I need pest control in my Manteca, CA home

Manteca, CA is known for a lot of great things—being the “pumpkin capital of the world,” being a great place to live and raise a family, great local farms, shopping, and nature. It’s a great place to live and have a home, but like anywhere else, residents might sometimes run into pest problems. It isn’t always easy to tell when it’s time to call the professionals to come help, so we’ll discuss a little bit about some of the pests you might run into in Manteca CA, what this might mean for you as a resident, and when it’s time to call the pros to come help.

What Kinds of Pests Are Common in Manteca, CA?

There are a few pests we see more commonly than others in Manteca. Among those we most commonly see are ants, spiders, rodents, wasps, and earwigs. Each pest can present its own unique problems for residents, and we’ll talk a little bit about their biology, how they can be identified, how they can create problems, and when it’s time to call the professionals for Manteca pest control.

Ants

We’re all familiar with ants. They’re no fun to have around, and they’re always on the search for more food and water. Unfortunately for residents, this means they often find their way into and around our homes, where they can range from being a nuisance to being downright dangerous. While ants are small, the ways they can pose a risk for residents is huge. They can contaminate food supplies, spread foodborne disease, bite or sting humans, and even cause structural damage. Far from harmless, ants can cause some serious problems, especially if an infestation gets out of hand. So, what kinds of ants might Manteca residents come across? We’ll talk a little bit about that. 

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Argentine Ants

One of the most common ants around is the Argentine ant. The good news about Argentine ants is that they do not sting and they rarely bite. However, they’re highly attracted to sweets in homes, and they can create problems for homeowners hoping to keep their homes pest free. Argentine ants are recognizable by their small size and brown color. They form trails and they can traverse a wide set of terrains and easily make their way into homes—though they’ll generally make their homes outside. They may be attracted to gardens as they enjoy feeding on fresh produce.  

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Pharaoh Ants

Pharaoh ants are also common in the area. They’re generally smaller than Argentine ants, as well as lighter colored. They’re recognizable by their small size and yellowish color. They’re particularly attracted to moisture, and they are known to make nests inside of homes. They’ll eat most of the same foods humans do, so they can pose a big problem for kitchens in particular. They’ll also feed on other insects, particularly dead ones, and they can establish large colonies quite quickly. The good news is they don’t bite, but they do pose the risk of spreading disease and contaminating food supplies.

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Fire Ants

Fire ants are particularly nasty insects. They’re easily attracted to human foods, especially sweet foods and oils, and they do not need to be provoked to attack. They’re highly aggressive and are known to swarm humans, creating many painful stings. They’re known to make nests both indoors and outdoors, and they attack indiscriminately. Fire ants bite and sting humans, and they’ll do so even if their nest isn’t disturbed. They can pose a serious risk for small children and pets as well as allergic adults, so it’s always best to err on the side of caution when dealing with fire ants.

Spiders

Spiders will sometimes make their way into Manteca homes, and they can range from a nuisance to a danger. Luckily, if you’re in need of spider control in Manteca, we’re always here to help. Though most commonly the spiders you’ll see in the area are relatively harmless, there are a few dangerous spiders common to California and we’ll talk a bit about some of them.

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Black Widow

Black Widows are common in California for dangerous spiders. They generally only bite if they’re disturbed but they pose a higher risk for people cleaning out little-disturbed spaces in homes. They prefer darkness and dry spaces. They’re easily recognizable with their shiny black color and hourglass shaped marking, found on the underside of their abdomen. While Black Widow bites can range from mostly harmless to more severe, it’s always best to reach out for medical advice if you or someone you know has been bitten.

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Yellow Sac Spiders

Yellow Sac spiders are more commonly found in homes. They have a toxic bite, though they’re generally hesitant to bite humans if they can avoid it. They’re recognizable with their small size and light yellow color. They’ll make webs both inside and outside of homes.

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Desert Recluse

Desert recluses are generally found—as their name implies—in the desert and they’re not commonly found in populated areas like Manteca, but they are found in California and sometimes in the San Joaquin valley. They’re related to the more famous—or infamous—Brown Recluse, though Brown recluses have only very rarely been found in California at all. Desert recluses can be recognized by their fiddle shaped markings, brown tan color, and long legs. They rarely make their home indoors, and are instead likely to be found outdoors in undisturbed locations.

Rodents

Rodents can pose some serious risks to homeowners and while they may seem like just a nuisance they can cause some serious damage to homes, and it’s best to take care of rodent infestations as soon as possible. There are a few rodents you might expect to see in the area and we’ll talk a bit about some of them.

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Roof Rats

As their name suggests, Roof rats indeed do have an affinity for roofs. They’re quite skilled climbers, and they like to nest in higher up structures. They’re the types of rats you’re most likely to find nesting in your attic. Unfortunately, they’re also big chewers and they can cause some serious damage to homes. They can also contaminate food supplies and spread disease. While Roof rats aren’t particularly aggressive and they aren’t keen on biting, it is possible, especially if they’re cornered and threatened and they can spread disease through their bites.

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Norway Rats

Unlike Roof Rats, Norway rats prefer to make themselves at home closer to the ground. Also commonly referred to as sewer rats, they’re a bit larger than roof rats and usually brown, and they often burrow underground or at ground level in and around homes. Like Roof rats, they’re also big chewers and aside from contaminating food supplies and spreading disease, they can do some serious damage to homes where they’ll find things like wires and walls to chew on. Like Roof rats, Norway rats aren’t particularly aggressive, but are known to bite if they’re cornered or threatened and can spread disease through their bites.

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House Mice

While much smaller than rats, house mice can still make big problems for homeowners and residents. They’re recognizable with their small size and gray colored hair. In fact, due to their small size, they can make their way into homes with more ease and comprise a great number of home infestations. They can also be quite difficult to get rid of as they don’t require very much food and water to survive and they can reproduce quite quickly. As they can, like rats, contaminate food, spread disease, and cause damage to homes, it’s important to take care of a mice infestation.

Earwigs

Earwigs can be a serious nuisance to residents. While they’re not particularly dangerous to humans, they are attracted to moisture which can drive them to find their way into homes. From there, they can damage plants and feed on soft fruits, which can be quite troublesome to residents. They’re recognizable by their large pincers, which can appear quite alarming, though they very rarely use them to attack, and they’re not poisonous.

What We Offer

With over 500 5-star reviews, it’s no secret that we consistently deliver the results that keep residents feeling safe. Earthwise has the tools and knowledge to help out if you have any pest problems in your Manteca, CA home.

The Smart Approach

We take a nuanced biology-informed approach to our pest control, and use integrated pest management techniques to most effectively get the results you want. In short this means we don’t just poison and leave; instead we take into account environmental factors and help you make your home less conducive to pests at the same time as we address the pests that are bothering you in the most environmentally friendly ways possible. We also start off each visit with a comprehensive inspection. This informs our approach as we determine what types of pest you’re dealing with by identifying it, so that we can take the most effective and least invasive approach possible each time. 

We also offer a quarterly program that helps you keep your home safe year-round. By doing quarterly maintenance, we can be there to help throughout each season as new pest threats arise. Not all pests like to make their move at the same time of year, and by taking a quarterly approach we can help you keep your home safe and offer recommendations and services to make sure your home environment isn’t conducive for future infestations. 

If we come out for a service, and pests come back right away, we’ll make our second visit for free. We want to make sure that our approach is working and that your home stays safe and pest free. 

Call Us Today

If you’ve seen any signs of any of the pests we’ve discussed, or you have concerns about future infestations and want to take proactive maintenance steps, give us a call or reach out online 24/7. You can reach us at (916) 668-8888 during business hours, or reach out online any time, and we’ll get back to you with a fast and free quote.