Sorenson Pest Control Blog

When a rodent scurries across your floor, determining whether it is a mouse or rat might not be your first concern. Getting rid of it is often the immediate priority. However, proper identification is important because it is a critical step in the pest control process. How do you tell the difference between a mouse and a rat? Appearances Although mice and rats appear similar at first, there are distinct differences. For starters, mice are smaller. They measure between 12 centimeters and 20 centimeters in length. White, gray or brown in color, they have large, floppy ears, triangular snouts, and tails that are long, thin and hairy. In contrast, rats can measure up to 40 centimeters in length. Their coats are white, gray, brown or black and greasy. Rats have a blunter snout than mice, and their long tails are scaly and hairless. Entrances Mice are excellent jumpers, swimmers, and climbers...

Like the rest of the country, residents in Northern California must protect themselves from summertime pests. The area’s Mediterranean climate is the perfect environment for certain insects. They will be constantly on the search for the new habitats. Here are a few common pests to keep an eye out for. Mosquitoes You definitely want to avoid the presence of mosquitoes. These bloodsuckers have always held a reputation for spreading disease. Even today, you must worry about sicknesses such as the West Nile Virus. Known for causing serious birth defects, the Zika virus has also recently become a serious threat. Fortunately, there are some effective ways to keep mosquitoes away. When hosting a cookout, be sure to keep citronella candles burning at all times. It is also a good idea to keep your windows tightly sealed and eliminate any standing water on your property. Western Black-Legged Ticks Ticks thrive in humid environments....

The emotional energy that creates a fear of spiders is probably a waste when it focuses on creatures that do not deserve it. The roughly 3,400 known species of spiders in North America provide free pest control by using venom to paralyze their insect prey or by spinning webs to trap them. Recognizing Insect Predator Spiders Most of California’s spiders wait for insect prey to enter their webs, but others take a more direct approach. None of these attack humans. Wolf With an appearance that vaguely resembles a tarantula, the wolf spider has no web. It's two large eyes that sit above a row of smaller ones help it attack other spiders and ground-dwelling insects usually at night. Common House As its name indicates, the house spider usually builds webs in the corners of homes, but it also weaves its characteristic three-dimensional cobweb outdoors. It feeds on insects, mosquitoes, and flies....

Memorial Day is set aside to remember the troops and everything that they have done for us, but for many people, it also marks the start of warm weather and sunny skies. No matter what you have planned for Memorial Day, you might want to take steps to keep unwelcome pests away from your event. When it comes to insects, you must avoid bees and wasps so that you won't need to worry about getting stung. The problem, however, is that bees and wasps are attracted to some of the foods that people like to enjoy at cookouts and other outdoor events. Even though bees, wasps and other stinging insects can be a problem, a little effort will help you to reduce the risk. Create Traps If you have a lot of bees or wasps near your home, getting rid of them can be tricky. Making mistakes along the way can...

If you have recently discovered that mice live in your home, you might be wondering what you should do so that you can remove the mice effectively. Although you will find many mouse traps and poisons that promise to help, not all solutions are created equal, and when it comes to taking care of the problem for good, many people turn to bait stations to get the job done. Before you make a final decision, you will want to learn about bait stations and why they are better than other options on the market. Once you gain the information, you will be ready to move forward without stress. Safe Solution When they spot a mouse for the first time, homeowners often opt to use standard traps and poisons to manage the problem, but this path is not always best. Poisons can take several days to eliminate a mouse, and most traps...

The term “earwig” is generically applied to insects in the order Dermaptera, of which there are at least 2,000 species. Found all over the globe, these bugs are easily identified by their long, almost worm-like bodies and a distinctive pair of pincers that come together near their heads. Pincers aside, earwigs bear a striking resemblance to crickets. Because earwigs are nocturnal, preferring dark, moist places during the day, many people with earwig infestations are unaware how severe the infestation is, and others do not even know the problem exists at all. Luckily, there are some things you can look for if you suspect a severe infestation in your home or yard: • Look for molted skin casings: Like snakes, earwigs frequently shed their skins. From birth to adulthood, earwigs shed their skins five times each. If there is an abundance of these shed skin casings throughout a home, a serious infestation...

Why Customers love Sorenson! Deciding what pest extermination company to hire for your home is easy when you choose one that is a proven leader in the industry. Find out why customers love Georgia's Sorenson Pest Control and why the professionals at this company are the right choice in keeping your home free from pests. Prompt and Professional Service When you see pests in your home, you want them gone as quickly as possible. You do not want to have to wait for days or weeks for an extermination company to come to your home and get rid of the creatures that have invaded your living space. Sorenson Pest Control has proven itself to be a leader in fast and professional pest extermination services. Customers give this company five-star reviews for its quick response to pest infestations of all kinds. This fast response means that you can get back to your...

Making Mouse Calls for 35 years! Mice may look small and cute. However, the problems they bring with them when they invade your home are anything but that. Keep your home mouse-free throughout the year by knowing how to spot and effectively get rid of these pests once and for all. Why Get Rid of Mice? How much harm can mice inflict on your home and your daily life? Mice are in fact some of the most bothersome and dangerous pests that can infest your house. For starters, mice carry with them a host of diseases that can easily make you and your loved ones sick. When they crawl across your counters or floors, they can leave behind dander, droppings, and other debris that can cause diseases like hantavirus, toxoplasmosis, trichonosis, and several others that require immediate and extensive medical treatment. Second, while rare, mice can and will bite people and...

Have a Pest Free Holiday For many people, the winter months are the most enjoyable time of the year. These individuals are filled with joy and excitement when the holidays approach, and it's the perfect chance for everyone to get together and to have a good time. However, common winter pests can quickly ruin your holiday plans if you don't take action to prevent them from entering your home. Inability to protect your property can result in damage and expensive repair bills, but some pests can even transmit harmful pathogens. When you have the right plan in mind, you won't need to worry about that problem, and your home can remain free of pests all winter. You are about to learn what invaders you can expect to find and the ways to keep them away from you and your family. Mice When the temperature drops, mice will start searching for a...

Don’t Let Ants Crash your Thanksgiving Dinner If you are like many other people, then you are likely feeling excited about fall and Thanksgiving. This is a time for families and friends to get together, share a meal and make memories. Although it can be a lot of fun, fall is also a time when ants are the most likely to enter your home, and it's important you take steps to protect yourself from a possible invasion. As the outside temperature starts to drop, they will become desperate to find food sources, and your home might be an attractive option. The following information will help you discover if you have an infestation. Types of Ants Learning to identify the most common ant types is wise if you want to prevent them from taking over your home. You have likely spotted a house ant before, and they are small and black in...

Halloween and the Fall Season: The Perfect Time for a Spider Invasion Fall has arrived, and Halloween will soon bring a variety of little spooks and goblins to your front door for a treat. Unfortunately, this time of the year also brings out some creatures that aren't quite so pleasant here in California, and you may find yourself facing some creepy spiders that have taken up residence in your home in preparation for the cooler temperatures to come. Here at Sorenson Pest Control, we're regularly called upon at this time of the year to rid homes of these common spiders. 1. Black Widow The largest of all of the web-spinning spiders, the shiny black widow is unmistakable thanks to the red-hourglass marking on the underside of its abdomen. That marking signals a very real danger because this is a venomous spider that can deliver a painful bite, which sends a neurotoxin...

There is no question that mice and people intermingle, even though these chance meetings are unintentional. Throughout history, mice have been known to inhabit homes, churches, museums and other edifices. Somehow, a mouse manages to live and thrive without the need to work for a living. Some mice lead quite happy lives depending on the goodwill of humans who provide them with their daily sustenance. Look for the Obvious Signs It is easy to recognize the existence of mice in the house. The most obvious sign is the sound of mice scampering about in the attack or walls. If a home is the habitat of several mice, the sound is rather loud and reminiscent of a small army marching to and fro from one end of the house to the other. Little droppings closely resembling caraway seeds are the most obvious telltale signs that mice have invaded the home. Mice tend...

It's fast; it's walked the Earth with the dinosaurs; and it's one of the most common pests that homeowners have to deal with. You guessed it; it's an American cockroach. While most species of cockroaches - about 4,000 - inhabit caves and forests, about 30 types are known to invade human dwellings in states like California. With that said, here are three ways roaches cause harm to the people inside your home and the property itself. Roaches Can Create an Offensive Smell in Your Property Usually living in groups and mostly active at night, cockroaches are filthy pests that can ruin everything from fabrics to food. They discharge portions of their partially digested food and nauseous secretion in intervals from their mouths and the glands on their bodies. This leaves an offensive smell in the areas or on the food visited by them. Without proper treatment, this odor can become long...

Most people don't notice the physical characteristics of a bee or wasp when they see one or when one stings them. They also generally refer to these stinging insects as bees, but there are several differences between them. Along with physical differences, not all bees and wasps behave the same and require various techniques to remove in the event of an infestation. You can identify whether you have bees or wasps with the differences detailed below. Physical Differences A few key physical characteristics set bees and wasps apart. Bees have hairy, robust bodies, and their back legs are flat. Wasps have slender bodies and narrow waists that connect their mid sections to their rear segments. Additionally, wasps have shiny, smooth-looking bodies and cylinder-shaped legs. Differences in Behavior As pollinators, bees spend a lot of their time visiting flowers and plants to distribute and gather pollen. Their flat, hairy bodies are great...

The Top 3 Ways Pests Infest Homes No matter how well you clean and maintain your home, bugs will always have a reason to come inside. Pest insects may belong outdoors, but your home serves as a cocktail of sorts, providing abundant food, water and shelter for roaches, ants, silverfish and other bothersome pests. By closing off their entryways, you can keep pests out of your home and prevent infestations. 1. Vents and plumbing lines The space between a dryer vent and the wall provides enough room for roaches, millipedes and other crawling insects to pass through and enter your home. These pests also use the openings around your plumbing lines to invade your kitchen and bathroom. Silverfish are often seen in bathrooms and use the plumbing lines beneath the sink to infest your space. 2. Windows and doors Cracks around windows and doors appear over time due to old age...

Twas two months after Christmas...and all through the house...not a creature was stirring...except for a mouse! He runs through the house with the greatest of care and eats all of the food in your home - that's no fair! So what do you do with a mouse that's a louse? Do you drop cash on a cat or on a baseball bat? Or maybe you think, or exclaim "aww crap!" when you stop finding mice dead in your traps? Some people try for years to eliminate mice, but find out they're probably being too nice. They find the best way to stop mice today is by calling professional pest control. They'll search through your home and find all their houses and they'll get on a roll chasing down mouses. And when they are done you'll happily see that your house is completely and fully mouse-free! So stop leaving cheese out for...

Keeping your home completely ant-free can be a challenge, especially if you fall into one of the three categories listed below. Fortunately, no matter how ant-prone your home is, there's a simple solution.  Three Types of Households with Special Ant-Control Concerns: Households with Small Children Children bring a sense of wonder and whimsy to the homes that they inhabit. In their wake also come crumbs, dirt, and sticky messes. The more children in the house, the higher chance that they will leave food, drink, or some other ant-attracting substance out in the open.  Households with Pets  Although the pets themselves might not draw ants, their food dishes, litter boxes, or cages might. Although keeping such areas neat and tidy will go a long way toward discouraging ants, there's still a risk factor involved.  Historic Households While living in a home that could be on a historic registry does have its advantages, it also has its...

Why do mice love living in your walls so much? Simple: they're warm, nothing else lives in there (beyond a few easily defeated insects), and there's plenty of room for growth. Why, by chewing through your walls, they can basically gain access to any area of your home in just a matter of time. And there's nothing worse than going to bed at night, knowing that there are mice running around in your home where you can't get them. And once they get in, they're probably pretty content to just stay right in there. They're under no impetus to leave quickly and they're ready for the long haul. Soon, they'll be pumping out all sorts of baby mice. And soon those baby mice will be making baby mice. And then those baby mice will be... Look: you need to stop this silly cycle dead in its tracks. There's no reason that...

Mice and rodent infestations are a common problem for both urban and rural homes and buildings. Mice can enter homes through small cracks in the walls, floors and foundations and be difficult to quickly detect. Most homeowners don't recognize that an infestation has taken place until they notice obvious signs, which usually means that the infestation has become quite advanced.  Luckily, vigilant homeowners can get ahead of a potential mouse problem by following a few simple steps that reduce the chances of infestation and remove mice from your home. Tip 1: Keep an Eye Out for Mouse Infestation Signs Effective mouse control starts with prevention. By keeping a watchful eye for signs of mouse activity, you can more quickly notice and deal with a potential infestation. Some of the common signs of a rodent infestation include; Mouse droppings Mouse tracks  Gnawing damage Grease marks on runways By keeping your eye out for the initial signs of...

Do you think mice are too cute to be any kind of problem in your home? If so, you're quite wrong: mice are a problematic vermin that cause a wide variety of problems. First of all, mice love eating you out of house and home. You'll quickly discover that as more and more of the food containers in your home develop holes. Mice will sneak through these holes and chow down. And when they are done, they'll leave behind small, round, hard, and smelly little souvenirs of their visit. If that wasn't bad enough, they also love eating holes in your walls. While you might not see a big mouse hole ala Tom and Jerry, you may see holes quite similar. And once they're in your walls, they are not afraid to chew more holes or even chew on electric and telephone wires. This can cause severe home damage and may...