a scented trail to find their way back to the food.

When the ants finally reach the food, they will make their way back to their nests, during which time they will release more pheromones on the trail. As the other worker ants set out to forage, they will also use the trail to make their way to the food source.

Carpenter ants, on the other hand, follow the chemical scent left by other ants to the food source, but then they use visual markers surrounding the path to help them remember their way back later.

Worker ants often forage between sunset and midnight, and they can travel up to 100 yards from their nests to locate food.

Ants have small bristles on their body, also called olfactory receptors, that enable them to detect certain chemical compounds in food, such as the chemical compounds in, sugar, sweets, and starches, which then attracts them to the food.

Their olfactory senses are so sensitive, they can still pick up on the chemical compounds in foods, even when they are present in the smallest amounts.

Ants will eat a variety of different foods. They seek out sugary foods such as jelly, syrup, and honey. Also, they like fatty foods like meats, and even pet food depending on the species

Once their senses pick up on food, they will then make their way to it, leaving a pheromone trail behind for other worker ants to also find their way to the food. If they come across a food they like, they will either continue to make trips back to the food, which they will take back to their outdoor nests, or they will build indoor nests and take the food back there.

Each time an ant emits a pheromone trail on their way to a food source, they also leave another chemically scented trail on the way back, producing an even stronger path for other worker ants to find.

Once other worker ants pick up on the trail, they will also make their way to the food source, during which time they, too, will leave a pheromone scent on the trail, further strengthening the path.

Therefore, a pheromone trail can remain strong for as long as ants continue to use it, and they will continue to use the trail for as long as the chemical scent is present or until it becomes masked by a stronger scent.

During the warmer months, ants will feed on live insects, dead insects, and honey produced by scale insects and aphids while outdoors. However, once they enter your home, they will usually eat pretty much anything you eat.

In the autumn, just before winter, most ant species eat more food than usual to put on extra fat, which allows them to go without much food over the winter. They will also feed off the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats they stored the previous fall.

However, provided their indoor nests are in a warm area, then you may continue to witness ant activity even throughout the winter when ants are usually dormant.

Ants can be a persistent problem, especially pharaoh ants, which can leave you frustrated and at your wits end about how to get of rid them.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help eliminate your ant problem, but they should be used in conjunction for complete and effective ant control.

Inside Your Home

• Since ants have a keen sense of smell, uncovered or loosely covered food left out in your home, especially near cracks in the floors and walls, windows, and doors, can attract ants. Therefore, be mindful not to leave open food out in your home, and keep your kitchen free of accumulating food waste. You should also keep your counters and floors free of food particles and crumbs to help deter ants.
  
  
• Any spills should also be cleaned up quickly because they can dry and become sticky, which ants also like.
  
  
• You should also avoid leaving food-stained dishes in the sink overnight because it can also invite ants.
  
  
• Be sure to keep your trash can clean and free of food waste to also help prevent ants.
  
  
• Ants are also attracted to moisture, so be sure to fix any water leaks around your home, such as leaky pipes or a leaky roof, and make sure your gutters and spouts repel water away from your property to help prevent moisture inside and outside your home.

Around Your Home

• When cooking outdoors, be sure to clean any remaining food from the grill as well as from the tables, deck, and patio to help deter ants.
  
  
• Any cracks, gaps, or other openings around your home should also be sealed to prevent ants from entering your home.
  
  
• If you have tree limbs that are touching your home, they should be trimmed back to prevent ants from using the branches to make a trail into your property.
  
  
• Any ground plants around your home should also be thinned out to prevent ants. You should also avoid placing landscape timbers, mulch, or any other things around your home that may provide protection and moisture for ants to thrive within at least 1-feet of your home's exterior.
  
  
• Any fallen tree limbs or logs, as well as any tree stumps around your property, should also be removed to deter ants. Any firewood should also be stored as far away from the house as possible, and avoid storing it in the garage or bringing it inside because it can contain ants.
  
  
• You should also avoid storing anything under the deck that keeps the soil damp, such as rock piles or boards, and periodically check any splash blocks around your home's exterior to ensure they are free of moisture underneath.
  
  
• You can also contact a professional pest control company for help. In order to successfully treat your ant problem, you first need to know the type of ant you are dealing with, which a professional ant exterminator can help you do.
  
  In fact, ant exterminators are highly-trained in various ant species, their activities, their preferences, and their habitats to provide the most effective ant management, which may include strategically placing insecticide baits inside your home. This way, the worker ants will take the bait back to the nest, thinking it is food, helping to eliminate the entire colony, including the ant larvae and the pupae.

Did you know that in some major cities, almost 40% of households report signs of cockroaches?

While you might be doing everything in your power to keep roaches away, you might still have some of these unwelcome visitors in your home. Try as you might, they just won't go away.

So are you wondering about roach control? Then keep reading. We'll go over a few tips to get rid of all sorts of cockroaches!

While this won't exactly get rid of the current cockroaches on your property, it can certainly help in reducing their numbers and preventing more from invading.

German cockroaches like to live indoors, so make sure your house is always tidy. Get rid of clutter, as they like to hide in cracks and crevices. Often, we find them hiding behind kitchen cabinets, door hinges, under the sink, behind the refrigerator and inside appliances such as a microwave. Any tight space they can  squeeze into is a potential hiding spot for the German Cockroach. You should also eliminate all food sources by cleaning up spills immediately, washing dishes right after meals, and putting all your food in airtight containers. Once they find a food and water source, they will tend to stay fairly close to those areas and reproduce at a rapid pace. If left untreated, a few German roaches can create a significant infestation in just a few weeks.

On the other hand, American, Oriental, and Turkestan cockroaches prefer to live outdoors. This means you need to clear away hiding spots and food sources in your yard as well. These exterior roaches will normally stay out of sight during the day. Some common places where we see them taking shelter include under planters, stepping stones, railroad ties, plywood/sheet metal, utility boxes and storm drains. Virtually any objects laying flat on the ground are a potential harborage area for these roaches. So the more stuff you have lying around, they more opportunity exterior roaches have to hide on your property.

Have you recently bought something from a garage sale? Or have you moved some boxes from storage into your home? Be aware, this is the primary way German roaches will enter your home.

Cockroaches love hiding in cardboard boxes, so be very careful with whatever you bring inside. Thoroughly inspect boxes, appliances, electronics and furniture before bringing them inside your home. If possible, leave these things outside for a period until inspected and remove all cardboard ASAP.

If you're tidy and you still have a roach problem, then it might be because they have easy access to your home. Do a thorough inspection to see if you can find any cracks or gaps in things like your doors and windows. Gaps and cracks along plumbing can often be used as an entry point for roaches. If you often find them in kitchen and bathroom areas, you may want to examine the area closely.

You can temporarily block these off and then follow the next step.

When you notice the first sign of trouble, you need to call a professional pest control company right away. Even if you're not sure you have a serious roach problem, it's better to be safe than to be sorry. Prevention is always the preferable option as opposed to waiting until the issue gets out of hand.

A pest control professional will be able to use their expertise and equipment to locate and eliminate roaches in and around your home. Not only that, but they can also treat common hiding spaces so these pests don't get a chance to multiply.

In addition, these professionals can put together a custom prevention plan for you to ensure you don't ever get an infestation in the future.

If you are experiencing an infestation, pro roach control services are the way to go.

While you can get a hold on the current situation by using some home remedies, the best thing to eliminate them is to use the services of an expert. Especially if you are dealing with the dreaded German Cockroach. A professional service will ensure that not only will the roaches be completely eradicated, but also that they stay away too!

Do you need cockroach pest control done on your property? Then get in touch with us now.

You might think that ants are the last thing you'd have to worry about in a state with alligators. However, these tiny creepy crawlies are far more likely to find their way into your home and yard. Ants can destroy lawns, infest food stores and some of them have a nasty bite. Read on to find out about 10 species of ants in California. 

The silvery field ant isn't usually spotted in people's yards, although they might be if you have a larger property. These silver-bodied critters are some of the rarer ants in California, but we'd still recommend calling in Pest Control to help you if you do spot one. 

Pharaoh ants are small and yellow. They can bite when they feel threatened, although it's not much of a sting for humans. However, although the bite may not hurt, it carries Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and salmonella. These ants in California love sweet and sticky foods, so keen bakers, beware. 

The western carpenter ant is similarly-named to the smooth carpenter ant, but they look and act quite differently. As you might have guessed, this species is most commonly found in the west, and it's one of the most abundant ants in California. Its body is usually matte dark brown. 

Smooth carpenter ants have the typical black or shiny red bodies that you see in kid's books. They have one node in the center of their body and an evenly-rounded thorax.  

Although velvety tree ants look similar to carpenter ants, there are several key differences. The shape is nearly identical, but its body is covered in lots of tiny hairs — hence the name. 

Ghost ants might not bite or sting, but they love making your home into their home. Similar to their odorous cousins, they emit a rotten coconut-like smell when they're crushed. 

Also known as a sugar ant, stink ant and coconut ant, this small brown ant is one of the most common ants in California. They like grease and sweet, sticky foods, but they're almost impossible to eliminate without the help of a pest control company. 

The pyramid ant is named because of the shape of its thorax. It's head and upper body are a brownish color, and the abdomen is black. 

This little guy got his name because he loves the heat of the midday sun. It's tiny, with a black, reddish-brown or brown body.

Argentine ants don't bite, but they can be total nuisances. They're brown with prominent antenna, and you'll see plenty of these ants in California.  

If you've got ants in your yard or home, there's no need to fear. At Joel's Pest Control, we've helped thousands of people to eliminate ants from their property. Call us today at 530-435-7897, and we'll help you restore your home to its former glory.

A Termite invasion in Yuba City is not uncommon. The year-round hot weather means that wood quickly becomes a prime target for these little critters. Although there's no magic spell to banish them entirely, you can follow our expert tips to prevent them from chowing down on your prized furniture and beloved property.

If you're in a high-risk area, a termite infestation is a risk at all times. One way to avoid a termite invasion in Yuba City is to spray your wooden surfaces with borate spray. You can apply it before you prime or paint, then it's beneath the surface but still acts as a major repellent. The spray is so strong, and termites hate it so much that one coat is enough to put them off for decades!

Try to make sure there's space between the soil in your flower beds and any surrounding wood. Earth is a cool, moist environment that they love, and wood is dinner. When you put the two near to each other, you're essentially creating a termite paradise. To prevent termite invasion in Yuba City, keep soil separate from wood in your yard.

If you've found a piece of furniture that's in the early stages of infestation, hope is not lost. You can place it out in the roasting Yuba City sun for a few days, and the termites will die. They only attack wood, which is moist, so drying the item should prevent further re-infestation, too. We'd also recommend spraying the infected wood with termite spray before taking it back indoors.

If one piece of furniture has been infested, it might be worth calling in the help of a Yuba City pest control company to make sure there isn't a bigger problem.

Newspapers, magazines, cardboard and paper are primary breeding grounds for termites. If you have these items stacked in piles in your study or spare room, they could be termite magnets. When you realize a room is contaminated, make sure you isolate the furniture in place. Moving it around the home is likely to spread the problem.

The main reason most people get any type of pests is moisture. Termites, in particular, can't stand the heat and dry. They love finding fresh, moist places to eat and lay their eggs. Make sure you regularly scout the entire property for leaks and damp areas. Areas near sinks and in the basement tend to be prime spots for moisture. Find and eliminate these areas, and you'll significantly decrease your risk of termite invasion in Yuba City.

Whether you need a termite inspection Yuba City or you've got a definite invasion, Joel's Pest Control can help. Call us today at 530-435-7897 for more information or to book an appointment. 

There's more than enough creepy crawlies and little critters buzzing around to fill a Yuba City pest control company's diary. However, five seem to cause more severe damage to people's bodies, homes or yards than any others. Whether it's the northern California climate, the soil or both — these five pests can't get enough of what the locals have to offer. 

The mighty red imported fire ant is famous for its nasty burning sting. These little blighters come from South America originally, with reddish-brown bodies that make them look pretty intimidating. While they're not big fans of people, their mounds can destroy lawns and flower beds. If people or their pets disturb the colony, they attack in a swarm and sting relentlessly.

There's no natural remedy to an ant infestation, to eliminate them, you'll need to call in pest control in Yuba City.

Nothing inspires fear quite like a cockroach. However, the beautiful California climate has to come with some drawbacks. These resilient creatures are notoriously tricky to fumigate once they've taken a liking to your property. They can survive in inhospitable environments, live without water or food for months and resist heat and cold better than most other bugs. They're also carriers of salmonella and a health hazard to people with asthma, so call in a Yuba City, California, pest control company as soon as you spot one.

Fleas are on this list because they can be so persistent and difficult to get rid of. Even though they live off the blood of animals — and humans, if they're forced — they can survive for as long as 100 days with no host. While they don't post a direct health risk to people, they can cause painful itching that breaks the skin and leads to infection. Additionally, a flea infestation can be incredibly harmful to your pet.

If you live in certain areas in the north of California, you might be at risk of a rodent infestation. People often get upset when this happens, because they feel like it's a reflection on their home. Don't worry — even the cleanest houses can attract mice or rats if they're unlucky. If you do spot a rodent in your home or nesting in your yard, call pest control services immediately. Bites from these little guys can cause disease and lead to infection.

Termites live in highly structured cooperative groups, and when they take over, they leave a dreadful trail of destruction in their wake. One of the most annoying thing about them is that it's difficult to spot a termite infestation before they've caused costly damage. They feed on wood, making many precious areas within your home high-risk areas for termite feeding.

If you're trying to battle pests in Yuba City alone, stop. The team at Joel's Pest Control are highly experienced experts with a passion for helping people eliminate bugs and critters from their properties.

Call us today at 530-435-7897 or fill out our online form for a free quote.