Pest Control & Exterminators
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Pest Inspection
–Jan 20, 2024My wife and I will be selling a rental house in Oakland soon and need to have a pest inspection. Some of the previous recommendations are a bit dated so we would appreciate any ones which are more current. Thank you.
Jan 20, 2024Ant extermination help! Ugh
–Oct 31, 2023Hi, I looked at all of the older recommendations and we are in a mess with the Argentine ants, seeking current recommendations for an exterminator. We have an ADU / backyard cottage that is being slaughtered; the main house is still able to keep them at bay with periodic use of Terro ant baits and other self-help recommendations.
They are ALL OVER the small backyard cottage and the tenants haven’t been able to keep up, using all of the standard recommendations (Terro ant baits, putting food away immediately in airtight containers, wiping up; plus we use powdered ant repellents outdoors, etc).
Can anyone recommend an extermination company that really does the job? Doesn’t have to be “eco friendly” as there are no kids or pets, we just need the ants GONE and a company that will stand by their work / return as needed, guarantee their work, etc. HEEEEEELP! Any companies you’d avoid too. Thanks so much. We live in the Berkeley flats if that matters, appreciate any recommendations for exterminators you can provide - do it yourself solutions simply aren’t working, thanks.
Oct 31, 2023Heat treatment (thermal remediation) for pests/bedbugs?
–Jul 8, 2022We have carpet beetles and would like to try a no-chemical heat treatment solution.
Does anyone have recent experience with a chemical-free company that treats pests or bedbugs using heat?
The only place I found so far on yelp is https://bayareabedbug.com/. Has anyone used them?
Much appreciated!
Jul 8, 2022Comprehensive Pest Control Needed
–Feb 2, 2020We are at our wits end. We have spoken with the county Ventor control which actually does nothing and just offers suggestions on sealing up the house. We have problems with rodents, skunks, possums, wasps/yellow jackets, disgusting big swarms of biting gnats (they bite like mosquitoes), spiders, every cat in the hood seems to come and poop in our yard, disrespectful dog walkers whose dogs poop and pee on our grass, carpenter bees that bore holes on our house, and the list keeps going. We hired Attic Solutions that sealed up the house but keeps missing holes. They have had to come back 4 times to seal up additional holes. We hired a Pest Control company that has placed baits outside the house for mice and rat control. But, they won’t do much about flying pests. When I mentioned about larger pests, they had no advice or recommendations.
I work full time during the week and spend a lot of time during my precious weekend cleaning up animal poop and pee, spraying bleach solutions and cleaning the rat droppings off the patio and inspecting the perimeter before I let the kids out and play. What is the point of paying the astronomical mortgage for a house with a yard if we can’t enjoy it? I am angry that my kids are cooped up until I give them green light. I feel defeated. We bought a house with the idea that kids could just go out and play whenever they wanted and we would get a break. Some may say I should relax a little bit but no! Animal fecal matters are toxic. I know I am not supposed to touch it, especially cat poop, since I am pregnant. But, my spouse is disabled. I am the only able body in our household for this job. No family nearby. As my pregnancy advances, it is going to be harder for me to bend down and do this kind of weekly cleaning. I have to wear a mask when I do it, it’s already getting hard to breath.
I can’t use water sprinkler or chicken wire to deter cats because I have little kids and the water will make every person who comes near wet as well. I sprinkle repellents and it works as long as I do it constantly. But, if I get sick or busy and skip a few weeks, it’s back to square one. I have used every remedy known to humanity -peppermint, lemon, coffee grounds, etc.
I am overwhelmed by ultrasonic repellent options and don’t know which one to buy. We can’t use solar ones because we don’t get enough sun where we would need to place them.
I am wondering if there is a pest company that will help take care of rodents, gnats and wasps or whether I need to hire specialists for each type of pest.
if a pest company makes recommendations, do I then hire a handyman/woman? It’s never clear to me when you hire a handy person and when you hire licensed specialists... Do pest companies also help trim plants/trees that are too close to the house?
Vector control recommends we get rid of a pile of firewood that were left by the previous residents. They are heavy, tucked under and hard to get to. Any idea who we can hire to crawl under and remove them?
Our neighbors already help out a lot knowing our situation. I Don’t want to ask them constantly for incessant house maintenance needs and definitely will not ask friends and neighbors to help pick up poop!
Do we throw in the towel and move to a condo or townhouse?
Thank you.
Feb 2, 2020Recommendations for pest/termite reporting company?
–May 21, 2019We're in need of an independent termite/pest report. Without going into details, we have had bad experiences with two local firms and just don't trust the realtor's recommendations because they all seem to be very chummy with each other. We would appreciate any recommendations, and backstories if you have them, of why you would use a particular firm again. Thank you.
May 21, 2019Hello: I'm looking for recommendations of a good pest control inspector who services West Contra Costa and can look at a few distinct issues. I am willing to pay for the inspection.
We have identified carpet beetle nymphs in our bathroom, and simultaneously all members of the family have gotten bit by something; our pediatrician thinks its scabies. We treated the whole family and washed everything possible, but we have to repeat treatment because the bites appeared again. I am now wondering about rat or bird mites as the culprit based on prior BPN posts. I'd like to have a trustworthy, thorough inspection to help us figure out the source of the bites and advise on treatment of carpet beetles in a home with young children. If rats or birds are the problem, I'd like them to be able to do the work necessary to remove the source. We had Terminix out to inspect for bedbugs and their very thorough search turned up no sign. A second inspection for BB would be welcome. (Terminix offered a chemical treatment for carpet beetles but they were explicit that they don't deal with mites.) Ideally they are environmentally conscious and know how to minimize harm in that way.
I tried Dan the Bug Man and he doesn't come to West CoCo. He recommended CA Exterminator Services but I've made two requests for a service call and have not gotten a call back. Rat Patrol only handles rats. Any other companies out there that were able to solve a multiple mystery like our's?
Nov 10, 2017
Archived Q&A and Reviews
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Reviews of exterminators
Jan 2005
MITTS pest control? Does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with MITTS pest control? We are not selling our house but have encountered termites and are considering using MITTS for a full inspection and removal of the termites. If you have a strong positive recommendation about another company that would be great too. amy
My house was inspected by Mitts before I bought it. My uncle, Bob Randall with Prudential Realty (869-4242), said that Mitts is the best. He's been in the business for *years* and recommended a roofer (Bill Wong, Interstate Roofing) who was *terrific*. Anyway, the pest report was positive and I haven't had any problems with my house. I hope this helps. Jennie Jan 2005
Burge Pest Control
I just wanted to write in because we recently used Burge Pest Control after reading the recommendations on this newsgroup. It was not the best experience. If you'd like more details, please feel free to e-mail me... autstein
Exterminator for spiders
See also: Advice about Spiders
November 2002
Both my son and my husband have been bitten by spiders in our north Berkeley hills home. My husband's doctor feels the bites may have come from a ''cousin'' of the brown recluse spider. My son's OK, but my husband has had a very bad reaction to the bites (he's had 2 now) necessitating numerous trips to the doctor, antibiotics, etc. Does anyone have experience with a reliable exterminator in the area that may be able to rid us of these spiders? Has anyone had a similar experience and found another way to handle the situation? (We're not thrilled about the idea of chemicals and the harm done to more friendly insects & spiders.) Thanks! Kim
I full heartedly recommend ''Employ Exterminators.'' Richard has come to my home three times already regarding a mice problem and has also consulted with me about ants and spiders. He is very knowledgeable and honest. You can't do better. Good luck.
Once again I would like to recommend the book, ''Common Sense Pest Control'' by William Olkowski. It is a treasure trove of information. In regards to bites, the book says that brown recluse spiders are commonly suspect, but rarely the actual culprit. If you actually think you have brown recluse spiders, keep shoes, clothing and bedding off the floor. Brown recluse spiders like to hide in boxes and papers, so those could be frozen before dealing with them. If you use a short-acting chemical, the critters will move back in after the chemical no longer works. If you use a long-acting chemical, the humans will be in a toxic environment for years to come. I hate to think of using a chemical when you don't know what you are dealing with. A welt on the skin can be due to assassin bugs, ticks, mites, fleas, mosquitoes, lacewings, etc. It can also be caused by bacteria or viruses. sunsol
Wasp Nest
April 2002
Hello. I've discovered a wasp nest in an awning right outside my balcony windows. I'd like to have the nest removed, as members of our family are allergic to bee and wasp stings -- can an exterminator take care of this, and could/would someone recommend any service that would remove the wasp nest? Thank you.
If you're in Contra Costa county, the ''Vector Control'' folks will remove the wasp for you for free. Check in the government pages. Also have humane skunk traps that you set, they pick up. Ann
We were very happy with Hi Tech termite. Great communication and the inspector was thoughtful and thorough and seemed to really like his job. This was in contrast to the first bid we got, where the guy they sent seemed to just be going through the motions and didn't instill confidence. Treatment was easy and I think it came with some kind of warranty too.
We have used Omega Pest for home inspection and also just some routine pest inspection. They have been good: good communication, easy to work with, the inspector was nice etc. I was advised by someone that after an inspection the pest company might offer to make repairs for you. You don’t have to accept the Pest Inspection company’s bid as repairs are totally separate from the inspection. Ask for bids from different vendors before making repairs.